diff --git a/source/banner/BannerWindow.cpp b/source/banner/BannerWindow.cpp
index f3b43246..d4a08056 100644
--- a/source/banner/BannerWindow.cpp
+++ b/source/banner/BannerWindow.cpp
@@ -47,9 +47,10 @@ void BannerWindow::LoadBanner(Banner *banner, CVideo *vid, u8 *font1, u8 *font2)
 	changing = false;
 }
 
-void BannerWindow::DeleteBanner()
+void BannerWindow::DeleteBanner(bool gamechange)
 {
-	gameSelected = 0;
+	if(!gamechange)
+		gameSelected = 0;
 	gameBanner->Clear();
 }
 
diff --git a/source/banner/BannerWindow.hpp b/source/banner/BannerWindow.hpp
index ac8e50ee..f91104a6 100644
--- a/source/banner/BannerWindow.hpp
+++ b/source/banner/BannerWindow.hpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class BannerWindow
 {
 	public:
 		BannerWindow();
-		void DeleteBanner();
+		void DeleteBanner(bool gamechange = false);
 		void LoadBanner(Banner *banner, CVideo *vid, u8 *font1, u8 *font2);
 		int GetSelectedGame() { return gameSelected; }
 		bool GetZoomSetting() { return AnimZoom; }
diff --git a/source/channel/banner.cpp b/source/channel/banner.cpp
index 86d65d74..3373d08c 100644
--- a/source/channel/banner.cpp
+++ b/source/channel/banner.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ Banner::Banner(u8 *bnr, u64 title)
 	
 	if (imet->sig == IMET_SIGNATURE)
 	{
+		/*
 		unsigned char md5[16];
 		unsigned char imetmd5[16];
 
@@ -66,13 +67,13 @@ Banner::Banner(u8 *bnr, u64 title)
 		
 		MD5(md5, (unsigned char*)(imet), sizeof(IMET));
 		if (memcmp(imetmd5, md5, 16) == 0)
-		{
+		{*/
 			this->imet = imet;
-		}
+		/*}
 		else
 		{
 			gprintf("Invalid md5, banner not valid for title %08x\n", title);
-		}
+		}*/
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/source/menu/menu.cpp b/source/menu/menu.cpp
index bd9b3c6a..9216c344 100644
--- a/source/menu/menu.cpp
+++ b/source/menu/menu.cpp
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ void CMenu::init(void)
 	m_app_update_zip = sfmt("%s/update.zip", m_appDir.c_str());
 	m_data_update_zip = sfmt("%s/update.zip", m_dataDir.c_str());
 
+	m_bannerDir = m_cfg.getString("GENERAL", "dir_banners", sfmt("%s/banners", m_dataDir.c_str()));
 	m_pluginsDir = m_cfg.getString("GENERAL", "dir_plugins", sfmt("%s/plugins", m_dataDir.c_str()));
 	m_cacheDir = m_cfg.getString("GENERAL", "dir_cache", sfmt("%s/cache", m_dataDir.c_str()));
 	m_settingsDir = m_cfg.getString("GENERAL", "dir_settings", sfmt("%s/settings", m_dataDir.c_str()));
@@ -346,6 +347,8 @@ void CMenu::init(void)
 	fsop_MakeFolder((char *)m_wipDir.c_str());
 	fsop_MakeFolder((char *)m_listCacheDir.c_str());
 	fsop_MakeFolder((char *)m_helpDir.c_str());
+	fsop_MakeFolder((char *)m_pluginsDir.c_str());
+	fsop_MakeFolder((char *)m_bannerDir.c_str());
 
