diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.cpp
index 2f0f2c113b..310c42b32b 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.cpp
@@ -282,6 +282,11 @@ void RageFileManager::MountInitialFilesystems()
 	HOOKS->MountInitialFilesystems( RageFileManagerUtil::sDirOfExecutable );
 }
 
+void RageFileManager::MountUserFilesystems()
+{
+	HOOKS->MountUserFilesystems( RageFileManagerUtil::sDirOfExecutable );
+}
+
 RageFileManager::~RageFileManager()
 {
 	/* Note that drivers can use previously-loaded drivers, eg. to load a ZIP
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.h b/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.h
index a2f92547ae..a784265499 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageFileManager.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ public:
 	RageFileManager( const RString &argv0 );
 	~RageFileManager();
 	void MountInitialFilesystems();
+	void MountUserFilesystems();
 
 	void GetDirListing( const RString &sPath, vector<RString> &AddTo, bool bOnlyDirs, bool bReturnPathToo );
 	bool Move( const RString &sOldPath, const RString &sNewPath );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/SpecialFiles.h b/stepmania/src/SpecialFiles.h
index b83ce7a94e..d1e04a2151 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/SpecialFiles.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/SpecialFiles.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 namespace SpecialFiles
 {
-	extern const RString USER_PACKAGES_DIR;
+	extern const RString USER_PACKAGES_DIR;	// user packages should be a separate dir from system packages so that we can write to it (installing a package)
 	extern const RString PACKAGES_DIR;	// system packages (not user packages)
 	extern const RString KEYMAPS_PATH;
 	extern const RString PREFERENCES_INI_PATH;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp b/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
index e152f6e350..112cf07215 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/StepMania.cpp
@@ -949,6 +949,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	/* Almost everything uses this to read and write files.  Load this early. */
 	FILEMAN = new RageFileManager( argv[0] );
 	FILEMAN->MountInitialFilesystems();
+	bool bPortable = DoesFileExist("Portable.ini");
+	if( !bPortable )
+		FILEMAN->MountUserFilesystems();
+
 
 	/* Set this up next.  Do this early, since it's needed for RageException::Throw. */
 	LOG		= new RageLog;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks.h b/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks.h
index 930499418f..c43122b964 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks.h
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ public:
 	 */
 	static void MountInitialFilesystems( const RString &sDirOfExecutable );
 
+	/* 
+	 * Add file search paths for user-writable directories. 
+	 */
+	static void MountUserFilesystems( const RString &sDirOfExecutable );
+
 	/*
 	 * Platform-specific code calls this to indicate focus changes.
 	 */
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks_Win32Static.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks_Win32Static.cpp
index f800ddde2d..f3dc6d64d6 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks_Win32Static.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/ArchHooks/ArchHooks_Win32Static.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ int64_t ArchHooks::GetMicrosecondsSinceStart( bool bAccurate )
 	return ret;
 }
 
-void ArchHooks::MountInitialFilesystems( const RString &sDirOfExecutable )
+static RString GetMountDir( const RString &sDirOfExecutable )
 {
 	/* All Windows data goes in the directory one level above the executable. */
 	CHECKPOINT_M( ssprintf( "DOE \"%s\"", sDirOfExecutable.c_str()) );
@@ -49,15 +49,18 @@ void ArchHooks::MountInitialFilesystems( const RString &sDirOfExecutable )
 	CHECKPOINT_M( ssprintf( "... %i asParts", asParts.size()) );
 	ASSERT_M( asParts.size() > 1, ssprintf("Strange sDirOfExecutable: %s", sDirOfExecutable.c_str()) );
 	RString sDir = join( "/", asParts.begin(), asParts.end()-1 );
+	return sDir;
+}
+
+void ArchHooks::MountInitialFilesystems( const RString &sDirOfExecutable )
+{
+	RString sDir = GetMountDir( sDirOfExecutable );
 	FILEMAN->Mount( "dir", sDir, "/" );
+}
 
-	/* Experimental: Check for a sentinel file and then operate in portable mode. */
-	// TODO: Make this cross-platform?
-	bool bPortable = DoesFileExist("Portable.ini");
-	RString sPortableDir = sDir + "/Portable";
-
-	// Mount everything game-writable (not counting the editor) to the user's directory.
-	RString sAppDataDir = bPortable ? sPortableDir : SpecialDirs::GetAppDataDir() + PRODUCT_ID;
+void ArchHooks::MountUserFilesystems( const RString &sDirOfExecutable )
+{
+	RString sAppDataDir = SpecialDirs::GetAppDataDir() + PRODUCT_ID;
 	FILEMAN->Mount( "dir", sAppDataDir + "/Cache", "/Cache" );
 	FILEMAN->Mount( "dir", sAppDataDir + "/Logs", "/Logs" );
 	FILEMAN->Mount( "dir", sAppDataDir + "/Save", "/Save" );