diff --git a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
index f09ca4d142..59ecbf058a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/BitmapText.cpp
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ void ColorBitmapText::SetMaxLines( int iNumLines, int iDirection )
 }
 
 // lua start
-
+#include "FontCharAliases.h"
 class LunaBitmapText: public Luna<BitmapText>
 {
 public:
@@ -833,7 +833,19 @@ public:
 	static int wrapwidthpixels( T* p, lua_State *L )	{ p->SetWrapWidthPixels( IArg(1) ); return 0; }
 	static int maxwidth( T* p, lua_State *L )			{ p->SetMaxWidth( FArg(1) ); return 0; }
 	static int maxheight( T* p, lua_State *L )			{ p->SetMaxHeight( FArg(1) ); return 0; }
-	static int settext( T* p, lua_State *L )			{ p->SetText( SArg(1) ); return 0; }
+	static int settext( T* p, lua_State *L )
+	{
+		CString s = SArg(1);
+		// XXX: Lua strings should simply use "\n" natively.  However, some
+		// settext calls may be made from GetMetric() calls to other strings,
+		// and it's confusing for :: to work in some strings and not others.
+		// Eventually, all strings should be Lua expressions, but until then
+		// continue to support this.
+		s.Replace("::","\n");
+		FontCharAliases::ReplaceMarkers( s );
+
+		p->SetText( s ); return 0;
+	}
 	static int GetText( T* p, lua_State *L )			{ lua_pushstring( L, p->GetText() ); return 1; }
 
 	static void Register(lua_State *L) 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/HelpDisplay.cpp b/stepmania/src/HelpDisplay.cpp
index ba2ed5419b..a81a7fdfe7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/HelpDisplay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/HelpDisplay.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void HelpDisplay::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 
 
 #include "LuaBinding.h"
-
+#include "FontCharAliases.h"
 class LunaHelpDisplay: public Luna<HelpDisplay>
 {
 public:
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ public:
 		vector<CString> arrayTips;
 		LuaHelpers::ReadArrayFromTable( arrayTips, L );
 		lua_pop( L, 1 );
-
+		for( unsigned i = 0; i < arrayTips.size(); ++i )
+		{
+			// XXX: see BitmapText settext
+			arrayTips[i].Replace("::","\n");
+			FontCharAliases::ReplaceMarkers( arrayTips[i] );
+		}
 		if( lua_gettop(L) > 1 && !lua_isnil( L, 2 ) )
 		{
 			vector<CString> arrayTipsAlt;
@@ -96,6 +101,11 @@ public:
 			lua_pushvalue( L, 2 );
 			LuaHelpers::ReadArrayFromTable( arrayTipsAlt, L );
 			lua_pop( L, 1 );
+			for( unsigned i = 0; i < arrayTipsAlt.size(); ++i )
+			{
+				arrayTipsAlt[i].Replace("::","\n");
+				FontCharAliases::ReplaceMarkers( arrayTipsAlt[i] );
+			}
 
 			p->SetTips( arrayTips, arrayTipsAlt );
 		}