 	// INI files
 	m_cat.load(fmt("%s/" CAT_FILENAME, m_settingsDir.c_str()));
diff --git a/source/menu/menu.hpp b/source/menu/menu.hpp
index caa6bd8f..e8984009 100644
--- a/source/menu/menu.hpp
+++ b/source/menu/menu.hpp
@@ -83,13 +83,13 @@ private:
 	s16 m_showtimer;
 	string m_curLanguage;
 	string m_curGameId;
-	string m_curChanId;
 
 	u8 m_numCFVersions;
 
 	string m_themeDataDir;
 	string m_appDir;
 	string m_dataDir;
+	string m_bannerDir;
 	string m_pluginsDir;
 	string m_picDir;
 	string m_boxPicDir;
diff --git a/source/menu/menu_game.cpp b/source/menu/menu_game.cpp
index 209a00cd..155b11bb 100644
--- a/source/menu/menu_game.cpp
+++ b/source/menu/menu_game.cpp
@@ -600,6 +600,7 @@ void CMenu::_game(bool launch)
 			m_gameSound.Stop();
 			m_gameSelected = false;
 			m_fa.unload();
+			m_banner->DeleteBanner(true);
 			_setBg(m_mainBg, m_mainBgLQ);
 		}
 		if(m_show_zone_game && !m_zoom_banner)
@@ -1485,31 +1486,54 @@ unsigned int gameSoundThreadStackSize = (unsigned int)32768;
 
 void CMenu::_gameSoundThread(CMenu *m)
 {
-	if(m->m_cf.getHdr()->type == TYPE_GC_GAME)
-	{
-		m->m_gameSound.Load(gc_ogg, gc_ogg_size, false);
-		m->m_gamesound_changed = true;
-		return;
-	}
-	else if(m->m_cf.getHdr()->type == TYPE_PLUGIN)
+	if(m->m_cf.getHdr()->type == TYPE_PLUGIN)
 	{
+		m_banner->DeleteBanner();
 		m->m_gameSound.Load(m->m_plugin.GetBannerSound(m->m_cf.getHdr()->settings[0]), m->m_plugin.GetBannerSoundSize(), false);
 		m->m_gamesound_changed = true;
 		return;
 	}
 
+	u8 *custom_bnr_file = NULL;
+	u32 custom_bnr_size = 0;
+	char custom_banner[256];
+	snprintf(custom_banner, sizeof(custom_banner), "%s/%.6s.bnr", m->m_bannerDir.c_str(), m->m_cf.getHdr()->id);
+	FILE *fp = fopen(custom_banner, "rb");
+	if(!fp)
+	{
+		snprintf(custom_banner, sizeof(custom_banner), "%s/%.3s.bnr", m->m_bannerDir.c_str(), m->m_cf.getHdr()->id);
+		fp = fopen(custom_banner, "rb");
+		if(!fp && m->m_cf.getHdr()->type == TYPE_GC_GAME)
+		{
+			m_banner->DeleteBanner();
+			m->m_gameSound.Load(gc_ogg, gc_ogg_size, false);
+			m->m_gamesound_changed = true;
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+	if(fp)
+	{
+		fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_END);
+		custom_bnr_size = ftell(fp);
+		fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_SET);
+		custom_bnr_file = (u8*)MEM2_alloc(custom_bnr_size);
+		fread(custom_bnr_file, 1, custom_bnr_size, fp);
+		fclose(fp);
+	}
+
 	m->m_gameSoundHdr = m->m_cf.getHdr();
 	m->m_gamesound_changed = false;
 	u32 sndSize = 0;
 
-	Banner *banner = m->m_gameSoundHdr->type == TYPE_WII_GAME ?
-		_extractBnr(m->m_gameSoundHdr) : m->m_gameSoundHdr->type == TYPE_CHANNEL ?
-		_extractChannelBnr(TITLE_ID(m->m_gameSoundHdr->settings[0],m->m_gameSoundHdr->settings[1])) : NULL;
+	Banner *banner = custom_bnr_file != NULL ? new Banner((u8 *)custom_bnr_file) : 
+		(m->m_gameSoundHdr->type == TYPE_WII_GAME ? _extractBnr(m->m_gameSoundHdr) : (m->m_gameSoundHdr->type == TYPE_CHANNEL ?
+		_extractChannelBnr(TITLE_ID(m->m_gameSoundHdr->settings[0],m->m_gameSoundHdr->settings[1])) : NULL));
 	m->m_gameSoundHdr = NULL;
 
 	if (banner == NULL || !banner->IsValid())
 	{
 		gprintf("no valid banner found\n");
+		m_banner->DeleteBanner();
 		delete banner;
 		return;
 	}