diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/BGAnimations/ScreenSystemLayer errorbg.lua b/Themes/_fallback/BGAnimations/ScreenSystemLayer errorbg.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..94615c7876
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/BGAnimations/ScreenSystemLayer errorbg.lua	
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+return Def.ActorFrame{
+	Def.Quad {
+		Name= "erp",
+		InitCommand= function(self)
+			self:setsize(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT)
+			self:horizalign(left)
+			self:vertalign(top)
+			self:diffuse(color("0,0,0,0"))
+			self:diffusealpha(.85)
+		end,
+		SetCoveredHeightCommand= function(self, param)
+		end
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/BGAnimations/ScreenSystemLayer overlay/default.lua b/Themes/_fallback/BGAnimations/ScreenSystemLayer overlay/default.lua
index 0e638d6afe..f2c09ff8a4 100644
--- a/Themes/_fallback/BGAnimations/ScreenSystemLayer overlay/default.lua	
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/BGAnimations/ScreenSystemLayer overlay/default.lua	
@@ -64,27 +64,147 @@ t[#t+1] = Def.ActorFrame {
 	CreditsText( PLAYER_2 ); 
 };
 	-- Text
-t[#t+1] = Def.ActorFrame {
-	Def.Quad {
-		InitCommand=cmd(zoomtowidth,SCREEN_WIDTH;zoomtoheight,30;horizalign,left;vertalign,top;y,SCREEN_TOP;diffuse,color("0,0,0,0"));
-		OnCommand=cmd(finishtweening;diffusealpha,0.85;);
-		OffCommand=cmd(sleep,3;linear,0.5;diffusealpha,0;);
-	};
-	LoadFont("Common","Normal") .. {
-		Name="Text";
-		InitCommand=cmd(maxwidth,750;horizalign,left;vertalign,top;y,SCREEN_TOP+10;x,SCREEN_LEFT+10;shadowlength,1;diffusealpha,0;);
-		OnCommand=cmd(finishtweening;diffusealpha,1;zoom,0.5);
-		OffCommand=cmd(sleep,3;linear,0.5;diffusealpha,0;);
-	};
-	SystemMessageMessageCommand = function(self, params)
-		self:GetChild("Text"):settext( params.Message );
-		self:playcommand( "On" );
-		if params.NoAnimate then
-			self:finishtweening();
-		end
-		self:playcommand( "Off" );
-	end;
-	HideSystemMessageMessageCommand = cmd(finishtweening);
-};
 
