diff --git a/stepmania/src/Preference.cpp b/stepmania/src/Preference.cpp
index 395af56175..1f328e7866 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Preference.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Preference.cpp
@@ -10,31 +10,54 @@ static const CString PrefsGroupNames[NUM_PREFS_GROUPS] = {
 };
 XToString( PrefsGroup );
 
-void SubscribePreference( IPreference *p )
+IPreference::IPreference( PrefsGroup PrefsGroup, const CString& sName ):
+	m_PrefsGroup( PrefsGroup ),
+	m_sName( sName )
 {
-	PrefsManager::Subscribe( p );
+	PrefsManager::Subscribe( this );
 }
 
-void UnsubscribePreference( IPreference *p )
+IPreference::~IPreference()
 {
-	PrefsManager::Unsubscribe( p );
+	PrefsManager::Unsubscribe( this );
+}
+
+void Preference<CString>::FromString( const CString &s )
+{
+	m_currentValue = s;
+}
+
+CString Preference<CString>::ToString() const
+{
+	return m_currentValue;
 }
 
 #define READFROM_AND_WRITETO( type ) \
-	void Preference<type>::ReadFrom( const IniFile &ini ) \
+	void Preference<type>::FromString( const CString &s ) \
 	{ \
-		ini.GetValue( PrefsGroupToString(m_PrefsGroup), m_sName, m_currentValue ); \
+		::FromString( s, m_currentValue ); \
 	} \
-	void Preference<type>::WriteTo( IniFile &ini ) const \
+	CString Preference<type>::ToString() const \
 	{ \
-		ini.SetValue( PrefsGroupToString(m_PrefsGroup), m_sName, m_currentValue ); \
+		return ::ToString( m_currentValue ); \
 	} \
 
-READFROM_AND_WRITETO( CString )
 READFROM_AND_WRITETO( int )
 READFROM_AND_WRITETO( float )
 READFROM_AND_WRITETO( bool )
 
+void IPreference::ReadFrom( const IniFile &ini )
+{
+	CString sVal;
+	if( ini.GetValue( PrefsGroupToString(m_PrefsGroup), m_sName, sVal ) )
+		FromString( sVal );
+}
+
+void IPreference::WriteTo( IniFile &ini ) const
+{
+	ini.SetValue( PrefsGroupToString(m_PrefsGroup), m_sName, ToString() );
+}
+
 /*
  * (c) 2001-2004 Chris Danford, Chris Gomez
  * All rights reserved.
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Preference.h b/stepmania/src/Preference.h
index 386234fac5..b716f87845 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Preference.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Preference.h
@@ -19,14 +19,23 @@ const CString& PrefsGroupToString( PrefsGroup pg );
 class IPreference
 {
 public:
-	virtual ~IPreference() { }
-	virtual void LoadDefault() = 0;
-	virtual void ReadFrom( const IniFile &ini ) = 0;
-	virtual void WriteTo( IniFile &ini ) const = 0;
-};
+	IPreference( PrefsGroup PrefsGroup, const CString& sName );
+	virtual ~IPreference();
 
-void SubscribePreference( IPreference *p );
-void UnsubscribePreference( IPreference *p );
+	virtual void LoadDefault() = 0;
+	virtual void ReadFrom( const IniFile &ini );
+	virtual void WriteTo( IniFile &ini ) const;
+
+	virtual CString ToString() const = 0;
+	virtual void FromString( const CString &s ) = 0;
+
+	PrefsGroup GetPrefsGroup() const { return m_PrefsGroup; }
+	const CString &GetName() const { return m_sName; }
+
+protected:
+	PrefsGroup	m_PrefsGroup;
+	CString		m_sName;
+};
 
 template <class T>
 class Preference : public IPreference
@@ -35,37 +44,25 @@ private:
 	// Make currentValue first in the list so that we can pass this object
 	// as an argument in a var_arg function as in printf.
 	T			m_currentValue;
-	PrefsGroup	m_PrefsGroup;
-	CString		m_sName;
 	T			m_defaultValue;
 	
-	CString ToString();
-	void FromString( const CString &s );
-
 public:
 	Preference( PrefsGroup PrefsGroup, const CString& sName, const T& defaultValue ):
+		IPreference( PrefsGroup, sName ),
 		m_currentValue( defaultValue ),
-		m_PrefsGroup( PrefsGroup ),
-		m_sName( sName ),
 		m_defaultValue( defaultValue )
 	{
-		SubscribePreference( this );
 		LoadDefault();
 	}
 
-	~Preference()
-	{
-		UnsubscribePreference( this );
-	}
+	CString ToString() const;
+	void FromString( const CString &s );
 
 	void LoadDefault()
 	{
 		m_currentValue = m_defaultValue;
 	}
 
-	void ReadFrom( const IniFile &ini );
-	void WriteTo( IniFile &ini ) const;
-
 	operator T () const
 	{
 		return m_currentValue;