diff --git a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
index bac154e0ab..7f7f8273a7 100644
--- a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
+++ b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ StepMania 5.0 Preview 2 | 20110???
  * TapHoldRollOnRowMeansHold: bool, true means hold and false means roll
  * No noteskins should require updating, as these were placed in common/common
    for ease of use. [Wolfman2000]
+* [LifeMeterBattery] Added ChangeLives(int) Lua binding. [AJ]
 * [LifeMeterBattery] Added DangerThreshold metric. [AJ]
 * [LifeMeterBattery] Added some important metrics. [AJ]
  * MinScoreToKeepLife='TapNoteScore_*' - any score below this = loss of life.
diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 alias.lua b/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 alias.lua
index e0e3841f07..05935425bf 100644
--- a/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 alias.lua	
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 alias.lua	
@@ -20,12 +20,4 @@ local _screen = {
 	h  = SCREEN_HEIGHT,
 	cx = SCREEN_CENTER_X,
 	cy = SCREEN_CENTER_Y
-}
-
-if Screen.String then
-	ScreenString = Screen.String
-end
-
-if Screen.Metric then
-	ScreenMetric = Screen.Metric
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 compat.lua b/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 compat.lua
index 36b5327aa2..4103cc9dbc 100644
--- a/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 compat.lua	
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/01 compat.lua	
@@ -56,15 +56,6 @@ function ActorScroller:setfastcatchup(bFastCatchup)
 	self:SetFastCatchup(bFastCatchup)
 end
 
--- renaming various StepMania functions to sm-ssc ones:
-if ScreenString then
-	ScreenString = Screen.String
-end
-
-if ScreenMetric then
-	ScreenMetric = Screen.Metric
-end
-
 --[[ GameState ]]
 --Aliases for old GAMESTATE timing functions.
 --These have been converted to SongPosition, but most themes still use these old functions.
diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/02 Other.lua b/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/02 Other.lua
index ea544d1dd4..91f81f06e1 100644
--- a/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/02 Other.lua	
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/Scripts/02 Other.lua	
@@ -102,11 +102,13 @@ Screen.Metric = function ( sName )
 	local sClass = Var "LoadingScreen"
 	return THEME:GetMetric( sClass, sName )
 end
+ScreenMetric = Screen.Metric
 
 Screen.String = function ( sName )
 	local sClass = Var "LoadingScreen";
 	return THEME:GetString( sClass, sName )
 end
+ScreenString = Screen.String
 
 function TextBannerAfterSet(self,param) 
 	local Title=self:GetChild("Title"); 
diff --git a/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp b/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp
index a638420fbf..20f42ff4e7 100644
--- a/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp
+++ b/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp
@@ -137,6 +137,14 @@ void LifeMeterBattery::AddLives( int iLives )
 	m_fBatteryBlinkTime = 0;
 }
 
+void LifeMeterBattery::ChangeLives(int iLifeDiff)
+{
+	if( iLifeDiff < 0 )
+		SubtractLives( abs(iLifeDiff) );
+	else if( iLifeDiff > 0 )
+		AddLives(iLifeDiff);
+}
+
 void LifeMeterBattery::ChangeLife( TapNoteScore score )
 {
 	if( m_iLivesLeft == 0 )
@@ -254,13 +262,14 @@ class LunaLifeMeterBattery: public Luna<LifeMeterBattery>
 {
 public:
 	static int GetLivesLeft( T* p, lua_State *L )	{ lua_pushnumber( L, p->GetLivesLeft() ); return 1; }
-	// is this right? wtf -q2x
 	static int GetTotalLives( T* p, lua_State *L )	{ lua_pushnumber( L, GAMESTATE->m_SongOptions.GetSong().m_iBatteryLives ); return 1; }
+	static int ChangeLives( T* p, lua_State *L )	{ p->ChangeLives(IArg(1)); return 0; }
 
 	LunaLifeMeterBattery()
 	{
 		ADD_METHOD( GetLivesLeft );
 		ADD_METHOD( GetTotalLives );
+		ADD_METHOD( ChangeLives );
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/LifeMeterBattery.h b/src/LifeMeterBattery.h
index a6d50a0319..648811a9fc 100644
--- a/src/LifeMeterBattery.h
+++ b/src/LifeMeterBattery.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public:
 
 	void Refresh();
 	int GetLivesLeft() { return m_iLivesLeft; }
+	void ChangeLives(int iLifeDiff);
 
 	// Lua
 	virtual void PushSelf( lua_State *L );