diff --git a/stepmania/src/Background.cpp b/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
index e521f862c8..146bdf3ee9 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ const float FADE_SECONDS = 1.0f;
 #define BOTTOM_EDGE			THEME->GetMetricF("Background","BottomEdge")
 CachedThemeMetricB BLINK_DANGER_ALL("Background","BlinkDangerAll");
 CachedThemeMetricB DANGER_ALL_IS_OPAQUE("Background","DangerAllIsOpaque");
-
+#define BRIGHTNESS_FADE_COMMAND THEME->GetMetric("Background","BrightnessFadeCommand")
 #define RECT_BACKGROUND RectF(LEFT_EDGE,TOP_EDGE,RIGHT_EDGE,BOTTOM_EDGE)
 
 static float g_fBackgroundCenterWidth = 40;
@@ -82,6 +82,20 @@ Background::Background()
 	else
 		m_pDancingCharacters = NULL;
 
+	m_quadBorder[0].StretchTo( RectF(SCREEN_LEFT,SCREEN_TOP,LEFT_EDGE,SCREEN_BOTTOM) );
+	m_quadBorder[0].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
+	m_quadBorder[1].StretchTo( RectF(LEFT_EDGE,SCREEN_TOP,RIGHT_EDGE,TOP_EDGE) );
+	m_quadBorder[1].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
+	m_quadBorder[2].StretchTo( RectF(RIGHT_EDGE,SCREEN_TOP,SCREEN_RIGHT,SCREEN_BOTTOM) );
+	m_quadBorder[2].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
+	m_quadBorder[3].StretchTo( RectF(LEFT_EDGE,BOTTOM_EDGE,RIGHT_EDGE,SCREEN_BOTTOM) );
+	m_quadBorder[3].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
+
+	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[0] );
+	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[1] );
+	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[2] );
+	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[3] );
+
 	this->AddChild( &m_Brightness );
 }
 
@@ -639,25 +653,11 @@ BrightnessOverlay::BrightnessOverlay()
 	m_quadBGBrightnessFade.StretchTo( RectF(LEFT_EDGE+fQuadWidth,TOP_EDGE,RIGHT_EDGE-fQuadWidth,BOTTOM_EDGE) );
 	m_quadBGBrightness[1].StretchTo( RectF(RIGHT_EDGE-fQuadWidth,TOP_EDGE,RIGHT_EDGE,BOTTOM_EDGE) );
 
-	m_quadBorder[0].StretchTo( RectF(SCREEN_LEFT,SCREEN_TOP,LEFT_EDGE,SCREEN_BOTTOM) );
-	m_quadBorder[0].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
-	m_quadBorder[1].StretchTo( RectF(LEFT_EDGE,SCREEN_TOP,RIGHT_EDGE,TOP_EDGE) );
-	m_quadBorder[1].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
-	m_quadBorder[2].StretchTo( RectF(RIGHT_EDGE,SCREEN_TOP,SCREEN_RIGHT,SCREEN_BOTTOM) );
-	m_quadBorder[2].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
-	m_quadBorder[3].StretchTo( RectF(LEFT_EDGE,BOTTOM_EDGE,RIGHT_EDGE,SCREEN_BOTTOM) );
-	m_quadBorder[3].SetDiffuse( RageColor(0,0,0,1) );
-
 	this->AddChild( &m_quadBGBrightness[0] );
 	this->AddChild( &m_quadBGBrightness[1] );
 	this->AddChild( &m_quadBGBrightnessFade );
 
-	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[0] );
-	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[1] );
-	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[2] );
-	this->AddChild( &m_quadBorder[3] );
-
-	SetBackgrounds();
+	SetActualBrightness();
 }
 
 void BrightnessOverlay::Update( float fDeltaTime )
@@ -666,10 +666,10 @@ void BrightnessOverlay::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 	/* If we're actually playing, then we're past fades, etc; update the background
 	 * brightness to follow Cover. */
 	if( GAMESTATE->m_bPastHereWeGo )
-		SetBackgrounds();
+		SetActualBrightness();
 }
 
-void BrightnessOverlay::SetBackgrounds()
+void BrightnessOverlay::SetActualBrightness()
 {
 	float fLeftBrightness = 1-GAMESTATE->m_PlayerOptions[PLAYER_1].m_fCover;
 	float fRightBrightness = 1-GAMESTATE->m_PlayerOptions[PLAYER_2].m_fCover;
@@ -700,8 +700,6 @@ void BrightnessOverlay::Set( float fBrightness )
 
 void BrightnessOverlay::FadeToActualBrightness()
 {
-	FOREACH_PlayerNumber(pn)
-		m_quadBGBrightness[pn].BeginTweening( 0.5f );
-	m_quadBGBrightnessFade.BeginTweening( 0.5f );
-	SetBackgrounds();
+	this->RunCommandOnChildren( BRIGHTNESS_FADE_COMMAND );
+	SetActualBrightness();
 }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Background.h b/stepmania/src/Background.h
index 0ce1f31845..df7c38b6e3 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Background.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Background.h
@@ -22,17 +22,17 @@ class DancingCharacters;
 
 class BrightnessOverlay: public ActorFrame
 {
-	Quad m_quadBGBrightness[NUM_PLAYERS];
-	Quad m_quadBGBrightnessFade;
-	Quad m_quadBorder[4];	// l, t, r, b - cover up the edge of animations that might hang outside of the background rectangle
-	void SetBackgrounds();
-
 public:
 	BrightnessOverlay();
 	void Update( float fDeltaTime );
 
 	void FadeToActualBrightness();
+	void SetActualBrightness();
 	void Set( float fBrightness );
+
+private:
+	Quad m_quadBGBrightness[NUM_PLAYERS];
+	Quad m_quadBGBrightnessFade;
 };
 
 class Background : public ActorFrame
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ protected:
 	BGAnimation* m_pFadingBGA;
 	float m_fSecsLeftInFade;
 	float m_fLastMusicSeconds;
+	Quad m_quadBorder[4];	// l, t, r, b - cover up the edge of animations that might hang outside of the background rectangle
 
 	BrightnessOverlay m_Brightness;
 };
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp
index bedffa2002..ac04c9feb7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenGameplay.cpp
@@ -1027,7 +1027,16 @@ void ScreenGameplay::LoadNextSong()
 	{
 		/* BeginnerHelper disabled/failed to load. */
 		m_Background.LoadFromSong( GAMESTATE->m_pCurSong );
-		m_Background.SetBrightness( INITIAL_BACKGROUND_BRIGHTNESS(GAMESTATE->m_PlayMode) );
+		if( !m_bDemonstration )
+		{
+			/* This will fade from a preset brightness to the actual brightness (based
+			 * on prefs and "cover").  The preset brightness may be 0 (to fade from
+			 * black), or it might be 1, if the stage screen has the song BG and we're
+			 * coming from it (like Pump).  This used to be done in SM_PlayReady, but
+			 * that means it's impossible to snap to the new brightness immediately. */
+			m_Background.SetBrightness( INITIAL_BACKGROUND_BRIGHTNESS(GAMESTATE->m_PlayMode) );
+			m_Background.FadeToActualBrightness();
+		}
 	}
 
 	m_Foreground.LoadFromSong( GAMESTATE->m_pCurSong );
@@ -1900,7 +1909,6 @@ void ScreenGameplay::HandleScreenMessage( const ScreenMessage SM )
 	switch( SM )
 	{
 	case SM_PlayReady:
-		m_Background.FadeToActualBrightness();
 		SOUND->PlayOnceFromAnnouncer( "gameplay ready" );
 		m_Ready.StartTransitioning( SM_PlayGo );
 		break;