diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp
index e57eff355f..b484ceab81 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ ActorFrame::ActorFrame( const ActorFrame &cpy ):
 
 void ActorFrame::LoadFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 {
+	if( AutoLoadChildren() )
+		LoadChildrenFromNode( sDir, pNode );
+
 	Actor::LoadFromNode( sDir, pNode );
 
 	pNode->GetAttrValue( "UpdateRate", m_fUpdateRate );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h
index 7568ee07da..2e1203a1ff 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorFrame.h
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ public:
 	virtual ~ActorFrame();
 
 	void LoadFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode );
-	void LoadChildrenFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode );
 	virtual Actor *Copy() const;
 
 	virtual void AddChild( Actor* pActor );
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@ public:
 	void SortByDrawOrder();
 	void SetDrawByZPosition( bool b );
 
+	virtual bool AutoLoadChildren() const { return false; } // derived classes override to automatically LoadChildrenFromNode
 	void DeleteChildrenWhenDone( bool bDelete=true ) { m_bDeleteChildren = bDelete; }
 	void DeleteAllChildren();
 
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ public:
 	void RunCommands( const apActorCommands& cmds, Actor *pParent = NULL ) { this->RunCommands( *cmds, pParent ); }	// convenience
 
 protected:
+	void LoadChildrenFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode );
+
 	vector<Actor*>	m_SubActors;
 	bool m_bPropagateCommands;
 	bool m_bDeleteChildren;
@@ -84,12 +86,7 @@ class ActorFrameAutoDeleteChildren : public ActorFrame
 {
 public:
 	ActorFrameAutoDeleteChildren() { DeleteChildrenWhenDone(true); }
-	void LoadFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
-	{
-		ActorFrame::LoadFromNode( sDir, pNode );
-
-		LoadChildrenFromNode( sDir, pNode );
-	}
+	virtual bool AutoLoadChildren() const { return true; }
 	virtual Actor *Copy() const;
 };
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h b/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h
index 3d56d4a2ef..fac6428238 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorScroller.h
@@ -78,15 +78,7 @@ class ActorScrollerAutoDeleteChildren : public ActorScroller
 {
 public:
 	ActorScrollerAutoDeleteChildren() { DeleteChildrenWhenDone(true); }
-	void LoadFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
-	{
-		// Load children.  ActorScroller doesn't do this, because it
-		// can be a base class for other objects that don't want to load
-		// from <children>.
-		LoadChildrenFromNode( sDir, pNode );
-
-		ActorScroller::LoadFromNode( sDir, pNode );
-	}
+	virtual bool AutoLoadChildren() const { return true; }
 	virtual Actor *Copy() const;
 };
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/DynamicActorScroller.h b/stepmania/src/DynamicActorScroller.h
index 49d18706cf..a89672122b 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/DynamicActorScroller.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/DynamicActorScroller.h
@@ -23,15 +23,7 @@ class DynamicActorScrollerAutoDeleteChildren: public DynamicActorScroller
 {
 public:
 	DynamicActorScrollerAutoDeleteChildren() { DeleteChildrenWhenDone(true); }
-	void LoadFromNode( const CString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
-	{
-		// Load children.  ActorScroller doesn't do this, because it
-		// can be a base class for other objects that don't want to load
-		// from <children>.
-		LoadChildrenFromNode( sDir, pNode );
-
-		DynamicActorScroller::LoadFromNode( sDir, pNode );
-	}
+	virtual bool AutoLoadChildren() const { return true; }
 	virtual Actor *Copy() const;
 };