-return t;
+-- Minor text formatting functions from Kyzentun.
+-- TODO:  Figure out why BitmapText:maxwidth doesn't do what I want.
+local function width_limit_text(text, limit, natural_zoom)
+	natural_zoom= natural_zoom or 1
+	if text:GetWidth() * natural_zoom > limit then
+		text:zoomx(limit / text:GetWidth())
+	else
+		text:zoomx(natural_zoom)
+	end
+end
+
+local function width_clip_text(text, limit)
+	local full_text= text:GetText()
+	local fits= text:GetZoomedWidth() <= limit
+	local prev_max= #full_text - 1
+	local prev_min= 0
+	if not fits then
+		while prev_max - prev_min > 1 do
+			local new_max= math.round((prev_max + prev_min) / 2)
+			text:settext(full_text:sub(1, 1+new_max))
+			if text:GetZoomedWidth() <= limit then
+				prev_min= new_max
+			else
+				prev_max= new_max
+			end
+		end
+		text:settext(full_text:sub(1, 1+prev_min))
+	end
+end
+
+local function width_clip_limit_text(text, limit, natural_zoom)
+	natural_zoom= natural_zoom or text:GetZoomY()
+	local text_width= text:GetWidth() * natural_zoom
+	if text_width > limit * 2 then
+		text:zoomx(natural_zoom * .5)
+		width_clip_text(text, limit)
+	else
+		width_limit_text(text, limit, natural_zoom)
+	end
+end
+
+local errorbg
+local err_frame
+local text_actors= {}
+local line_height= 12 -- A good line height for Common Normal at .5 zoom.
+local line_width= SCREEN_WIDTH - 20
+
+local next_message_actor= 1
+
+local min_message_time= { show= 4, hide= .125}
+local message_time= {
+	show= min_message_time.show, hide= min_message_time.hide}
+
+function SetOverlayMessageTime(t, which)
+	if not min_message_time[which] then
+		SCREENMAN:SystemMessage("Attempted to set invalid overlay message time field: " .. tostring(which))
+		return
+	end
+	if t < min_message_time[which] then
+		SCREENMAN:SystemMessage(
+			"Attempted to set overlay message " .. which ..
+				" time to below minimum of " .. min_message_time[which] .. ".")
+		return
+	end
+	message_time[which]= t
+end
+
+local errbg_actor= LoadActor(THEME:GetPathB("ScreenSystemLayer", "errorbg"))
+-- Force the name of the returned actor so that we can easily use playcommand on it later.
+errbg_actor.Name= "errorbg"
+
+local frame_args= {
+	Name="Error frame",
+	InitCommand= function(self)
+		err_frame= self
+		errorbg= self:GetChild("errorbg")
+		self:y(-SCREEN_HEIGHT)
+	end,
+	SystemMessageMessageCommand = function(self, params)
+		err_frame:stoptweening()
+		err_frame:visible(true)
+		local covered_height= line_height * (next_message_actor-1)
+		err_frame:y(-SCREEN_HEIGHT + covered_height)
+		if errorbg then
+			errorbg:playcommand("SetCoveredHeight", {height= covered_height})
+		end
+		err_frame:sleep(message_time.show)
+		err_frame:queuecommand("DecNextActor")
+		-- Shift the text on all the actors being shown up by one.
+		for i= next_message_actor, 1, -1 do
+			if text_actors[i] then
+				text_actors[i]:visible(true)
+				if i > 1 and text_actors[i-1] then
+					text_actors[i]:settext(text_actors[i-1]:GetText())
+				else
+					text_actors[i]:settext(params.Message)
+				end
+				width_clip_limit_text(text_actors[i], line_width)
+			end
+		end
+		if next_message_actor <= #text_actors and not params.NoAnimate then
+			next_message_actor= next_message_actor + 1
+		end
+	end,
+	DecNextActorCommand= function(self)
+		self:linear(message_time.hide)
+		self:y(self:GetY()-line_height)
+		if text_actors[next_message_actor] then
+			text_actors[next_message_actor]:visible(false)
+		end
+		next_message_actor= next_message_actor - 1
+		if next_message_actor > 1 then
+			self:queuecommand("DecNextActor")
+		else
+			self:queuecommand("Off")
+		end
+	end,
+	OffCommand= cmd(visible,false),
+	HideSystemMessageMessageCommand = cmd(finishtweening),
+	errbg_actor,
+}
+-- Create enough text actors that we can fill the screen.
+local num_text= SCREEN_HEIGHT / line_height
+for i= 1, num_text do
+	frame_args[#frame_args+1]= 	LoadFont("Common","Normal") .. {
+		Name="Text" .. i,
+		InitCommand= function(self)
+			-- Put them in the list in reverse order so the ones at the bottom of the screen are used first.
+			text_actors[num_text-i+1]= self
+			self:horizalign(left)
+			self:vertalign(top)
+			self:x(SCREEN_LEFT + 10)
+			self:y(SCREEN_TOP + (line_height * (i-1)) + 2)
+			self:shadowlength(1)
+			self:zoom(.5)
+			self:visible(false)
+		end,
+		OffCommand= cmd(visible,false),
+	}
+end
+t[#t+1] = Def.ActorFrame(frame_args)
+
+return t
diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini b/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini
index 237922b3cd..448a35b2e7 100644
--- a/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini
@@ -1317,6 +1317,7 @@ Profile=Profile
 Pull Back Camera=Pull Back Camera
 Restart=Restart
 Reload=Reload
+Reload Overlay Screens=Reload Overlay Screens
 Reload Theme and Textures=Reload Theme and Textures
 Rendering Stats=Rendering Stats
 Screen Test Mode=Screen Test Mode
diff --git a/src/ScreenDebugOverlay.cpp b/src/ScreenDebugOverlay.cpp
index 3cdfe08a9f..e931f38e42 100644
--- a/src/ScreenDebugOverlay.cpp
+++ b/src/ScreenDebugOverlay.cpp
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@ static LocalizedString RELOAD			( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Reload" );
 static LocalizedString RESTART			( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Restart" );
 static LocalizedString SCREEN_ON		( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Send On To Screen" );
 static LocalizedString SCREEN_OFF		( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Send Off To Screen" );
+static LocalizedString RELOAD_OVERLAY_SCREENS( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Reload Overlay Screens" );
 static LocalizedString RELOAD_THEME_AND_TEXTURES( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Reload Theme and Textures" );
 static LocalizedString WRITE_PROFILES	( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Write Profiles" );
 static LocalizedString WRITE_PREFERENCES	( "ScreenDebugOverlay", "Write Preferences" );
@@ -1030,6 +1031,19 @@ class DebugLineReloadTheme : public IDebugLine
 	}
 };
 
