diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Configuration/ManiaConfigManager.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Configuration/ManiaConfigManager.cs
index ea5f590bd1..d9e360081d 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Configuration/ManiaConfigManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Configuration/ManiaConfigManager.cs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Configuration
 {
     public class ManiaConfigManager : RulesetConfigManager<ManiaSetting>
     {
-        public ManiaConfigManager(SettingsStore settings, RulesetInfo ruleset, int variant)
+        public ManiaConfigManager(SettingsStore settings, RulesetInfo ruleset, int? variant = null)
             : base(settings, ruleset, variant)
         {
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/ManiaRuleset.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/ManiaRuleset.cs
index 5f803e3406..e671a3fb14 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/ManiaRuleset.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/ManiaRuleset.cs
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Replays;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Replays.Types;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps.Legacy;
+using osu.Game.Configuration;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.Configuration;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Difficulty;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Beatmaps;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Configuration;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Difficulty;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
 
@@ -150,6 +153,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania
 
         public override IConvertibleReplayFrame CreateConvertibleReplayFrame() => new ManiaReplayFrame();
 
+        public override IRulesetConfigManager CreateConfig(SettingsStore settings) => new ManiaConfigManager(settings, RulesetInfo);
+
         public ManiaRuleset(RulesetInfo rulesetInfo = null)
             : base(rulesetInfo)
         {
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaRulesetContainer.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaRulesetContainer.cs
index 1d32ac75eb..eaad787999 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaRulesetContainer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/ManiaRulesetContainer.cs
@@ -11,12 +11,9 @@ using osu.Framework.Input;
 using osu.Framework.MathUtils;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps.ControlPoints;
-using osu.Game.Configuration;
 using osu.Game.Input.Handlers;
-using osu.Game.Rulesets.Configuration;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Mods;
-using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Configuration;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Objects;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Objects.Drawables;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Replays;
@@ -120,8 +117,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.UI
 
         protected override ReplayInputHandler CreateReplayInputHandler(Replay replay) => new ManiaFramedReplayInputHandler(replay);
 
-        protected override IRulesetConfigManager CreateConfig(Ruleset ruleset, SettingsStore settings) => new ManiaConfigManager(settings, Ruleset.RulesetInfo, Variant);
-
         private class ScrollingInfo : IScrollingInfo
         {
             public readonly Bindable<ScrollingDirection> Direction = new Bindable<ScrollingDirection>();
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/OsuRuleset.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/OsuRuleset.cs
index b920e889ce..6ab75d008f 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/OsuRuleset.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/OsuRuleset.cs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu
 
         public override string ShortName => "osu";
 
-        public override SettingsSubsection CreateSettings() => new OsuSettings();
+        public override RulesetSettingsSubsection CreateSettings() => new OsuSettings(this);
 
         public override int? LegacyID => 0;
 
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuSettings.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuSettings.cs
index 31ad6701fd..25c009b117 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuSettings.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuSettings.cs
@@ -8,10 +8,15 @@ using osu.Game.Overlays.Settings;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.UI
 {
-    public class OsuSettings : SettingsSubsection
+    public class OsuSettings : RulesetSettingsSubsection
     {
         protected override string Header => "osu!";
 
+        public OsuSettings(Ruleset ruleset)
+            : base(ruleset)
+        {
+        }
+
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(OsuConfigManager config)
         {
diff --git a/osu.Game/Configuration/DatabasedConfigManager.cs b/osu.Game/Configuration/DatabasedConfigManager.cs
index 0ef0589dff..0ede6de0f2 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Configuration/DatabasedConfigManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Configuration/DatabasedConfigManager.cs
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Configuration
     {
         private readonly SettingsStore settings;
 
-        private readonly int variant;
+        private readonly int? variant;
 
         private readonly List<DatabasedSetting> databasedSettings;
 
         private readonly RulesetInfo ruleset;
 
