diff --git a/stepmania/src/GameCommand.cpp b/stepmania/src/GameCommand.cpp
index a3682ac943..9572f87329 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/GameCommand.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/GameCommand.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ bool GameCommand::DescribesCurrentModeForAllPlayers() const
 
 bool GameCommand::DescribesCurrentMode( PlayerNumber pn ) const
 {
-	if( m_pGame != NULL && m_pGame != GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame )
+	if( m_pGame != NULL && m_pGame != GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame.Get() )
 		return false;
 	if( m_pm != PLAY_MODE_INVALID && GAMESTATE->m_PlayMode != m_pm )
 		return false;
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ void GameCommand::ApplySelf( const vector<PlayerNumber> &vpns ) const
 	const PlayMode OldPlayMode = GAMESTATE->m_PlayMode;
 
 	if( m_pGame != NULL )
-		GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = m_pGame;
+		GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( m_pGame );
 	if( m_pm != PLAY_MODE_INVALID )
 		GAMESTATE->m_PlayMode.Set( m_pm );
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp b/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp
index f161ec04f5..a6b50a24a5 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "LuaReference.h"
 #include "CommonMetrics.h"
 #include "CharacterManager.h"
+#include "Game.h"
 
 #include <ctime>
 #include <set>
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ Song* GameState::GetDefaultSong() const
 
 
 GameState::GameState() :
+    m_pCurGame(				Message_CurrentGameChanged ),
     m_pCurStyle(			Message_CurrentStyleChanged ),
     m_PlayMode(				Message_PlayModeChanged ),
 	m_sPreferredSongGroup(	Message_PreferredSongGroupChanged ),
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@ GameState::GameState() :
 {
 	m_pCurStyle.Set( NULL );
 
-	m_pCurGame = NULL;
+	m_pCurGame.Set( NULL );
 	m_iCoins = 0;
 	m_timeGameStarted.SetZero();
 	m_bDemonstrationOrJukebox = false;
@@ -576,6 +578,13 @@ void GameState::Update( float fDelta )
 	}
 }
 
+void GameState::SetCurGame( const Game *pGame )
+{
+	m_pCurGame.Set( pGame );
+	CString sGame = pGame ? CString(pGame->m_szName) : CString();
+	PREFSMAN->m_sCurrentGame.Set( sGame );
+}
+
 const float GameState::MUSIC_SECONDS_INVALID = -5000.0f;
 
 void GameState::ResetMusicStatistics()
diff --git a/stepmania/src/GameState.h b/stepmania/src/GameState.h
index c9691ae451..9b2674312a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/GameState.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/GameState.h
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ public:
 	//
 	// Main state info
 	//
-	const Game*		m_pCurGame;
+	void SetCurGame( const Game *pGame );	// Call this instead of m_pCurGame.Set to make sure PREFSMAN->m_sCurrentGame stays in sync
+	BroadcastOnChangePtr<const Game>	m_pCurGame;
 	BroadcastOnChangePtr<const Style>	m_pCurStyle;
 	bool								m_bSideIsJoined[NUM_PLAYERS];	// left side, right side
 	bool								m_bIsMultiPlayerJoined[NUM_MultiPlayer];
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MessageManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/MessageManager.cpp
index d29f0a4e34..ed7fe7db0c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MessageManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/MessageManager.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ MessageManager*	MESSAGEMAN = NULL;	// global and accessable from anywhere in our
 
 
 static const CString MessageNames[] = {
+	"CurrentGameChanged",
 	"CurrentStyleChanged",
 	"PlayModeChanged",
 	"CurrentSongChanged",
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MessageManager.h b/stepmania/src/MessageManager.h
index 1dfac1d412..bac15059b9 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MessageManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/MessageManager.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ struct lua_State;
 
 enum Message
 {
+	Message_CurrentGameChanged,
 	Message_CurrentStyleChanged,
 	Message_PlayModeChanged,
 	Message_CurrentSongChanged,
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NetworkSyncManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/NetworkSyncManager.cpp
index 033f9cb4b9..bca7dace58 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NetworkSyncManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NetworkSyncManager.cpp
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ void NetworkSyncManager::ProcessInput()
 				GameName = m_packet.ReadNT();
 				StyleName = m_packet.ReadNT();
 
-				GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = GAMEMAN->StringToGameType( GameName );
+				GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( GAMEMAN->StringToGameType(GameName) );
 				GAMESTATE->m_pCurStyle.Set( GAMEMAN->GameAndStringToStyle(GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame,StyleName) );
 