+class DebugLineReloadOverlayScreens : public IDebugLine
+{
+	virtual RString GetDisplayTitle() { return RELOAD_OVERLAY_SCREENS.GetValue(); }
+	virtual RString GetDisplayValue() { return RString(); }
+	virtual bool IsEnabled() { return true; }
+	virtual RString GetPageName() const { return "Theme"; }
+	virtual void DoAndLog( RString &sMessageOut )
+	{
+		IDebugLine::DoAndLog(sMessageOut);
+		SCREENMAN->ReloadOverlayScreensAfterInputFinishes();
+	}
+};
+
 class DebugLineWriteProfiles : public IDebugLine
 {
 	virtual RString GetDisplayTitle() { return WRITE_PROFILES.GetValue(); }
@@ -1212,6 +1226,7 @@ DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineRestartCurrentScreen );
 DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineCurrentScreenOn );
 DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineCurrentScreenOff );
 DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineReloadTheme );
+DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineReloadOverlayScreens );
 DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineWriteProfiles );
 DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineWritePreferences );
 DECLARE_ONE( DebugLineMenuTimer );
diff --git a/src/ScreenManager.cpp b/src/ScreenManager.cpp
index bd24d9d2cc..e9079c43e1 100644
--- a/src/ScreenManager.cpp
+++ b/src/ScreenManager.cpp
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ ScreenManager::ScreenManager()
 
 	g_pSharedBGA = new Actor;
 
+	m_bReloadOverlayScreensAfterInput= false;
 	m_bZeroNextUpdate = false;
 	m_PopTopScreen = SM_Invalid;
 	m_OnDonePreparingScreen = SM_Invalid;
@@ -330,6 +331,11 @@ void ScreenManager::ReloadOverlayScreens()
 	this->RefreshCreditsMessages();
 }
 
+void ScreenManager::ReloadOverlayScreensAfterInputFinishes()
+{
+	m_bReloadOverlayScreensAfterInput= true;
+}
+
 Screen *ScreenManager::GetTopScreen()
 {
 	if( g_ScreenStack.empty() )
@@ -514,7 +520,14 @@ void ScreenManager::Input( const InputEventPlus &input )
 		// because anybody setting an input callback is probably doing it to
 		// do something in addition to whatever the screen does.
 		if(pScreen->PassInputToLua(input) || handled)
+		{
+			if(m_bReloadOverlayScreensAfterInput)
+			{
+				ReloadOverlayScreens();
+				m_bReloadOverlayScreensAfterInput= false;
+			}
 			return;
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Pass input to the topmost screen.  If we have a new top screen pending, don't
diff --git a/src/ScreenManager.h b/src/ScreenManager.h
index d9b98649e6..304cb77d5b 100644
--- a/src/ScreenManager.h
+++ b/src/ScreenManager.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ public:
 	void RefreshCreditsMessages();
 	void ThemeChanged();
 	void ReloadOverlayScreens();
+	void ReloadOverlayScreensAfterInputFinishes();
 
 	/**
 	 * @brief Is this Screen in the main Screen stack, but not the bottommost Screen?
@@ -79,6 +80,10 @@ private:
 	// operations take a long time, and will cause a skip on the next update.
 	bool		m_bZeroNextUpdate;
 
+	// This exists so the debug overlay can reload the overlay screens without seg faulting.
+	// It's "AfterInput" because the debug overlay carries out actions in Input.
+	bool m_bReloadOverlayScreensAfterInput;
+
 	Screen *MakeNewScreen( const RString &sName );
 	void LoadDelayedScreen();
 	bool ActivatePreparedScreenAndBackground( const RString &sScreenName );