diff --git a/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp
index 721adbb79c..311ba90812 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/GameSoundManager.cpp
@@ -93,9 +93,12 @@ CHECKPOINT;
 CHECKPOINT;
 	if( ToPlay.file.empty() )
 	{
-		if( g_Playing->m_Music->IsPlaying() )
-			g_Playing->m_Music->StopPlaying();
-		g_Playing->m_Music->Unload();
+		/* StopPlaying() can take a while, so don't hold the lock while we stop. */
+		MusicPlaying *pOldPlaying = g_Playing;
+		g_Playing = new MusicPlaying( new RageSound );
+		L.Unlock();
+
+		delete pOldPlaying;
 		return;
 	}
 CHECKPOINT;
@@ -105,6 +108,7 @@ CHECKPOINT;
 CHECKPOINT;
 
 	/* See if we can find timing data, if it's not already loaded. */
+	/* XXX: don't IsAFile while holding g_Mutex */
 	if( !ToPlay.HasTiming && IsAFile(ToPlay.timing_file) )
 	{
 		LOG->Trace("Found '%s'", ToPlay.timing_file.c_str());
@@ -282,10 +286,13 @@ static void StartQueuedSounds()
 		else
 		{
 			CHECKPOINT;
-			LockMutex L( *g_Mutex );
-			if( g_Playing->m_Music->IsPlaying() )
-				g_Playing->m_Music->StopPlaying();
-			g_Playing->m_Music->Unload();
+			/* StopPlaying() can take a while, so don't hold the lock while we stop. */
+			g_Mutex->Lock();
+			MusicPlaying *pOldPlaying = g_Playing;
+			g_Playing = new MusicPlaying( new RageSound );
+			g_Mutex->Unlock();
+
+			delete pOldPlaying;
 		}
 		delete pMusic;
 	}