diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSurface_Load.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageSurface_Load.cpp
index 9645612675..ae952cbae8 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSurface_Load.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSurface_Load.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "RageSurface_Load_JPEG.h"
 #include "RageSurface_Load_GIF.h"
 #include "RageUtil.h"
+#include "RageFile.h"
 
 SDL_Surface *RageSurface::LoadFile( const CString &sPath )
 {
@@ -19,17 +20,17 @@ SDL_Surface *RageSurface::LoadFile( const CString &sPath )
 		ret = RageSurface_Load_JPEG( sPath, error );
 	else if( !ext.CompareNoCase("bmp") )
 	{
-		SDL_RWops *rw = OpenRWops( sPath, false );
-		if( rw == NULL )
+		RageFile f;
+		if( !f.Open(sPath) )
 		{
-			/* XXX */
-			SDL_SetError( "fail" );
+			SDL_SetError( "%s", f.GetError() );
 			return NULL;
 		}
 
-		ret = SDL_LoadBMP_RW( rw, false );
-		SDL_RWclose( rw );
-		SDL_FreeRW( rw );
+		SDL_RWops rw;
+		OpenRWops( &rw, &f );
+		ret = SDL_LoadBMP_RW( &rw, false );
+		SDL_RWclose( &rw );
 
 		if( ret )
 			mySDL_FixupPalettedAlpha( ret );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp
index 7b686f9dd1..e3a36dfcee 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.cpp
@@ -1018,30 +1018,16 @@ int RWRageFile_Write( struct SDL_RWops *context, const void *ptr, int size, int
 /* Close and free an allocated SDL_FSops structure */
 int RWRageFile_Close(struct SDL_RWops *context)
 {
-	RageFile *f = (RageFile *) context->hidden.unknown.data1;
-	delete f;
 	return 0;
 }
 
-SDL_RWops *OpenRWops( const CString &sPath, bool Write )
+void OpenRWops( SDL_RWops *rw, RageFile *f )
 {
-	RageFile *f = new RageFile;
-	if( !f->Open(sPath, Write? RageFile::WRITE:RageFile::READ) )
-	{
-		LOG->Trace("Couldn't open %s: %s", sPath.c_str(), f->GetError().c_str() );
-		delete f;
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	SDL_RWops *rw = SDL_AllocRW();
-	ASSERT( rw );
 	rw->hidden.unknown.data1 = f;
 	rw->seek = RWRageFile_Seek;
 	rw->read = RWRageFile_Read;
 	rw->write = RWRageFile_Write;
 	rw->close = RWRageFile_Close;
-
-	return rw;
 }
 
 struct RWString
diff --git a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h
index 12ab894ee1..5908f18b11 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/SDL_utils.h
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ void mySDL_FixupPalettedAlpha( SDL_Surface *img );
 void mySDL_AddColorKey( SDL_Surface *img, Uint32 color );
 void ApplyHotPinkColorKey( SDL_Surface *&img );
 
-SDL_RWops *OpenRWops( const CString &sPath, bool Write=false );
+class RageFile;
+void OpenRWops( SDL_RWops *rw, RageFile *f );
 SDL_RWops *OpenRWops( CString &sBuf );
 SDL_Surface *mySDL_MakeDummySurface( int height, int width );