 				SCREENMAN->SetNewScreen( "ScreenNetSelectMusic" ); //Should this be metric'd out?
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Preference.h b/stepmania/src/Preference.h
index ef01b53199..8f1de4badd 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Preference.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Preference.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public:
 		m_currentValue = m_defaultValue;
 	}
 
-	T Get() const
+	const T &Get() const
 	{
 		return m_currentValue;
 	}
diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
index 5cc93b5bff..accc2d5b3d 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ void PrefsManager::ResetToFactoryDefaults()
 	SavePrefsToDisk();
 }
 
-void PrefsManager::ReadPrefsFromFile( CString sIni )
+void PrefsManager::ReadPrefsFromFile( const CString &sIni )
 {
 	IniFile ini;
 	if( !ini.ReadFile(sIni) )
@@ -512,13 +512,19 @@ CString PrefsManager::GetMovieDrivers()
 		return m_sMovieDrivers; 
 }
 
-CString PrefsManager::GetLightsDriver()	{ 
+CString PrefsManager::GetLightsDriver()	
+{ 
 	if ( m_sLightsDriver.Get().empty() )
 		return (CString)DEFAULT_LIGHTS_DRIVER;
 	else
 		return m_sLightsDriver;
 }
 
+PrefsManager::GamePrefs &PrefsManager::GetCurrentGamePrefs()
+{
+	ASSERT( !m_sCurrentGame.Get().empty() );
+	return m_mapGameNameToGamePrefs[m_sCurrentGame];
+}
 
 // lua start
 #include "LuaBinding.h"
diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
index 49a6ff0075..5060e117d1 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ public:
 	};
 	map<CString, GamePrefs> m_mapGameNameToGamePrefs;
 
-	GamePrefs &GetCurrentGamePrefs() { return m_mapGameNameToGamePrefs[m_sCurrentGame]; }	// inserts if not already present
+	GamePrefs &GetCurrentGamePrefs();
 
 	void SaveGamePrefsToDisk();
 	void ReadGamePrefsFromDisk();
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ public:
 	void PushSelf( lua_State *L );
 
 protected:
-	void ReadPrefsFromFile( CString sIni );
+	void ReadPrefsFromFile( const CString &sIni );
 
 };
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenTitleMenu.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenTitleMenu.cpp
index c390f80bd9..d28fa72043 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenTitleMenu.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenTitleMenu.cpp
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ void ScreenTitleMenu::Input( const InputEventPlus &input )
 			if( iter == vGames.end() )
 				iter = vGames.begin();
 
-			GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = *iter;
+			GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( *iter );
 
 			/* Reload the theme if it's changed, but don't back to the initial screen. */
 			ResetGame();
diff --git a/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp b/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
index 939d9e4d2e..7d32cdf498 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
@@ -747,11 +747,7 @@ void ChangeCurrentGame( const Game* g )
 
 	INPUTMAPPER->SaveMappingsToDisk();	// save mappings before switching the game
 
-	GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = g;
-
-	/* Load this game's preferences.  If we just set an unavailable game type, this
-	 * will change it back to the default. */
-	PREFSMAN->m_sCurrentGame.Set( g->m_szName );
+	GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( g );
 
 	/* Save the newly-selected game. */
 	PREFSMAN->SavePrefsToDisk();
@@ -771,21 +767,21 @@ void ReadGamePrefsFromDisk( bool bSwitchToLastPlayedGame )
 	{
 		ASSERT( GAMEMAN != NULL );
 		CString sGame;
-		GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = NULL;
+		GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( NULL );
 		if( !PREFSMAN->m_sCurrentGame.Get().empty() )
-			GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = GAMEMAN->StringToGameType( PREFSMAN->m_sCurrentGame );
+			GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( GAMEMAN->StringToGameType(PREFSMAN->m_sCurrentGame) );
 	}
 
 	/* If the active game type isn't actually available, revert to the default. */
 	if( GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame == NULL )
 	{
-		GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = GAMEMAN->GetDefaultGame();
+		GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( GAMEMAN->GetDefaultGame() );
 	}
 	else if( !GAMEMAN->IsGameEnabled( GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame )  &&  GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame != GAMEMAN->GetDefaultGame() )
 	{
 		LOG->Warn( "Default NoteSkin for \"%s\" missing, reverting to \"%s\"",
 			GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame->m_szName, GAMEMAN->GetDefaultGame()->m_szName );
-		GAMESTATE->m_pCurGame = GAMEMAN->GetDefaultGame();
+		GAMESTATE->SetCurGame( GAMEMAN->GetDefaultGame() );
 	}
 
 	/* Load keymaps for the new game. */