diff --git a/dist/popnhax/popnhax.xml b/dist/popnhax/popnhax.xml
index fda72de..edb239e 100644
--- a/dist/popnhax/popnhax.xml
+++ b/dist/popnhax/popnhax.xml
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
     <!-- Force unlock music, charts, characters, and deco parts when applicable -->
     <force_unlocks __type="bool">0</force_unlocks>
     <!-- Put customs into their own category (0: no, 1: simple category with all customs, 2: subcategories by folder name) -->
-    <custom_categ __type="u8">0</custom_categ>
+    <custom_categ __type="u8">2</custom_categ>
     <!-- Prevent customs from showing up in version folders -->
-    <custom_exclude_from_version __type="bool">0</custom_exclude_from_version>
+    <custom_exclude_from_version __type="bool">1</custom_exclude_from_version>
     <!-- Prevent customs from showing up in level folders -->
     <custom_exclude_from_level __type="bool">0</custom_exclude_from_level>
 
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@
     <disable_expansions __type="bool">0</disable_expansions>
     <!-- Copy the new table information over top the old tables (automatically enables disable_expansions) -->
     <disable_redirection __type="bool">0</disable_redirection>
+    <!-- Do not perform music limit checks for patch_xml_auto (not recommended) -->
+    <ignore_music_limit __type="bool">0</ignore_music_limit>
 
   <!-- Custom category options -->
     <!-- minimum songid for a song to be seen as "custom" -->
diff --git a/popnhax/config.h b/popnhax/config.h
index 83fc3b1..f99e446 100644
--- a/popnhax/config.h
+++ b/popnhax/config.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ struct popnhax_config {
     bool disable_redirection;
     bool disable_multiboot;
     bool patch_xml_auto;
+    bool ignore_music_limit;
     char patch_xml_filename[MAX_PATH];
     char force_datecode[11];
     bool network_datecode;
diff --git a/popnhax/dllmain.cc b/popnhax/dllmain.cc
index c2d8781..64a3587 100644
--- a/popnhax/dllmain.cc
+++ b/popnhax/dllmain.cc
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ PSMAP_MEMBER_REQ(PSMAP_PROPERTY_TYPE_STR, struct popnhax_config, custom_track_ti
                  "/popnhax/custom_track_title_format")
 PSMAP_MEMBER_REQ(PSMAP_PROPERTY_TYPE_BOOL, struct popnhax_config, local_favorites,
                  "/popnhax/local_favorites")
+PSMAP_MEMBER_REQ(PSMAP_PROPERTY_TYPE_BOOL, struct popnhax_config, ignore_music_limit,
+                 "/popnhax/ignore_music_limit")
 PSMAP_END
 
 enum BufferIndexes {
@@ -1453,12 +1455,36 @@ static bool patch_datecode(char *datecode) {
     return true;
 }
 
+static bool get_music_limit(uint32_t* limit) {
+    DWORD dllSize = 0;
+    char *data = getDllData(g_game_dll_fn, &dllSize);
+
+    {
+        int64_t string_loc = search(data, dllSize, "Illegal music no %d", 19, 0);
+        if (string_loc == -1) {
+            LOG("popnhax: patch_db: could not retrieve music limit error string\n");
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        string_loc += 0x10000000; //entrypoint
+        char *as_hex = (char *) &string_loc;
+        int64_t pattern_offset = search(data, dllSize, as_hex, 4, 0);
+        if (pattern_offset == -1) {
+            LOG("popnhax: patch_db: could not retrieve music limit test function\n");
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        uint64_t patch_addr = (int64_t)data + pattern_offset - 0x1F;
+        *limit = *(uint32_t*)patch_addr;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 static bool patch_database() {
     DWORD dllSize = 0;
     char *data = getDllData(g_game_dll_fn, &dllSize);
 
