diff --git a/stepmania/src/EnumHelper.h b/stepmania/src/EnumHelper.h
index a35c5eed5f..8a3af3fd8c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/EnumHelper.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/EnumHelper.h
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ const RString &EnumToString( int iVal, int iMax, const char **szNameArray, auto_
 	{	\
 		static auto_ptr<RString> as_##X##Name[NUM_##X+2]; \
 		return EnumToString( x, NUM_##X, X##Names, as_##X##Name ); \
-	}
+	} \
+	template<> RString ToString<X>( const X &value ) { return X##ToString(value); }
 #define XToString(X, CNT) XToString2(X)
 
 #define XToLocalizedString(X)      \
@@ -125,7 +126,8 @@ const RString &EnumToString( int iVal, int iMax, const char **szNameArray, auto_
 			if( !s2.CompareNoCase(X##Names[i]) )	\
 				return (X)i;	\
 		return (X)(i+1); /*invalid*/	\
-	}
+	} \
+	template<> bool FromString<X>( const RString &sValue, X &out ) { out = StringTo##X(sValue); return out != X##_Invalid; }
 
 // currently unused
 #define LuaDeclareType(X)
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
index 28de52e2dd..58998114b2 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
@@ -1884,7 +1884,7 @@ void CollapsePath( RString &sPath, bool bRemoveLeadingDot )
 }
 
 
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, int &out )
+template<> bool FromString<int>( const RString &sValue, int &out )
 {
 	if( sscanf( sValue.c_str(), "%d", &out ) == 1 )
 		return true;
@@ -1893,7 +1893,7 @@ bool FromString( const RString &sValue, int &out )
 	return false;
 }
 
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, unsigned  &out )
+template<> bool FromString<unsigned>( const RString &sValue, unsigned  &out )
 {
 	if( sscanf( sValue.c_str(), "%u", &out ) == 1 )
 		return true;
@@ -1902,14 +1902,17 @@ bool FromString( const RString &sValue, unsigned  &out )
 	return false;
 }
 
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, float &out )
+template<> bool FromString<float>( const RString &sValue, float &out )
 {
 	const char *endptr = sValue.data() + sValue.size();
 	out = strtof( sValue, (char **) &endptr );
-	return endptr != sValue.data() && isfinite( out );
+	if( endptr != sValue.data() && isfinite( out ) )
+		return true;
+	out = 0;
+	return false;
 }
 
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, bool &out )
+template<> bool FromString<bool>( const RString &sValue, bool &out )
 {
 	if( sValue.size() == 0 )
 		return false;
@@ -1918,22 +1921,22 @@ bool FromString( const RString &sValue, bool &out )
 	return true;
 }
 
-RString ToString( int value )
+template<> RString ToString<int>( const int &value )
 {
 	return ssprintf( "%i", value );
 }
 
-RString ToString( unsigned value )
+template<> RString ToString<unsigned>( const unsigned &value )
 {
 	return ssprintf( "%u", value );
 }
 
-RString ToString( float value )
+template<> RString ToString<float>( const float &value )
 {
 	return ssprintf( "%f", value );
 }
 
-RString ToString( bool value )
+template<> RString ToString<bool>( const bool &value )
 {
 	return ssprintf( "%i", value );
 }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h
index d75dcf53d1..e9272e5f40 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.h
@@ -483,17 +483,27 @@ void FlushDirCache();
 void FixSlashesInPlace( RString &sPath );
 void CollapsePath( RString &sPath, bool bRemoveLeadingDot=false );
 
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, int &out );
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, unsigned  &out );
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, float &out );
-bool FromString( const RString &sValue, bool &out );
-inline bool FromString( const RString &sValue, RString &out ) { out = sValue; return true; }
+/* If the specified value is not a valid value for this type, and the type
+ * has a corresponding "invalid" value, out will be assigned the invalid
+ * value if bAllowInvalid is true, or a sensible default if false.  (An example
+ * "invalid" sentinels is NULL for pointers.)  In either case, false will
+ * be returned. */
+template<typename T>
+bool FromString( const RString &sValue, T &out );
 
-RString ToString( int value );
-RString ToString( unsigned value );
-RString ToString( float value );
-RString ToString( bool value );
-inline RString ToString( const RString &value ) { return value; }
+template<> bool FromString<int>( const RString &sValue, int &out );
+template<> bool FromString<unsigned>( const RString &sValue, unsigned &out );
+template<> bool FromString<float>( const RString &sValue, float &out );
+template<> bool FromString<bool>( const RString &sValue, bool &out );
+template<> inline bool FromString<RString>( const RString &sValue, RString &out ) { out = sValue; return true; }
+
+template<typename T>
+RString ToString( const T &value );
+template<> RString ToString<int>( const int &value );
+template<> RString ToString<unsigned>( const unsigned &value );
+template<> RString ToString<float>( const float &value );
+template<> RString ToString<bool>( const bool &value );
+template<> inline RString ToString<RString>( const RString &value ) { return value; }
 
 // helper file functions used by Bookkeeper and ProfileManager
 class RageFileBasic;