diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
index be9c0d445f..537dec8388 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ PrefsManager::PrefsManager()
 	m_iMovieDecodeMS = 2;
 	m_bUseBGIfNoBanner = false;
 	m_bDelayedEscape = true;
+	m_bHowToPlay = true;
+
 	/* I'd rather get occasional people asking for support for this even though it's
 	 * already here than lots of people asking why songs aren't being displayed. */
 	m_bHiddenSongs = false;
@@ -92,6 +94,7 @@ void PrefsManager::ReadGlobalPrefsFromDisk( bool bSwitchToLastPlayedGame )
 	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "DelayedEscape",			m_bDelayedEscape );
 	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "HiddenSongs",			m_bHiddenSongs );
 	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "Vsync",					m_bVsync );
+	ini.GetValueB( "Options", "HowToPlay",				m_bHowToPlay );
 
 	m_asAdditionalSongFolders.RemoveAll();
 	CString sAdditionalSongFolders;
@@ -133,6 +136,7 @@ void PrefsManager::SaveGlobalPrefsToDisk()
 	ini.SetValueB( "Options", "DelayedEscape",			m_bDelayedEscape );
 	ini.SetValueB( "Options", "HiddenSongs",			m_bHiddenSongs );
 	ini.SetValueB( "Options", "Vsync",					m_bVsync );
+	ini.SetValueB( "Options", "HowToPlay",				m_bHowToPlay );
 
 	ini.SetValue( "Options", "AdditionalSongFolders", join(",", m_asAdditionalSongFolders) );
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
index aa4f8702ee..f499d33e5f 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ public:
 	float	m_fLifeDifficultyScale;
 	bool	m_bAutoPlay;
 	bool	m_bDelayedEscape;
+	bool	m_bHowToPlay;
 	
 	CStringArray m_asAdditionalSongFolders;
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
index 4a4f52aaa1..d45822e170 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,16 @@ ScreenHowToPlay::ScreenHowToPlay()
 		THEME->GetPathTo("Graphics","How To Play Top Edge"), 
 		HELP_TEXT, false, true, TIMER_SECONDS
 		);
-	m_Menu.TweenOnScreenFromMenu( SM_None );
 	this->AddChild( &m_Menu );
 
+	if(!PREFSMAN->m_bHowToPlay)
+	{
+		this->SendScreenMessage( SM_GoToNextScreen, 0.f );
+		return;
+	}
+
+	m_Menu.TweenOnScreenFromMenu( SM_None );
+
 	CString sHowToPlayPath;
 	switch( GAMESTATE->m_PlayMode )
 	{