diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp
index 792f159d09..a0f373ba9e 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp
@@ -643,6 +643,12 @@ void RageSound::Stop()
 	StopPlaying();
 }
 
+bool RageSound::Pause( bool bPause )
+{
+	ASSERT( Sample );
+	return SOUNDMAN->Pause( this, bPause );
+}
+	
 
 float RageSound::GetLengthSeconds()
 {
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSound.h b/stepmania/src/RageSound.h
index 43110aeeab..57fc5e34f2 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSound.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSound.h
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ public:
 	RageSound *Play( const RageSoundParams *params=NULL );
 	void Stop();
 
+	/* Cleanly pause or unpause the sound.  If the sound wasn't already playing,
+	 * return true and do nothing. */
+	bool Pause( bool bPause );
+
 	float GetLengthSeconds();
 	float GetPositionSeconds( bool *approximate=NULL, RageTimer *Timestamp=NULL ) const;
 	int GetSampleRate() const;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp
index 7f3c45db4b..70a0f73bf5 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.cpp
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ void RageSoundManager::StopMixing( RageSoundBase *snd )
 		driver->StopMixing(snd);
 }
 
+bool RageSoundManager::Pause( RageSoundBase *snd, bool bPause )
+{
+	if( driver == NULL )
+		return false;
+	else
+		return driver->PauseMixing( snd, bPause );
+}
+
 int64_t RageSoundManager::GetPosition( const RageSoundBase *snd ) const
 {
 	if( driver == NULL )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h
index 487f467137..b3d1d3b172 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSoundManager.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public:
 	void Update(float delta);
 	void StartMixing( RageSoundBase *snd );	/* used by RageSound */
 	void StopMixing( RageSoundBase *snd );	/* used by RageSound */
+	bool Pause( RageSoundBase *snd, bool bPause );	/* used by RageSound */
 	int64_t GetPosition( const RageSoundBase *snd ) const;	/* used by RageSound */
 	void RegisterSound( RageSound *p );		/* used by RageSound */
 	void UnregisterSound( RageSound *p );	/* used by RageSound */
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver.h b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver.h
index 079e8502dd..01710b7499 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver.h
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ public:
 	 * snd was not actually being played, though it may print a warning. */
 	virtual void StopMixing( RageSoundBase *snd ) = 0;
 
+	/* Pause or unpause the given sound.  If the sound was stopped (not paused),
+	 * return false and do nothing; otherwise return true and pause or unpause
+	 * the sound.  Unlike StopMixing, pausing and unpause a sound will not lose
+	 * any buffered sound (but will not release any resources associated with
+	 * playing the sound, either). */
+	virtual bool PauseMixing( RageSoundBase *snd, bool bStop ) = 0;
+
 	/* Get the current position of a given buffer, in the same units and time base
 	 * as passed to RageSound::GetPCM. */
 	virtual int64_t GetPosition( const RageSoundBase *snd ) const = 0;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp
index 11f0961eaf..3ff0241b0e 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ RageSound_Generic_Software::sound::sound()
 	snd = NULL;
 	state = STOPPED;
 	available = true;
+	paused = false;
 }
 
 void RageSound_Generic_Software::sound::Allocate( int frames )
@@ -82,6 +83,9 @@ void RageSound_Generic_Software::Mix( int16_t *buf, int frames, int64_t frameno,
 			continue;
 
 		/* STOPPING or PLAYING.  Read sound data. */
+		if( sounds[i].paused )
+			continue;
+
 		int got_frames = 0;
 		int frames_left = frames;
 
@@ -397,6 +401,27 @@ void RageSound_Generic_Software::StopMixing( RageSoundBase *snd )
 }
 
 
+bool RageSound_Generic_Software::PauseMixing( RageSoundBase *snd, bool bStop )
+{
+	LockMut( m_Mutex );
+
+	/* Find the sound. */
+	unsigned i;
+	for( i = 0; i < ARRAYSIZE(sounds); ++i )
+		if( !sounds[i].available && sounds[i].snd == snd )
+			break;
+
+	if( i == ARRAYSIZE(sounds) )
+	{
+		LOG->Trace( "not pausing a sound because it's not playing" );
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	sounds[i].paused = bStop;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 void RageSound_Generic_Software::StartDecodeThread()
 {
 	ASSERT( !m_DecodeThread.IsCreated() );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.h b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.h
index a446b4d3d2..cfb95d8978 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ public:
 
 	void StartMixing( RageSoundBase *snd );		/* used by RageSound */
 	void StopMixing( RageSoundBase *snd );		/* used by RageSound */
+	bool PauseMixing( RageSoundBase *snd, bool bStop );
 
 	RageSound_Generic_Software();
 	virtual ~RageSound_Generic_Software();
@@ -107,6 +108,8 @@ private:
 		/* If true, this sound is in STOPPED and available for use. */
 		bool available;
 
+		bool paused;
+
 		enum
 		{
 			STOPPED,	/* idle */