-        protected DatabasedConfigManager(SettingsStore settings, RulesetInfo ruleset = null, int variant = 0)
+        protected DatabasedConfigManager(SettingsStore settings, RulesetInfo ruleset = null, int? variant = null)
         {
             this.settings = settings;
             this.ruleset = ruleset;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/Settings/RulesetSettingsSubsection.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/Settings/RulesetSettingsSubsection.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f8c18d1f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/Settings/RulesetSettingsSubsection.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2007-2018 ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>.
+// Licensed under the MIT Licence - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ppy/osu/master/LICENCE
+
+using osu.Framework.Allocation;
+using osu.Game.Configuration;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Overlays.Settings
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A <see cref="SettingsSubsection"/> which provides subclasses with the <see cref="IRulesetConfigManager"/>
+    /// from the <see cref="Ruleset"/>'s <see cref="Ruleset.CreateConfig()"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    public abstract class RulesetSettingsSubsection : SettingsSubsection
+    {
+        private readonly Ruleset ruleset;
+
+        protected RulesetSettingsSubsection(Ruleset ruleset)
+        {
+            this.ruleset = ruleset;
+        }
+
+        private DependencyContainer dependencies;
+
+        protected override IReadOnlyDependencyContainer CreateLocalDependencies(IReadOnlyDependencyContainer parent)
+        {
+            dependencies = new DependencyContainer(base.CreateLocalDependencies(parent));
+
+            var config = ruleset.CreateConfig(dependencies.Get<SettingsStore>());
+            if (config != null)
+                dependencies.Cache(config);
+
+            return dependencies;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Configuration/RulesetConfigManager.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Configuration/RulesetConfigManager.cs
index 4ecf1eefb2..74cece5154 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Configuration/RulesetConfigManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Configuration/RulesetConfigManager.cs
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Configuration
     public abstract class RulesetConfigManager<T> : DatabasedConfigManager<T>, IRulesetConfigManager
         where T : struct
     {
-        protected RulesetConfigManager(SettingsStore settings, RulesetInfo ruleset, int variant) : base(settings, ruleset, variant)
+        protected RulesetConfigManager(SettingsStore settings, RulesetInfo ruleset, int? variant = null)
+            : base(settings, ruleset, variant)
         {
         }
     }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Ruleset.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Ruleset.cs
index 395eeab419..a39e8bb8d4 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Ruleset.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Ruleset.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ using osu.Game.Rulesets.Replays.Types;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.UI;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps.Legacy;
+using osu.Game.Configuration;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.Configuration;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Difficulty;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets
@@ -69,7 +71,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets
 
         public abstract string Description { get; }
 
-        public virtual SettingsSubsection CreateSettings() => null;
+        public virtual RulesetSettingsSubsection CreateSettings() => null;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Creates the <see cref="IRulesetConfigManager"/> for this <see cref="Ruleset"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="settings">The <see cref="SettingsStore"/> to store the settings.</param>
+        public virtual IRulesetConfigManager CreateConfig(SettingsStore settings) => null;
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Do not override this unless you are a legacy mode.
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/RulesetContainer.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/RulesetContainer.cs
index 384b71cccc..875745edfb 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/RulesetContainer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/RulesetContainer.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Linq;
+using JetBrains.Annotations;
 using osu.Framework.Configuration;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Cursor;
 using osu.Framework.Input;
@@ -73,11 +74,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.UI
         private IRulesetConfigManager rulesetConfig;
         private OnScreenDisplay onScreenDisplay;
 
-        private DependencyContainer dependencies;
-
-        protected override IReadOnlyDependencyContainer CreateLocalDependencies(IReadOnlyDependencyContainer parent)
-            => dependencies = new DependencyContainer(base.CreateLocalDependencies(parent));
-
         /// <summary>
         /// A visual representation of a <see cref="Rulesets.Ruleset"/>.
         /// </summary>
@@ -91,19 +87,27 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.UI
         }
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader(true)]
-        private void load(OnScreenDisplay onScreenDisplay, SettingsStore settings)
+        private void load([CanBeNull] OnScreenDisplay onScreenDisplay, [CanBeNull] SettingsStore settings)
         {
             this.onScreenDisplay = onScreenDisplay;
 
-            rulesetConfig = CreateConfig(Ruleset, settings);
-
-            if (rulesetConfig != null)
+            if (settings != null)
             {
-                dependencies.Cache(rulesetConfig);
-                onScreenDisplay?.BeginTracking(this, rulesetConfig);
+                rulesetConfig = Ruleset.CreateConfig(settings);
+
+                if (rulesetConfig != null)
+                {
+                    dependencies.Cache(rulesetConfig);
+                    onScreenDisplay?.BeginTracking(this, rulesetConfig);
+                }
             }
         }
 
+        private DependencyContainer dependencies;
+
+        protected override IReadOnlyDependencyContainer CreateLocalDependencies(IReadOnlyDependencyContainer parent)
+            => dependencies = new DependencyContainer(base.CreateLocalDependencies(parent));
+
         public abstract ScoreProcessor CreateScoreProcessor();
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -136,8 +140,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.UI
         /// </summary>
         protected virtual CursorContainer CreateCursor() => null;
 
-        protected virtual IRulesetConfigManager CreateConfig(Ruleset ruleset, SettingsStore settings) => null;
-
         /// <summary>
         /// Creates a Playfield.
         /// </summary>