diff --git a/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp
index c92b4f77de..1fc219797f 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp
@@ -286,7 +286,12 @@ const Profile* ProfileManager::GetProfile( PlayerNumber pn ) const
 {
 	ASSERT( pn >= 0 && pn < NUM_PLAYERS );
 
-	if( m_sProfileDir[pn].empty() || ProfileWasLoadedFromMemoryCard(pn) )
+	if( m_sProfileDir[pn].empty() )
+	{
+		// return an empty profile
+		return m_pMemoryCardProfile[pn];
+	}
+	else if( ProfileWasLoadedFromMemoryCard(pn) )
 	{
 		return m_pMemoryCardProfile[pn];
 	}
diff --git a/stepmania/src/SongUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/SongUtil.cpp
index ed7e235ff2..911d138e28 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/SongUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/SongUtil.cpp
@@ -123,7 +123,10 @@ void SongUtil::SortSongPointerArrayByGrades( vector<Song*> &vpSongsInOut, bool b
 		Song *pSong = vpSongsInOut[i];
 
 		int iCounts[NUM_GRADES];
-		PROFILEMAN->GetMachineProfile()->GetGrades( pSong, GAMESTATE->GetCurrentStyle()->m_StepsType, iCounts );
+		const Profile *pProfile = PROFILEMAN->GetMachineProfile();
+		const Style *pStyle = GAMESTATE->GetCurrentStyle();
+		StepsType st = pStyle->m_StepsType;
+		pProfile->GetGrades( pSong, st, iCounts );
 
 		CString foo;
 		foo.reserve(256);