diff --git a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp
index 9f0a0e805b..4fb79f30e3 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ void LifeMeterBar::ChangeLife( float fDeltaLife )
 		break;
 	}
 
-	// check if this step would cause a fail
+	// check if this step would empty the bar
 	if( m_fLifePercentage + fDeltaLife <= 0  &&  m_fLifePercentage > 0 )
 	{
 		/* Increase by m_iRegenComboAfterFail; never push it beyond m_iMaxRegenComboAfterFail
@@ -267,9 +267,6 @@ void LifeMeterBar::ChangeLife( float fDeltaLife )
 	m_fLifePercentage += fDeltaLife;
 	CLAMP( m_fLifePercentage, 0, 1 );
 	AfterLifeChanged();
-
-	if( m_fLifePercentage <= 0 )
-		m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier = true;
 }
 
 void LifeMeterBar::AfterLifeChanged()
@@ -297,7 +294,7 @@ bool LifeMeterBar::IsInDanger() const
 
 bool LifeMeterBar::IsFailing() const
 { 
-	return m_fLifePercentage <= 0; 
+	return m_fLifePercentage <= m_pPlayerState->m_PlayerOptions.GetCurrent().m_fPassmark;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp
index c5c51695c0..e62d1acb5c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBattery.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void LifeMeterBattery::Load( const PlayerState *pPlayerState, PlayerStageStats *
 
 void LifeMeterBattery::OnSongEnded()
 {
-	if( m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailed || m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier )
+	if( m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailed || m_iLivesLeft == 0 )
 		return;
 
 	if( m_iLivesLeft < GAMESTATE->m_SongOptions.GetSong().m_iBatteryLives )
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void LifeMeterBattery::OnSongEnded()
 
 void LifeMeterBattery::ChangeLife( TapNoteScore score )
 {
-	if( m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier )
+	if( m_iLivesLeft == 0 )
 		return;
 
 	switch( score )
@@ -116,8 +116,6 @@ void LifeMeterBattery::ChangeLife( TapNoteScore score )
 	default:
 		ASSERT(0);
 	}
-	if( m_iLivesLeft == 0 )
-		m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier = true;
 }
 
 void LifeMeterBattery::ChangeLife( HoldNoteScore score, TapNoteScore tscore )
@@ -150,7 +148,7 @@ bool LifeMeterBattery::IsHot() const
 
 bool LifeMeterBattery::IsFailing() const
 {
-	return m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier;
+	return m_iLivesLeft == 0;
 }
 
 float LifeMeterBattery::GetLife() const
diff --git a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterTime.cpp b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterTime.cpp
index 3f6a39bf21..48a1b737cd 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterTime.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterTime.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ void LifeMeterTime::Load( const PlayerState *pPlayerState, PlayerStageStats *pPl
 
 void LifeMeterTime::OnLoadSong()
 {
-	if( m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier )
+	if( GetLifeSeconds() <= 0 )
 		return;
 
 	Course* pCourse = GAMESTATE->m_pCurCourse;
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ void LifeMeterTime::OnLoadSong()
 
 void LifeMeterTime::ChangeLife( TapNoteScore tns )
 {
-	if( m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier )
+	if( GetLifeSeconds() <= 0 )
 		return;
 
 	float fMeterChange = 0;
@@ -101,14 +101,11 @@ void LifeMeterTime::ChangeLife( TapNoteScore tns )
 	}
 
 	m_fLifeTotalLostSeconds -= fMeterChange;
-
-	if( GetLifeSeconds() <= 0 )
-		m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier = true;
 }
 
 void LifeMeterTime::ChangeLife( HoldNoteScore hns, TapNoteScore tns )
 {
-	if( m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier )
+	if( GetLifeSeconds() <= 0 )
 		return;
 
 	float fMeterChange = 0;
@@ -120,9 +117,6 @@ void LifeMeterTime::ChangeLife( HoldNoteScore hns, TapNoteScore tns )
 	}
 
 	m_fLifeTotalLostSeconds -= fMeterChange;
-
-	if( GetLifeSeconds() <= 0 )
-		m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier = true;
 }
 
 bool LifeMeterTime::IsInDanger() const
@@ -137,7 +131,7 @@ bool LifeMeterTime::IsHot() const
 
 bool LifeMeterTime::IsFailing() const
 {
-	return m_pPlayerStageStats->bFailedEarlier;
+	return GetLifeSeconds() <= 0;
 }
 
 void LifeMeterTime::Update( float fDeltaTime )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.cpp b/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.cpp
index 31b0901b73..6d7414e556 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ void PlayerStageStats::Init()
 	vpPossibleSteps.clear();
 	fAliveSeconds = 0;
 	bFailed = false;
-	bFailedEarlier = false;
 	iPossibleDancePoints = iCurPossibleDancePoints = iActualDancePoints = 0;
 	iPossibleGradePoints = 0;
 	iCurCombo = iMaxCombo = iCurMissCombo = iScore = iBonus = iMaxScore = iCurMaxScore = 0;
@@ -58,7 +57,6 @@ void PlayerStageStats::AddStats( const PlayerStageStats& other )
 		vpPossibleSteps.push_back( *s );
 	fAliveSeconds += other.fAliveSeconds;
 	bFailed |= other.bFailed;
-	bFailedEarlier |= other.bFailedEarlier;
 	iPossibleDancePoints += other.iPossibleDancePoints;
 	iActualDancePoints += other.iActualDancePoints;
 	iCurPossibleDancePoints += other.iCurPossibleDancePoints;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.h b/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.h
index c3900dc805..ba8bf260ce 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/PlayerStageStats.h
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@ public:
 	 * this is only set if both players were failing at the same time. */
 	bool		bFailed;
 
-	/* This indicates whether the player bottomed out his bar/ran out of lives at some
-	 * point during the song.  It's set in all fail modes. */
-	bool		bFailedEarlier;
 	int		iPossibleDancePoints;
 	int		iCurPossibleDancePoints;
 	int		iActualDancePoints;