diff --git a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
index 5c8753740a..e4c5a6d79e 100644
--- a/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
+++ b/Docs/Changelog_sm5.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ StepMania 5.0 ????????? | 20110???
   Saving should still work, but this was never tested yet. [Wolfman2000]
 * [ScreenOptions] Mini is now ITG Mini, and Tiny is now Pump Pro Mini.
   This will prevent many prior courses from breaking. [sharksoda, Wolfman2000]
+* [CharacterManager] Add a lua function to check how many characters you have.
+  For an example of how this is used, check the default theme's scripts
+  folder, specifically 03 ThemePrefs.lua. [Wolfman2000]
 
 2011/07/04
 ----------
diff --git a/Docs/Luadoc/Lua.xml b/Docs/Luadoc/Lua.xml
index 4f56b8b1a2..a3bf6efb82 100644
--- a/Docs/Luadoc/Lua.xml
+++ b/Docs/Luadoc/Lua.xml
@@ -580,6 +580,7 @@
 			<Function name='GetAllCharacters'/>
 			<Function name='GetCharacter'/>
 			<Function name='GetRandomCharacter'/>
+			<Function name='GetCharacterCount'/>
 		</Class>
 		<Class base='ActorFrame' name='ComboGraph'>
 			<Function name='Load'/>
diff --git a/Docs/Luadoc/LuaDocumentation.xml b/Docs/Luadoc/LuaDocumentation.xml
index d1d6f53eda..3163e5b0da 100644
--- a/Docs/Luadoc/LuaDocumentation.xml
+++ b/Docs/Luadoc/LuaDocumentation.xml
@@ -1540,6 +1540,9 @@
 	<Function name='GetRandomCharacter' return='Character' arguments=''>
 		Returns a random character.
 	</Function>
+	<Function name='GetCharacterCount' return='int' arguments=''>
+		Returns the number of characters available.
+	</Function>
 </Class>
 <Class name='ComboGraph'>
 	<Function name='Load' return='void' arguments='string sMetricsGroup'>
diff --git a/Themes/default/Scripts/03 ThemePrefs.lua b/Themes/default/Scripts/03 ThemePrefs.lua
index d7c1555728..221ced5288 100644
--- a/Themes/default/Scripts/03 ThemePrefs.lua	
+++ b/Themes/default/Scripts/03 ThemePrefs.lua	
@@ -231,9 +231,9 @@ function UserPrefShowLotsaOptions()
 end
 
 function GetDefaultOptionLines()
-	local LineSets = {
-		"1,8,14,2,3,4,5,6,R,7,9,10,11,12,13,16,17,18", -- All
-		"1,8,14,2,7,13,16,17,18", -- DDR Essentials ( no turns, fx )
+	local LineSets = { -- none of these include characters yet.
+		"1,8,14,2,3,4,5,6,R,7,9,10,11,12,13,16,17", -- All
+		"1,8,14,2,7,13,16,17", -- DDR Essentials ( no turns, fx )
 	};
 	local function IsExtra()
 		if GAMESTATE:IsExtraStage() or GAMESTATE:IsExtraStage2() then
@@ -242,15 +242,22 @@ function GetDefaultOptionLines()
 			return false
 		end
 	end
-	if not IsExtra() then
-		if GetUserPrefB("UserPrefShowLotsaOptions") then
-			return GetUserPrefB("UserPrefShowLotsaOptions") and LineSets[1] or LineSets[2];
-		else
-			return LineSets[2]; -- Just make sure!
+	
+	local function CheckCharacters(mods)
+		if CHARMAN:GetCharacterCount() > 0 then
+			return mods .. ",18"; --TODO: Better line name.
 		end
-	else
-		return "1,8,14,2,7,13,16,17,18" -- "failsafe" list
+		return mods;
 	end
+	
+	modLines = LineSets[2];
+	
+	if not IsExtra() then
+		modLines = GetUserPrefB("UserPrefShowLotsaOptions")
+			and LineSets[1] or LineSets[2];
+	end
+	
+	return CheckCharacters(modLines);
 end;
 
 function UserPrefAutoSetStyle()
diff --git a/src/CharacterManager.cpp b/src/CharacterManager.cpp
index 10cf6a26d6..30fc1ab6ac 100644
--- a/src/CharacterManager.cpp
+++ b/src/CharacterManager.cpp
@@ -152,6 +152,13 @@ public:
 		LuaHelpers::CreateTableFromArray(vChars, L);
 		return 1;
 	}
+	static int GetCharacterCount(T* p, lua_State *L)
+	{
+		vector<Character*> chars;
+		p->GetCharacters(chars);
+		lua_pushnumber(L, chars.size());
+		return 1;
+	}
 
 	LunaCharacterManager()
 	{
@@ -159,6 +166,7 @@ public:
 		// sm-ssc adds:
 		ADD_METHOD( GetRandomCharacter );
 		ADD_METHOD( GetAllCharacters );
+		ADD_METHOD( GetCharacterCount );
 	}
 };