diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs b/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs
index efd5631077..51fa4412bf 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         // ReSharper disable once NotAccessedField.Local (we should keep a reference to this so it is not finalised)
         private BeatmapIPCChannel ipc;
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// A default representation of a WorkingBeatmap to use when no beatmap is available.
+        /// </summary>
+        public WorkingBeatmap DefaultBeatmap { get; set; }
+
         public BeatmapDatabase(Storage storage, SQLiteConnection connection, RulesetDatabase rulesets, IIpcHost importHost = null) : base(storage, connection)
         {
             this.rulesets = rulesets;
@@ -268,6 +273,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
 
         public WorkingBeatmap GetWorkingBeatmap(BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo, WorkingBeatmap previous = null, bool withStoryboard = false)
         {
+            if (beatmapInfo == DefaultBeatmap?.BeatmapInfo)
+                return DefaultBeatmap;
+
             if (beatmapInfo.BeatmapSet == null || beatmapInfo.Ruleset == null)
                 beatmapInfo = GetChildren(beatmapInfo, true);
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
index 6bec2cb184..f63b2eb37a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ using OpenTK;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using osu.Framework.Threading;
+using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Database;
 using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
@@ -99,6 +100,8 @@ namespace osu.Game
 
             Dependencies.Cache(this);
 
+            BeatmapDatabase.DefaultBeatmap = new DummyWorkingBeatmap(this);
+
             configRuleset = LocalConfig.GetBindable<int>(OsuSetting.Ruleset);
             Ruleset.Value = RulesetDatabase.GetRuleset(configRuleset.Value);
             Ruleset.ValueChanged += r => configRuleset.Value = r.ID ?? 0;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/OsuScreen.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/OsuScreen.cs
index 42e9baf318..460afb46d1 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/OsuScreen.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/OsuScreen.cs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens
 
         private SampleChannel sampleExit;
 
-        private DummyWorkingBeatmap dummyBeatmap;
+        private WorkingBeatmap defaultBeatmap;
 
         public WorkingBeatmap Beatmap
         {
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens
             }
             set
             {
-                beatmap.Value = value ?? dummyBeatmap;
+                beatmap.Value = value ?? defaultBeatmap;
             }
         }
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader(permitNulls: true)]
-        private void load(OsuGameBase game, OsuGame osuGame, AudioManager audio)
+        private void load(OsuGameBase game, OsuGame osuGame, AudioManager audio, BeatmapDatabase beatmaps)
         {
-            dummyBeatmap = new DummyWorkingBeatmap(osuGame);
+            defaultBeatmap = beatmaps.DefaultBeatmap;
 
             if (game != null)
             {
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapCarousel.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapCarousel.cs
index 647cac5bbe..2e8bb94752 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapCarousel.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/BeatmapCarousel.cs
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
             {
                 selectedGroup = null;
                 selectedPanel = null;
+                SelectionChanged?.Invoke(database.DefaultBeatmap.BeatmapInfo);
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -284,6 +285,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
         private void load(BeatmapDatabase database, OsuConfigManager config)
         {
             this.database = database;
+
             randomType = config.GetBindable<SelectionRandomType>(OsuSetting.SelectionRandomType);
         }
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs
index 481a99869d..bbdb195b77 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs
@@ -230,11 +230,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
 
         protected override void OnEntering(Screen last)
         {
-            // this catches the case we're playing the theme song, and falls back to a more sane default.
-            // actual selection is done by the carousel when possible.
-            if (Beatmap.BeatmapSetInfo.DeletePending)
-                Beatmap = null;
-
             base.OnEntering(last);
 
             ensurePlayingSelected();