diff --git a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
index 6887ae8504..ce445d891e 100644
--- a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
+++ b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ ________________________________________________________________________________
 StepMania 5.0 ????????? | 20110???
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+2011/07/19
+----------
+* [LoadingWindow] Added the ability for themes to have custom splash banners.
+  (Currently Windows-only.) [AJ]
+
 2011/07/17
 ----------
 * [Cache] No longer store #NOTES in the cache. This should speed things up
diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/Graphics/Common splash.png b/Themes/_fallback/Graphics/Common splash.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c365a3306
Binary files /dev/null and b/Themes/_fallback/Graphics/Common splash.png differ
diff --git a/src/StepMania.cpp b/src/StepMania.cpp
index 68bf9010ed..6d1c75ea19 100644
--- a/src/StepMania.cpp
+++ b/src/StepMania.cpp
@@ -69,8 +69,7 @@
 #include "Profile.h"
 
 #if defined(WIN32)
-#include <windows.h>
-#include "archutils/Win32/AppInstance.h"	// used by SetWindowsHookEx -Aldo
+#include <windows.h>
 #endif
 
 void ShutdownGame();
@@ -935,32 +934,6 @@ static void ApplyLogPreferences()
 
 static LocalizedString COULDNT_OPEN_LOADING_WINDOW( "StepMania", "Couldn't open any loading windows." );
 
-#if defined(WIN32)
-// Low Level hooks go here, I only added Windows Key, but letting the player choose which system shortcuts
-// wants to get disabled via PREFSMAN would be nice -Aldo
-LRESULT CALLBACK SpecialKeysHook(int code,WPARAM wparam,LPARAM lparam)
-{
-	if( HOOKS->AppHasFocus() )	// only disable system shortcuts when the game has focus
-	{
-		PKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT key = (PKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT)lparam;
-
-		switch(wparam)
-		{
-		case WM_KEYDOWN:
-		case WM_KEYUP:
-		case WM_SYSKEYDOWN:
-		case WM_SYSKEYUP:
-			if(key->vkCode==VK_LWIN || key->vkCode==VK_RWIN)
-			{
-				return 1;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return CallNextHookEx(0,code,wparam,lparam);
-}
-#endif
-
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
 	RageThreadRegister thread( "Main thread" );
@@ -1074,13 +1047,14 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		GAMESTATE->m_bDopefish = true;
 
 	{
-		/* Now that THEME is loaded, load the icon for the current theme into
-		 * the loading window. */
+		/* Now that THEME is loaded, load the icon and splash for the current
+		 * theme into the loading window. */
 		RString sError;
 		RageSurface *pIcon = RageSurfaceUtils::LoadFile( THEME->GetPathG( "Common", "window icon" ), sError );
 		if( pIcon )
 			pLoadingWindow->SetIcon( pIcon );
 		delete pIcon;
+		pLoadingWindow->SetSplash( THEME->GetPathG("Common","splash") );
 	}
 
 	if( PREFSMAN->m_iSoundWriteAhead )
@@ -1151,23 +1125,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	StoreActualGraphicOptions();
 	LOG->Info( "%s", GetActualGraphicOptionsString().c_str() );
 
-#if defined(WIN32)
-	// Apply Low Level hooks just after creating the display, so we have a valid
-	// HINSTANCE, rather than a NULL one -Aldo
-	AppInstance inst;
-	HHOOK hook;
-	hook = SetWindowsHookEx(
-		WH_KEYBOARD_LL,
-		SpecialKeysHook,
-		inst.Get(),
-		0
-	);
-	if(!hook)
-	{
-		LOG->Warn("SetWindowsHookEx: Could not create hook (Error %d).", GetLastError());
-	}
-#endif
-
 	SONGMAN->PreloadSongImages();
 
 	/* Input handlers can have dependences on the video system so
diff --git a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow.h b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow.h
index 4cc23cd097..ec92728e1f 100644
--- a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow.h
+++ b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ public:
 
 	virtual void SetText( RString str ) = 0;
 	virtual void SetIcon( const RageSurface *pIcon ) { }
+	virtual void SetSplash( const RString sPath ) { }
 	virtual void SetProgress( const int progress ) { m_progress=progress; }
 	virtual void SetTotalWork( const int totalWork ) { m_totalWork=totalWork; }
 	virtual void SetIndeterminate( bool indeterminate ) { m_indeterminate=indeterminate; }
diff --git a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Gtk.h b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Gtk.h
index 6abeb87b4d..3ccca35841 100644
--- a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Gtk.h
+++ b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Gtk.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ public:
 	RString Init();
 	~LoadingWindow_Gtk();
 	void SetText( RString str );
+	void SetSplash( const RString str ) {}
 	void SetProgress( const int progress );
 	void SetTotalWork( const int totalWork );
 	void SetIndeterminate( bool indeterminate );
diff --git a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_MacOSX.h b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_MacOSX.h
index 3a521a3170..37694a9a93 100644
--- a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_MacOSX.h
+++ b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_MacOSX.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ public:
 	LoadingWindow_MacOSX();
 	~LoadingWindow_MacOSX();
 	void SetText( RString str );
+	void SetSplash( const RString path ) {}
 	void SetProgress( const int progress );
 	void SetTotalWork( const int totalWork );
 	void SetIndeterminate( bool indeterminate );
diff --git a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Null.h b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Null.h
index 1ca5d89341..4b470f80b2 100644
--- a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Null.h
+++ b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Null.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class LoadingWindow_Null: public LoadingWindow
 {
 public:
 	void SetText( RString str ) { }
+	void SetSplash( RString str ) { }
 };
 #define USE_LOADING_WINDOW_NULL
 
