diff --git a/stepmania/src/DifficultyList.h b/stepmania/src/DifficultyList.h
index c2c0238f73..2a506aa736 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/DifficultyList.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/DifficultyList.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ private:
 	ThemeMetric<apActorCommands> MOVE_COMMAND;
 
 	AutoActor		m_Cursors[NUM_PLAYERS];
-	ActorFrame		m_CursorFrames[NUM_PLAYERS];
+	ActorFrame		m_CursorFrames[NUM_PLAYERS];	// contains Cursor so that color can fade independent of other tweens
 
 	struct Line
 	{
diff --git a/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.cpp b/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.cpp
index b1c7b3cdf6..08ef0a61e5 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.cpp
@@ -48,11 +48,16 @@ void DifficultyMeter::Load( const RString &sType )
 	m_iNumTicks.Load(sType,"NumTicks");
 	m_iMaxTicks.Load(sType,"MaxTicks");
 	m_bShowTicks.Load(sType,"ShowTicks");
-	m_bShowDifficulty.Load(sType,"ShowDifficulty");
 	m_bShowMeter.Load(sType,"ShowMeter");
 	m_bShowEditDescription.Load(sType,"ShowEditDescription");
 	m_sZeroMeterString.Load(sType,"ZeroMeterString");
 
+
+	m_sprFrame.Load( THEME->GetPathG(sType,"frame") );
+	m_sprFrame->SetName( "Frame" );
+	ActorUtil::LoadAllCommandsAndSetXYAndOnCommand( m_sprFrame, sType );
+	this->AddChild( m_sprFrame );
+
 	if( m_bShowTicks )
 	{
 		m_textTicks.SetName( "Ticks" );
@@ -65,17 +70,6 @@ void DifficultyMeter::Load( const RString &sType )
 		this->AddChild( &m_textTicks );
 	}
 
-	if( m_bShowDifficulty )
-	{
-		m_Difficulty.Load( THEME->GetPathG(sType,"difficulty") );
-		m_Difficulty->SetName( "Difficulty" );
-		ActorUtil::LoadAllCommandsAndSetXYAndOnCommand( m_Difficulty, sType );
-		this->AddChild( m_Difficulty );
-
-		// These commands should have been loaded by SetXYAndOnCommand above.
-		ASSERT( m_Difficulty->HasCommand("Set") );
-	}
-
 	if( m_bShowMeter )
 	{
 		m_textMeter.SetName( "Meter" );
@@ -136,7 +130,7 @@ void DifficultyMeter::SetFromSteps( const Steps* pSteps )
 		return;
 	}
 
-	SetParams params = { pSteps->GetMeter(), pSteps->m_StepsType, pSteps->GetDifficulty(), false, pSteps->GetDescription() };
+	SetParams params = { pSteps, NULL, pSteps->GetMeter(), pSteps->m_StepsType, pSteps->GetDifficulty(), false, pSteps->GetDescription() };
 	SetInternal( params );
 }
 
@@ -148,37 +142,42 @@ void DifficultyMeter::SetFromTrail( const Trail* pTrail )
 		return;
 	}
 
-	SetParams params = { pTrail->GetMeter(), pTrail->m_StepsType, pTrail->m_CourseDifficulty, true, RString() };
+	SetParams params = { NULL, pTrail, pTrail->GetMeter(), pTrail->m_StepsType, pTrail->m_CourseDifficulty, true, RString() };
 	SetInternal( params );
 }
 
 void DifficultyMeter::Unset()
 {
-	SetParams params = { 0, StepsType_Invalid, Difficulty_Invalid, false, RString() };
+	SetParams params = { NULL, NULL, 0, StepsType_Invalid, Difficulty_Invalid, false, RString() };
 	SetInternal( params );
 }
 
 void DifficultyMeter::SetFromStepsTypeAndMeterAndDifficulty( StepsType st, int iMeter, Difficulty dc )
 {
-	SetParams params = { iMeter, st, dc, false, RString() };
+	SetParams params = { NULL, NULL, iMeter, st, dc, false, RString() };
 	SetInternal( params );
 }
 
 void DifficultyMeter::SetFromStepsTypeAndMeterAndCourseDifficulty( StepsType st, int iMeter, CourseDifficulty cd )
 {
-	SetParams params = { 0, st, cd, true, RString() };
+	SetParams params = { NULL, NULL, 0, st, cd, true, RString() };
 	SetInternal( params );
 }
 
 void DifficultyMeter::SetInternal( const SetParams &params )
 {
 	Message msg( "Set" );
+	if( params.pSteps )
+		msg.SetParam( "Steps", LuaReference::CreateFromPush(*(Steps*)params.pSteps) );
+	if( params.pTrail )
+		msg.SetParam( "Trail", LuaReference::CreateFromPush(*(Trail*)params.pTrail) );
 	msg.SetParam( "Meter", params.iMeter );
 	msg.SetParam( "StepsType", params.st );
 	msg.SetParam( "Difficulty", params.dc );
 	msg.SetParam( "IsCourseDifficulty", params.bIsCourseDifficulty );
 	msg.SetParam( "EditDescription", params.sEditDescription );
 
+	m_sprFrame->HandleMessage( msg );
 
 	if( m_bShowTicks )
 	{
@@ -223,8 +222,6 @@ void DifficultyMeter::SetInternal( const SetParams &params )
 		m_textEditDescription.HandleMessage( msg );
 	}
 	
-	if( m_bShowDifficulty )
-		m_Difficulty->HandleMessage( msg );
 	if( m_bShowMeter )
 		m_textMeter.HandleMessage( msg );
 }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.h b/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.h
index 0e2ea6321c..8ee4bd9deb 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/DifficultyMeter.h
@@ -38,35 +38,24 @@ public:
 private:
 	struct SetParams
 	{
+		const Steps *pSteps;
+		const Trail *pTrail;
 		int iMeter;
 		StepsType st;
 		Difficulty dc;
 		bool bIsCourseDifficulty;
 		RString sEditDescription;
-
-		bool operator==( const SetParams &other )
-		{
-#define COMPARE( x )	if( x != other.x ) return false;
-			COMPARE( iMeter );
-			COMPARE( st );
-			COMPARE( dc );
-			COMPARE( bIsCourseDifficulty );
-			COMPARE( sEditDescription );
-#undef COMPARE
-			return true;
-		}
 	};
 	void SetInternal( const SetParams &params );
 
+	AutoActor		m_sprFrame;
 	BitmapText		m_textTicks;	/* XXXX000000 */
-	AutoActor		m_Difficulty;	/* "easy", "hard" */
 	BitmapText		m_textMeter;	/* 3, 9 */
 	BitmapText		m_textEditDescription;
 
 	ThemeMetric<int>	m_iNumTicks;
 	ThemeMetric<int>	m_iMaxTicks;
 	ThemeMetric<bool>	m_bShowTicks;
-	ThemeMetric<bool>	m_bShowDifficulty;
 	ThemeMetric<bool>	m_bShowMeter;
 	ThemeMetric<bool>	m_bShowEditDescription;
 	ThemeMetric<RString> m_sZeroMeterString;