     patch_purelong();
-
     {
         int64_t pattern_offset = search(data, dllSize, "\x8D\x44\x24\x10\x88\x4C\x24\x10\x88\x5C\x24\x11\x8D\x50\x01", 15, 0);
         if (pattern_offset != -1) {
@@ -1479,6 +1505,13 @@ static bool patch_database() {
         SearchFile s;
         uint8_t *datecode = NULL;
         bool found = false;
+        uint32_t music_limit = 0;
+        if ( !config.ignore_music_limit && !get_music_limit(&music_limit) )
+        {
+            LOG("WARNING: could not retrieve music limit\n");
+        } else {
+            LOG("popnhax: patch_db: music limit : %d\n", music_limit);
+        }
 
         if (config.force_datecode[0] != '\0')
         {
@@ -1487,7 +1520,7 @@ static bool patch_database() {
         }
         else
         {
-            LOG("popnhax: auto detect patch file from ea3-config\n");
+            LOG("popnhax: auto detect patch file with datecode from ea3-config\n");
             property *config_xml = load_prop_file("prop/ea3-config.xml");
             READ_STR_OPT(config_xml, property_search(config_xml, NULL, "/ea3/soft"), "ext", datecode)
             free(config_xml);
@@ -1505,26 +1538,57 @@ static bool patch_database() {
 
         LOG("popnhax: patch_db: found %d xml files in data_mods\n",result.size());
         for (uint16_t i=0; i<result.size(); i++) {
+
             filename = result[i].c_str()+10; // strip "data_mods\" since parsedb will prepend it...
             LOG("%d : %s\n",i,filename);
-            if (strstr(result[i].c_str(), (const char *)datecode) != NULL) {
+            bool datecode_match = (strstr(result[i].c_str(), (const char *)datecode) != NULL);
+            bool limit_match = false;
+            if ( music_limit != 0 )
+            {
+                uint32_t found_limit = 0;
+                LOG("        check music limit... ");
+                property *patch_xml = load_prop_file(result[i].c_str());
+                READ_U32_OPT(patch_xml, property_search(patch_xml, NULL, "/patches/limits"), "music", found_limit)
+                free(patch_xml);
+                LOG("%d\n",found_limit);
+                if ( found_limit == music_limit )
+                {
+                    limit_match = true;
+                }
+            }
+
+            if ( limit_match )
+            {
+                LOG("popnhax: patch_db: found matching music limit, end search\n");
+                if ( !datecode_match )
+                {
+                    LOG("WARNING: datecode did NOT match, please update your %s\n", (config.force_datecode[0] != '\0') ? "force_datecode value" : "ea3-config.xml");
+                }
                 found = true;
-                LOG("popnhax: patch_db: found matching datecode, end search\n");
                 break;
             }
+
+            if ( datecode_match )
+            {
+                if ( music_limit == 0 )
+                {
+                    found = true;
+                    LOG("popnhax: patch_db: found matching datecode (no music limit check), end search\n");
+                    break;
+                }
+                LOG("WARNING: found matching datecode but music limit doesn't check out, continue search\n");
+            }
         }
 
         if (!found) {
-            LOG("popnhax: patch_db: matching datecode not found, defaulting to latest patch file.\n");
+            LOG("popnhax: patch_db: matching datecode or limit not found, defaulting to latest patch file (will probably crash).\n");
         }
 
         LOG("popnhax: patch_db: using %s\n",filename);
         target = parse_patchdb(filename, data);
 
     } else {
-
         target = parse_patchdb(config.patch_xml_filename, data);
-
     }
 
     if (config.disable_redirection) {
diff --git a/popnhax/loader.cc b/popnhax/loader.cc
index cf9cd50..b8d1d77 100644
--- a/popnhax/loader.cc
+++ b/popnhax/loader.cc
@@ -1049,10 +1049,9 @@ void musichax_core_init(struct popnhax_config *config,
 
                         uint64_t chara_size, uint64_t *new_chara_size, char *orig_chara_data,
                         uint8_t **new_chara_table) {
-							
-		bool force_unlocks = config->force_unlocks;
-		bool is_expansion_allowed = !config->disable_expansions;
-		bool is_redirection_allowed = !config->disable_redirection;
+    bool force_unlocks = config->force_unlocks;
+    bool is_expansion_allowed = !config->disable_expansions;
+    bool is_redirection_allowed = !config->disable_redirection;
 
     if (style_size > fontstyle_table_size) {
         fontstyle_table_size = style_size;