diff --git a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp
index ff2a4aa04e..3638ac5ee7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NotesLoaderSM.cpp
@@ -227,7 +227,14 @@ bool SMLoader::LoadFromSMFile( CString sPath, Song &out )
 			out.m_sMusicFile = sParams[1];
 
 		else if( 0==stricmp(sValueName,"MUSICLENGTH") )
+		{
+			if(!FromCache)
+			{
+				LOG->Trace("Ignored #MUSICLENGTH (cache only)");
+				continue;
+			}
 			out.m_fMusicLengthSeconds = (float)atof( sParams[1] );
+		}
 
 		else if( 0==stricmp(sValueName,"MUSICBYTES") )
 			; /* ignore */
diff --git a/stepmania/src/NotesWriterSM.cpp b/stepmania/src/NotesWriterSM.cpp
index 00bcdd4e09..4db753d45a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/NotesWriterSM.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/NotesWriterSM.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ void NotesWriterSM::WriteGlobalTags( RageFile &f, const Song &out )
 	f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#LYRICSPATH:%s;", out.m_sLyricsFile.c_str() ) );
 	f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#CDTITLE:%s;", out.m_sCDTitleFile.c_str() ) );
 	f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#MUSIC:%s;", out.m_sMusicFile.c_str() ) );
-	f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#MUSICLENGTH:%.3f;", out.m_fMusicLengthSeconds ) );
 	f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#OFFSET:%.3f;", out.m_Timing.m_fBeat0OffsetInSeconds ) );
 	f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#SAMPLESTART:%.3f;", out.m_fMusicSampleStartSeconds ) );
 	f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#SAMPLELENGTH:%.3f;", out.m_fMusicSampleLengthSeconds ) );
@@ -183,11 +182,14 @@ bool NotesWriterSM::Write(CString sPath, const Song &out, bool bSavingCache)
 	WriteGlobalTags( f, out );
 	if( bSavingCache )
 	{
+		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "// cache tags:\n", out.m_fFirstBeat ) );
 		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#FIRSTBEAT:%.3f;\n", out.m_fFirstBeat ) );
 		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#LASTBEAT:%.3f;\n", out.m_fLastBeat ) );
 		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#SONGFILENAME:%s;\n", out.m_sSongFileName.c_str() ) );
 		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#HASMUSIC:%i;\n", out.m_bHasMusic ) );
 		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#HASBANNER:%i;\n", out.m_bHasBanner ) );
+		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "#MUSICLENGTH:%.3f;", out.m_fMusicLengthSeconds ) );
+		f.PutLine( ssprintf( "// end cache tags\n", out.m_fFirstBeat ) );
 	}
 
 	//