diff --git a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.cpp b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.cpp
index f152af9b2b..8412965205 100644
--- a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.cpp
+++ b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.cpp
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ static HBITMAP g_hBitmap = NULL;
 
 #pragma comment(linker,"\"/manifestdependency:type='win32' name='Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls' version='6.0.0.0' processorArchitecture='*' publicKeyToken='6595b64144ccf1df' language='*'\"")
 
-
-/* Load a RageSurface into a GDI surface. */
+// Load a RageSurface into a GDI surface.
 static HBITMAP LoadWin32Surface( RageSurface *&s )
 {
 	RageSurfaceUtils::ConvertSurface( s, s->w, s->h, 32, 0xFF000000, 0x00FF0000, 0x0000FF00, 0 );
@@ -35,14 +34,14 @@ static HBITMAP LoadWin32Surface( RageSurface *&s )
 	HDC BitmapDC = CreateCompatibleDC( hScreen );
 	SelectObject( BitmapDC, bitmap );
 
-	/* This is silly, but simple.  We only do this once, on a small image. */
+	// This is silly, but simple. We only do this once, on a small image.
 	for( int y = 0; y < s->h; ++y )
 	{
 		unsigned const char *line = ((unsigned char *) s->pixels) + (y * s->pitch);
 		for( int x = 0; x < s->w; ++x )
 		{
 			unsigned const char *data = line + (x*s->format->BytesPerPixel);
-			
+
 			SetPixelV( BitmapDC, x, y, RGB( data[3], data[2], data[1] ) );
 		}
 	}
@@ -62,7 +61,7 @@ static HBITMAP LoadWin32Surface( RString sFile, HWND hWnd )
 	if( pSurface == NULL )
 		return NULL;
 
-	/* Resize the splash image to fit the dialog.  Stretch to fit horizontally,
+	/* Resize the splash image to fit the dialog. Stretch to fit horizontally,
 	 * maintaining aspect ratio. */
 	{
 		RECT r;
@@ -82,7 +81,6 @@ static HBITMAP LoadWin32Surface( RString sFile, HWND hWnd )
 
 INT_PTR CALLBACK LoadingWindow_Win32::DlgProc( HWND hWnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam )
 {
-
 	LoadingWindow_Win32 *self;
 
 	if(msg==WM_INITDIALOG) {
@@ -136,7 +134,7 @@ INT_PTR CALLBACK LoadingWindow_Win32::DlgProc( HWND hWnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wPara
 
 void LoadingWindow_Win32::SetIcon( const RageSurface *pIcon )
 {
-	if( m_hIcon != NULL )
+	if( g_hBitmap != NULL )
 		DestroyIcon( m_hIcon );
 
 	m_hIcon = IconFromSurface( pIcon );
@@ -144,6 +142,26 @@ void LoadingWindow_Win32::SetIcon( const RageSurface *pIcon )
 		SetClassLong( hwnd, GCL_HICON, (LONG) m_hIcon );
 }
 
+void LoadingWindow_Win32::SetSplash( const RString sPath )
+{
+	if( g_hBitmap != NULL )
+	{
+		DeleteObject( g_hBitmap );
+		g_hBitmap = NULL;
+	}
+
+	g_hBitmap = LoadWin32Surface( sPath, hwnd );
+	if( g_hBitmap != NULL )
+	{
+		SendDlgItemMessage(
+			hwnd, IDC_SPLASH,
+			STM_SETIMAGE,
+			(WPARAM) IMAGE_BITMAP,
+			(LPARAM) (HANDLE) g_hBitmap
+		);
+	}
+}
+
 LoadingWindow_Win32::LoadingWindow_Win32()
 {
 	INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX cceData;
@@ -152,7 +170,7 @@ LoadingWindow_Win32::LoadingWindow_Win32()
 	InitCommonControlsEx(&cceData);
 
 	m_hIcon = NULL;
-	
+
 	runMessageLoop=true;
 
 	guiReadyEvent=CreateEvent(NULL,FALSE,FALSE,NULL);
diff --git a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.h b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.h
index 3c45789779..3780c85178 100644
--- a/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.h
+++ b/src/arch/LoadingWindow/LoadingWindow_Win32.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ public:
 
 	void SetText( RString sText );
 	void SetIcon( const RageSurface *pIcon );
+	void SetSplash( const RString sPath );
 	void SetProgress( const int progress );
 	void SetTotalWork( const int totalWork );
 	void SetIndeterminate( bool indeterminate );