diff --git a/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp b/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp
index 3c128f6b38..cce339b473 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Actor.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include "RageLog.h"
 #include "arch/Dialog/Dialog.h"
 
-float Actor::g_fCurrentBGMTime = 0;
+float Actor::g_fCurrentBGMTime = 0, Actor::g_fCurrentBGMBeat;
 
 /* This is Reset instead of Init since many derived classes have Init() functions
  * that shouldn't change the position of the actor. */
@@ -326,7 +326,11 @@ void Actor::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 			m_fSecsIntoEffect = fmodfp( m_fSecsIntoEffect, m_fEffectPeriodSeconds + m_fEffectDelay );
 			break;
 
-		case CLOCK_BGM:
+		case CLOCK_BGM_BEAT:
+			m_fSecsIntoEffect = g_fCurrentBGMBeat;
+			break;
+
+		case CLOCK_BGM_TIME:
 			m_fSecsIntoEffect = g_fCurrentBGMTime;
 			break;
 		}
@@ -458,7 +462,9 @@ void Actor::SetEffectClock( CString s )
 {
 	s.MakeLower();
 	if     (s=="timer")		SetEffectClock( CLOCK_TIMER );
-	else if(s=="bgm")		SetEffectClock( CLOCK_BGM );
+	else if(s=="beat")		SetEffectClock( CLOCK_BGM_BEAT );
+	else if(s=="music")		SetEffectClock( CLOCK_BGM_TIME );
+	else if(s=="bgm")		SetEffectClock( CLOCK_BGM_BEAT ); // compat, deprecated
 	else	ASSERT(0);
 }
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Actor.h b/stepmania/src/Actor.h
index 5a339295ab..88a242973d 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Actor.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Actor.h
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ public:
 	virtual ~Actor() {}
 	virtual void Reset();
 
-	static void SetBGMTime( float fTime ) { g_fCurrentBGMTime = fTime; }
-	static float GetBGMTime() { return g_fCurrentBGMTime; }
+	static void SetBGMTime( float fTime, float fBeat ) { g_fCurrentBGMTime = fTime; g_fCurrentBGMBeat = fBeat; }
 
 	enum TweenType { 
 		TWEEN_LINEAR, 
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ public:
 		static void MakeWeightedAverage( TweenState& average_out, const TweenState& ts1, const TweenState& ts2, float fPercentBetween );
 	};
 
-	enum EffectClock { CLOCK_TIMER, CLOCK_BGM, NUM_CLOCKS };
+	enum EffectClock { CLOCK_TIMER, CLOCK_BGM_TIME, CLOCK_BGM_BEAT, NUM_CLOCKS };
 
 	void Draw();						// calls, NeedsDraw, BeginDraw, DrawPrimitives, EndDraw
 	virtual bool EarlyAbortDraw() { return false; }	// return true to early abort drawing of this Actor
@@ -395,8 +394,8 @@ protected:
 
 	//
 	// global state
-	///
-	static float g_fCurrentBGMTime;
+	//
+	static float g_fCurrentBGMTime, g_fCurrentBGMBeat;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp b/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp
index 9d8528d487..fa831bdfa1 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/GameState.cpp
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ void GameState::ResetMusicStatistics()
 	m_fCurBPS = 10;
 	m_bFreeze = false;
 	m_bPastHereWeGo = false;
-	Actor::SetBGMTime( 0 );
+	Actor::SetBGMTime( 0, 0 );
 }
 
 void GameState::ResetStageStatistics()
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ void GameState::UpdateSongPosition( float fPositionSeconds, const TimingData &ti
 
 	m_fMusicSeconds = fPositionSeconds;
 
-	Actor::SetBGMTime( m_fSongBeat );
+	Actor::SetBGMTime( fPositionSeconds, m_fSongBeat );
 	
 //	LOG->Trace( "m_fMusicSeconds = %f, m_fSongBeat = %f, m_fCurBPS = %f, m_bFreeze = %f", m_fMusicSeconds, m_fSongBeat, m_fCurBPS, m_bFreeze );
 }