diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/KeyCounterCollection.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/KeyCounterCollection.cs
index 8cbb9986e5..8b579f41ac 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/KeyCounterCollection.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/KeyCounterCollection.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
     {
         private const int duration = 100;
 
-        private Bindable<bool> showKeyCounter;
+        public readonly Bindable<bool> Visible = new Bindable<bool>(true);
+        private readonly Bindable<bool> alwaysVisible = new Bindable<bool>();
 
         public KeyCounterCollection()
         {
@@ -46,9 +47,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(OsuConfigManager config)
         {
-            showKeyCounter = config.GetBindable<bool>(OsuSetting.KeyOverlay);
-            showKeyCounter.ValueChanged += keyCounterVisibility => this.FadeTo(keyCounterVisibility ? 1 : 0, duration);
-            showKeyCounter.TriggerChange();
+            config.BindWith(OsuSetting.KeyOverlay, alwaysVisible);
+
+            Visible.BindValueChanged(_ => updateVisibility());
+            alwaysVisible.BindValueChanged(_ => updateVisibility(), true);
         }
 
         //further: change default values here and in KeyCounter if needed, instead of passing them in every constructor
@@ -111,6 +113,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             }
         }
 
+        private void updateVisibility() => this.FadeTo(Visible.Value || alwaysVisible.Value ? 1 : 0, duration);
+
         public override bool HandleKeyboardInput => receptor == null;
         public override bool HandleMouseInput => receptor == null;
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
index 04148cd558..5fd85ce6e7 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
         protected ScoreProcessor ScoreProcessor;
         protected RulesetContainer RulesetContainer;
 
-        private HUDOverlay hudOverlay;
+        protected HUDOverlay HudOverlay;
         private FailOverlay failOverlay;
 
         private DrawableStoryboard storyboard;
@@ -170,9 +170,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                     OnPause = () =>
                     {
                         pauseContainer.Retries = RestartCount;
-                        hudOverlay.KeyCounter.IsCounting = pauseContainer.IsPaused;
+                        HudOverlay.KeyCounter.IsCounting = pauseContainer.IsPaused;
                     },
-                    OnResume = () => hudOverlay.KeyCounter.IsCounting = true,
+                    OnResume = () => HudOverlay.KeyCounter.IsCounting = true,
                     Children = new[]
                     {
                         storyboardContainer = new Container
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                             Breaks = beatmap.Breaks
                         },
                         RulesetContainer.Cursor?.CreateProxy() ?? new Container(),
-                        hudOverlay = new HUDOverlay(ScoreProcessor, RulesetContainer, working, offsetClock, adjustableClock)
+                        HudOverlay = new HUDOverlay(ScoreProcessor, RulesetContainer, working, offsetClock, adjustableClock)
                         {
                             Clock = Clock, // hud overlay doesn't want to use the audio clock directly
                             ProcessCustomClock = false,
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                 }
             };
 
-            hudOverlay.HoldToQuit.Action = Exit;
+            HudOverlay.HoldToQuit.Action = Exit;
+            HudOverlay.KeyCounter.Visible.Value = RulesetContainer.HasReplayLoaded;
 
             if (ShowStoryboard)
                 initializeStoryboard(false);
@@ -368,7 +369,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             RulesetContainer?.FadeOut(fade_out_duration);
             Content.FadeOut(fade_out_duration);
 
-            hudOverlay?.ScaleTo(0.7f, fade_out_duration * 3, Easing.In);
+            HudOverlay?.ScaleTo(0.7f, fade_out_duration * 3, Easing.In);
 
             Background?.FadeTo(1f, fade_out_duration);
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/ReplayPlayer.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/ReplayPlayer.cs
index 6e2a2e4c9c..16f8a4b361 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/ReplayPlayer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/ReplayPlayer.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // 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.Rulesets.Replays;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
@@ -14,6 +15,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             Replay = replay;
         }
 
+        [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
+        private void load()
+        {
+            HudOverlay.KeyCounter.Visible.Value = true;
+        }
+
         protected override void LoadComplete()
         {
             base.LoadComplete();