diff --git a/src/Course.cpp b/src/Course.cpp
index f592023db1..420613b0d7 100644
--- a/src/Course.cpp
+++ b/src/Course.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,34 @@ XToString( SongSort );
 XToLocalizedString( SongSort );
 StringToX( SongSort );
 
+struct OldStyleStringToSongSortMapHolder
+{
+	std::map<RString, SongSort> conversion_map;
+	
+	OldStyleStringToSongSortMapHolder()
+	{
+		conversion_map["best"] = SongSort_MostPlays;
+		conversion_map["worst"] = SongSort_FewestPlays;
+		conversion_map["gradebest"] = SongSort_TopGrades;
+		conversion_map["gradeworst"] = SongSort_LowestGrades;
+	}
+};
+
+OldStyleStringToSongSortMapHolder OldStyleStringToSongSortMapHolder_converter;
+
+SongSort OldStyleStringToSongSort(const RString &ss)
+{
+	RString s2 = ss;
+	s2.MakeLower();
+	std::map<RString, SongSort>::iterator diff=
+		OldStyleStringToSongSortMapHolder_converter.conversion_map.find(s2);
+	if(diff != OldStyleStringToSongSortMapHolder_converter.conversion_map.end())
+	{
+		return diff->second;
+	}
+	return SongSort_Invalid;
+}
+
 /* Maximum lower value of ranges when difficult: */
 const int MAX_BOTTOM_RANGE = 10;
 
@@ -368,9 +396,10 @@ bool Course::GetTrailSorted( StepsType st, CourseDifficulty cd, Trail &trail ) c
 // TODO: Move Course initialization after PROFILEMAN is created
 static void CourseSortSongs( SongSort sort, std::vector<Song*> &vpPossibleSongs, RandomGen &rnd )
 {
-	switch( sort )
+	LOG->Trace("CourseSortSongs sort= %d | %s", sort, SongSortToString(sort).c_str());
+	LOG->Flush();
+	switch (sort)
 	{
-	DEFAULT_FAIL(sort);
 	case SongSort_Randomize:
 		std::shuffle( vpPossibleSongs.begin(), vpPossibleSongs.end(), rnd );
 		break;
@@ -393,6 +422,9 @@ static void CourseSortSongs( SongSort sort, std::vector<Song*> &vpPossibleSongs,
 		if( PROFILEMAN && GAMESTATE->GetMasterPlayerNumber() != PlayerNumber_Invalid )
 			SongUtil::SortSongPointerArrayByGrades( vpPossibleSongs, false );	// ascending
 		break;
+	default:
+		LOG->Trace("CourseSortSongs sort= %d | %s invalid??", sort, SongSortToString(sort).c_str());
+		break;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -520,8 +552,9 @@ bool Course::GetTrailUnsorted( StepsType st, CourseDifficulty cd, Trail &trail )
 				if( v.size() == 1 )
 					vpSongs.push_back( sas->pSong );
 			}
-
-			CourseSortSongs( e->songSort, vpSongs, rnd );
+			LOG->Trace("Course::GetTrailUnsorted");
+			
+			CourseSortSongs(e->songSort, vpSongs, rnd);
 
 			ASSERT( e->iChooseIndex >= 0 );
 			if( e->iChooseIndex < int( vSongAndSteps.size() ) )
diff --git a/src/Course.h b/src/Course.h
index 75e9062688..8b311acc70 100644
--- a/src/Course.h
+++ b/src/Course.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ const RString& SongSortToString( SongSort ss );
 const RString& SongSortToLocalizedString( SongSort ss );
 
 SongSort StringToSongSort( const RString& ss );
+SongSort OldStyleStringToSongSort( const RString& ss );
 
