diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.cpp
index e3f39b527f..63de7052e0 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 #include "RageLog.h"
 
 WorkerThread::WorkerThread( const CString &sName ):
-	m_WorkerEvent( "\"" + sName + "\" worker event" )
+	m_WorkerEvent( "\"" + sName + "\" worker event" ),
+	m_HeartbeatEvent( "\"" + sName + "\" heartbeat event" )
 {
 	m_Timeout.SetZero();
 	m_iRequest = REQ_NONE;
@@ -122,6 +123,12 @@ void WorkerThread::WorkerMain()
 		{
 			DoHeartbeat();
 
+			/* Wake up anyone waiting for a heartbeat. */
+			m_HeartbeatEvent.Lock();
+			m_HeartbeatEvent.Broadcast();
+			m_HeartbeatEvent.Unlock();
+
+			/* Schedule the next heartbeat. */
 			m_NextHeartbeat.Touch();
 			m_NextHeartbeat += m_fHeartbeat;
 		}
@@ -164,6 +171,18 @@ void WorkerThread::WorkerMain()
 	}
 }
 
+bool WorkerThread::WaitForOneHeartbeat()
+{
+	/* It doesn't make sense to wait for a heartbeat if there is no heartbeat. */
+	ASSERT( m_fHeartbeat != -1 );
+
+	m_HeartbeatEvent.Lock();
+	bool bTimedOut = !m_HeartbeatEvent.Wait( &m_Timeout );
+	m_HeartbeatEvent.Unlock();
+
+	return !bTimedOut;
+}
+
 /*
  * (c) 2005 Glenn Maynard
  * All rights reserved.
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.h b/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.h
index 6c4722579d..509e4d69bb 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil_WorkerThread.h
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ public:
 	void SetTimeout( float fSeconds );
 	bool TimeoutEnabled() const { return !m_Timeout.IsZero(); }
 
+	/* Return true if the last operation has timed out and has not yet recovered. */
+	bool IsTimedOut() const { return m_bTimedOut; }
+
+	/* Pause until the next heartbeat completes.  Returns false if timed out.  This
+	 * triggers no actions, so no cleanup is run and IsTimedOut() is not affected. */
+	bool WaitForOneHeartbeat();
+
 protected:
 	/* Call this in the derived class to start and stop the thread. */
 	void StartThread();
@@ -28,9 +35,6 @@ protected:
 	 * timed out and DoRequest() must not be called. */
 	bool DoRequest( int iRequest );
 
-	/* Return true if the last operation has timed out and has not yet recovered. */
-	bool IsTimedOut() const { return m_bTimedOut; }
-
 	/* Overload this in the derived class to handle requests. */
 	virtual void HandleRequest( int iRequest ) = 0;
 
@@ -58,6 +62,7 @@ private:
 
 	float m_fHeartbeat;
 	RageTimer m_NextHeartbeat;
+	RageEvent m_HeartbeatEvent;
 };
 
 #endif