diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini b/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini
index f1e4e8f607..6a8916b94a 100644
--- a/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/Languages/en.ini
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@ Exit=
 Fail=Fail
 FastLoad=If enabled, don't check songs for changes on load.
 FastLoadAdditionalSongs=If enabled, don't check songs for changes to Additional Songs on load.
+FastNoteRendering=If enabled, the z buffer is not cleared after every note.  This causes 3d noteskins to collide, but substantially improves performance in gameplay.
 Fill Machine Stats=
 Game=Change the current game type with this option.
 GetRankingName=Determines if name entry should never be shown, always be shown, or shown when the course is listed on the high scores screen.
@@ -668,6 +669,7 @@ Expand 2->3=Expand 2->3
 Expand 2x=Expand 2x
 Expand 3->4=Expand 3->4
 Fast=Fast
+FastNoteRendering=Fast Note Rendering
 FitInside=Fit Inside
 FitInsideAvoidLetter=Avoid Letter
 FitInsideAvoidPillar=Avoid Pillar
@@ -917,6 +919,7 @@ DisplayResolution=Display Resolution
 Duration seconds=Duration seconds
 EasterEggs=Easter Eggs
 Edit Songs/Steps=Edit Songs/Steps
+FastNoteRendering=Fast Note Rendering
 Genre=Genre
 Practice Songs/Steps=Practice Songs/Steps
 Edit Courses=Edit Courses
diff --git a/Themes/_fallback/metrics.ini b/Themes/_fallback/metrics.ini
index 02a1cd0c84..2888cf0122 100644
--- a/Themes/_fallback/metrics.ini
+++ b/Themes/_fallback/metrics.ini
@@ -2903,12 +2903,13 @@ PrevScreen="ScreenOptionsService"
 Fallback="ScreenOptionsServiceChild"
 PrevScreen="ScreenOptionsService"
 NextScreen="ScreenOptionsService"
-LineNames="1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,FA,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22"
+LineNames="1,2,3,4,5,FNR,6,7,8,9,FA,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22"
 Line1="conf,Windowed"
 Line2="conf,DisplayResolution"
 Line3="conf,DisplayAspectRatio"
 Line4="conf,HighResolutionTextures"
 Line5="conf,Vsync"
+LineFNR="conf,FastNoteRendering"
 Line6="conf,SoundVolume"
 Line7="conf,TimingWindowScale"
 Line8="conf,LifeDifficulty"
@@ -2932,7 +2933,7 @@ Line22="conf,EventMode"
 Fallback="ScreenOptionsServiceChild"
 NextScreen="ScreenOptionsService"
 PrevScreen="ScreenOptionsService"
-LineNames="1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,18,19,20"
+LineNames="1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,FNR,14,17,18,19,20"
 Line1="conf,Windowed"
 Line2="conf,DisplayResolution"
 Line3="conf,DisplayAspectRatio"
@@ -2946,6 +2947,7 @@ Line10="conf,CelShadeModels"
 Line11="conf,DelayedTextureDelete"
 Line12="conf,RefreshRate"
 Line13="conf,Vsync"
+LineFNR="conf,FastNoteRendering"
 Line14="conf,ShowStats"
 Line15="conf,ShowBanners"
 Line16="conf,AttractSoundFrequency"
diff --git a/src/NoteField.cpp b/src/NoteField.cpp
index 6bde0e551a..a3e438c19f 100644
--- a/src/NoteField.cpp
+++ b/src/NoteField.cpp
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@ static ThemeMetric<float> FADE_FAIL_TIME( "NoteField", "FadeFailTime" );
 static RString RoutineNoteSkinName( size_t i ) { return ssprintf("RoutineNoteSkinP%i",int(i+1)); }
 static ThemeMetric1D<RString> ROUTINE_NOTESKIN( "NoteField", RoutineNoteSkinName, NUM_PLAYERS );
 
+static bool FAST_NOTE_RENDERING_PREF_CACHED= false;
+
 NoteField::NoteField()
 {
+	FAST_NOTE_RENDERING_PREF_CACHED= PREFSMAN->m_FastNoteRendering;
 	m_pNoteData = NULL;
 	m_pCurDisplay = NULL;
 
@@ -1355,7 +1358,10 @@ void NoteField::DrawPrimitives()
 			bool bNoteIsUpcoming = NoteRowToBeat(q) > m_pPlayerState->GetDisplayedPosition().m_fSongBeat;
 			bAnyUpcomingInThisCol |= bNoteIsUpcoming;
 
-			DISPLAY->ClearZBuffer();
+			if(!FAST_NOTE_RENDERING_PREF_CACHED)
+			{
+				DISPLAY->ClearZBuffer();
+			}
 		}
 
 		cur->m_ReceptorArrowRow.SetNoteUpcoming( c, bAnyUpcomingInThisCol );
diff --git a/src/PrefsManager.cpp b/src/PrefsManager.cpp
index 881db915e9..79ef13dace 100644
--- a/src/PrefsManager.cpp
+++ b/src/PrefsManager.cpp
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ PrefsManager::PrefsManager() :
 
 	m_bHiddenSongs		( "HiddenSongs",		false ),
 	m_bVsync		( "Vsync",			true ),
+	m_FastNoteRendering("FastNoteRendering", false),
 	m_bInterlaced		( "Interlaced",			false ),
 	m_bPAL			( "PAL",			false ),
 	m_bDelayedTextureDelete	( "DelayedTextureDelete",	false ),
diff --git a/src/PrefsManager.h b/src/PrefsManager.h
index 4c34be5429..e27daf627e 100644
--- a/src/PrefsManager.h
+++ b/src/PrefsManager.h
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ public:
 
 	Preference<bool>	m_bHiddenSongs;
 	Preference<bool>	m_bVsync;
+	Preference<bool>	m_FastNoteRendering;
 	Preference<bool>	m_bInterlaced;
 	Preference<bool>	m_bPAL;
 	Preference<bool>	m_bDelayedTextureDelete;
diff --git a/src/ScreenOptionsMasterPrefs.cpp b/src/ScreenOptionsMasterPrefs.cpp
index e8fbc2174b..92d319160a 100644
--- a/src/ScreenOptionsMasterPrefs.cpp
+++ b/src/ScreenOptionsMasterPrefs.cpp
@@ -779,6 +779,7 @@ static void InitializeConfOptions()
 	g_ConfOptions.back().m_iEffects = OPT_APPLY_GRAPHICS;
 	ADD( ConfOption( "Vsync",			MovePref<bool>,		"No", "Yes" ) );
 	g_ConfOptions.back().m_iEffects = OPT_APPLY_GRAPHICS;
+	ADD( ConfOption( "FastNoteRendering", MovePref<bool>, "Off", "On"));
 	ADD( ConfOption( "ShowStats",			MovePref<bool>,		"Off","On" ) );
 	ADD( ConfOption( "ShowBanners",			MovePref<bool>,		"Off","On" ) );