diff --git a/stepmania/Themes/default/metrics.ini b/stepmania/Themes/default/metrics.ini
index 6b9af8528e..a8fad0aced 100644
--- a/stepmania/Themes/default/metrics.ini
+++ b/stepmania/Themes/default/metrics.ini
@@ -1792,6 +1792,8 @@ InitialValue=0.5
 HotValue=1.0
 LifeMultiplier=1.0
 MinStayAlive="TapNoteScore_W3"
+FlashHotOnNoteHit=false
+MinScoreToFlash="TapNoteScore_W3"
 LifePercentChangeW1=0.008
 LifePercentChangeW2=0.008
 LifePercentChangeW3=0.004
diff --git a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp
index 495ba479ba..f89de5009c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.cpp
@@ -27,8 +27,12 @@ LifeMeterBar::LifeMeterBar()
 	MIN_STAY_ALIVE.Load	("LifeMeterBar","MinStayAlive");
 	m_fLifePercentChange.Load( "LifeMeterBar", LIFE_PERCENT_CHANGE_NAME, NUM_ScoreEvent );
 
+	FLASH_HOT_ON_NOTE_HIT.Load("LifeMeterBar","FlashHotOnNoteHit");
+	MIN_SCORE_TO_FLASH.Load("LifeMeterBar","MinScoreToFlash");
+
 	m_pPlayerState = NULL;
 
+
 	switch( GAMESTATE->m_SongOptions.GetStage().m_DrainType )
 	{
 	case SongOptions::DRAIN_NORMAL:
@@ -125,6 +129,11 @@ void LifeMeterBar::ChangeLife( TapNoteScore score )
 	case TNS_CheckpointHit:	fDeltaLife = m_fLifePercentChange.GetValue(SE_CheckpointHit);	break;
 	case TNS_CheckpointMiss:fDeltaLife = m_fLifePercentChange.GetValue(SE_CheckpointMiss);	break;
 	}
+	
+	if(FLASH_HOT_ON_NOTE_HIT)
+		if(score >= MIN_SCORE_TO_FLASH)
+			m_fHotAlpha = 1.0f; // flash the hot temporarily
+
 	if( IsHot()  &&  fDeltaLife < 0 )
 		fDeltaLife = min( fDeltaLife, -0.10f );		// make it take a while to get back to "hot"
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.h b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.h
index f1ed08ea50..244078b3af 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/LifeMeterBar.h
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ private:
 	int			m_iMissCombo;			// current number of progressive W5/miss
 
 	int			m_iComboToRegainLife;		// combo needed before lifebar starts filling up after fail
+		
+	ThemeMetric<TapNoteScore>   MIN_SCORE_TO_FLASH;
+	ThemeMetric<bool> FLASH_HOT_ON_NOTE_HIT;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp b/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
index 66ab354f91..8ff407244e 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ void Sprite::InitState()
 	m_bSkipNextUpdate = true;
 }
 
+void Sprite::SetAllStateDelays(float fDelay)
+{
+	for(unsigned int i=0;i<m_States.size();i++)
+	{
+		m_States[i].fDelay = fDelay;
+	}
+}
+
 RageTextureID Sprite::SongBGTexture( RageTextureID ID )
 {
 	ID.bMipMaps = true;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Sprite.h b/stepmania/src/Sprite.h
index c1de45404e..4e1fd8b9cf 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Sprite.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Sprite.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ public:
 	//
 	virtual void PushSelf( lua_State *L );
 
+	void SetAllStateDelays(float fDelay);
+
 protected:
 	void LoadFromTexture( RageTextureID ID );
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/StreamDisplay.cpp b/stepmania/src/StreamDisplay.cpp
index db6d6b9492..896c31b88f 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/StreamDisplay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/StreamDisplay.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,14 @@ void StreamDisplay::Load( const RString &_sMetricsGroup )
 			Sprite *pSpr = new Sprite;
 
 			if(m_bUsingThreePart)
+			{
 				pSpr->Load( THEME->GetPathG(sMetricsGroup,ssprintf("%s part%d",StreamTypeToString(st).c_str(),i) ) );
+				
+				if(pSpr->GetNumStates() > 1)
+				{
+					pSpr->SetAllStateDelays(THEME->GetMetricF(sMetricsGroup,ssprintf("%spart%ddelay",StreamTypeToString(st).c_str(),i)));
+				}
+			}
 			else
 				pSpr->Load( THEME->GetPathG(sMetricsGroup,StreamTypeToString(st)) );
 			m_vpSprPill[st].push_back( pSpr );
@@ -67,9 +74,8 @@ void StreamDisplay::Load( const RString &_sMetricsGroup )
 		if(m_bUsingThreePart)
 		{
 			m_fThreePartWidth = THEME->GetMetricF(sMetricsGroup,"ThreePartWidth");
-			float fCroppedWidthRight = (1-m_vpSprPill[st][0]->GetCropRight())*m_vpSprPill[st][0]->GetZoomedWidth();
 			// first element positioned depending on metric width specified
-			m_vpSprPill[st][0]->AddX(-(m_fThreePartWidth/2 + m_vpSprPill[st][0]->GetZoomedWidth()/2) + fCroppedWidthRight);			
+			m_vpSprPill[st][0]->AddX(-(m_fThreePartWidth/2 + m_vpSprPill[st][0]->GetZoomedWidth()/2));			
 		}
 	}
 }