 class CourseEntry
 {
diff --git a/src/CourseLoaderCRS.cpp b/src/CourseLoaderCRS.cpp
index 310b36ff5c..8efac2cd2a 100644
--- a/src/CourseLoaderCRS.cpp
+++ b/src/CourseLoaderCRS.cpp
@@ -602,7 +602,27 @@ bool CourseLoaderCRS::ParseCourseSongSelect(const MsdFile::value_t &sParams, Cou
 		}
 		else if( sParamName.EqualsNoCase("SORT") )
 		{
-			if( CourseLoaderCRS::ParseCourseSongSort(sParamValue, new_entry, sPath) == false )
+			std::vector<RString> sortParams;
+			split(sParamValue, ",", sortParams);
+			if( sortParams.size() != 2 )
+			{
+				LOG->UserLog( "Course file", sPath, "has an invalid SORT parameter, \"%s\"", sParams[i].c_str());
+				return false;
+			}
+			
+			SongSort sort = StringToSongSort(sortParams[0]);
+			if( sort == SongSort_Invalid )
+			{
+				sort = OldStyleStringToSongSort(sortParams[0]);
+			}
+			if( sort == SongSort_Invalid )
+			{
+				LOG->UserLog( "Course file", sPath, "has an invalid SORT parameter, \"%s\"", sParams[i].c_str());
+				return false;
+			}
+			int index = StringToInt(sortParams[1]) - 1;
+
+			if( CourseLoaderCRS::SetCourseSongSort(new_entry, sort, index, sPath) == false )
 			{
 				return false;
 			}
@@ -661,7 +681,6 @@ bool CourseLoaderCRS::ParseCourseSongSelect(const MsdFile::value_t &sParams, Cou
 	return true;
 }
 
-
 bool CourseLoaderCRS::ParseCourseSongSort(RString sParam, CourseEntry &new_entry, const RString &sPath)
 {
 	int iNumSongs = SONGMAN->GetNumSongs();
@@ -712,6 +731,34 @@ bool CourseLoaderCRS::ParseCourseSongSort(RString sParam, CourseEntry &new_entry
 	}
 	return true;
 }
+
+bool CourseLoaderCRS::SetCourseSongSort(CourseEntry &new_entry, SongSort sort, int index, const RString &sPath)
+{
+	if( sort == SongSort_Invalid )
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+	if( sort == SongSort_Randomize )
+	{
+		new_entry.songSort = sort;
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	int iNumSongs = SONGMAN->GetNumSongs();
+	int iChooseIndex = index;
+	if ( iChooseIndex > iNumSongs && (sort == SongSort_MostPlays || sort == SongSort_FewestPlays) )
+	{
+		LOG->UserLog( "Course file", sPath, "is trying to load %s%i with only %i songs installed. "
+					"This entry will be ignored.", SongSortToString(sort).c_str(), iChooseIndex, iNumSongs);
+		return false; // skip this #SONG
+	}
+
+	CLAMP(iChooseIndex, 0, 500);
+	new_entry.iChooseIndex = iChooseIndex;
+	new_entry.songSort = sort;
+	return true;
+}
+
 /*
  * (c) 2001-2004 Chris Danford, Glenn Maynard
  * All rights reserved.
diff --git a/src/CourseLoaderCRS.h b/src/CourseLoaderCRS.h
index 8d2a738cbe..b7dc518067 100644
--- a/src/CourseLoaderCRS.h
+++ b/src/CourseLoaderCRS.h
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 #include "GameConstantsAndTypes.h"
 #include "MsdFile.h"
+#include "Course.h"
+
 class Course;
 class CourseEntry;
 struct AttackArray;
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ namespace CourseLoaderCRS
 	bool ParseCourseSong( const MsdFile::value_t &sParams, CourseEntry &new_entry, const RString &sPath );
 	bool ParseCourseSongSelect(const MsdFile::value_t &sParams, CourseEntry &new_entry, const RString &sPath);
 	bool ParseCourseSongSort(RString sParam, CourseEntry &new_entry, const RString &sPath);
+	bool SetCourseSongSort(CourseEntry &new_entry, SongSort sort, int index, const RString &sPath);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/CourseWriterCRS.cpp b/src/CourseWriterCRS.cpp
index 83c99333b6..f3bdaeeb68 100644
--- a/src/CourseWriterCRS.cpp
+++ b/src/CourseWriterCRS.cpp
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ bool CourseWriterCRS::WriteSongSelectCourseEntry( const CourseEntry &entry, Rage
 	if( entry.songSort != SongSort_Randomize && entry.iChooseIndex > -1)
 	{
 		RString songSort = SongSortToString(entry.songSort);
-		songSelectParams.push_back(ssprintf("SORT=%s=%d", songSort.c_str(), entry.iChooseIndex+1));
+		songSelectParams.push_back(ssprintf("SORT=%s,%d", songSort.c_str(), entry.iChooseIndex+1));
 	}
 	if(entry.songCriteria.m_fMinDurationSeconds > 0 
 		&& entry.songCriteria.m_fMaxDurationSeconds > 0 )