diff --git a/OpenRA.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs b/OpenRA.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs
index 1d02b71b62..18ab4ecf3d 100644
--- a/OpenRA.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.FileFormats/FieldLoader.cs
@@ -28,13 +28,15 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 			throw new NotImplementedException( "FieldLoader: Missing field `{0}` on `{1}`".F( s, f.Name ) );
 		};
 
-		public static void Load(object self, MiniYaml my) { Load(self, my.Nodes); }
-
-		public static void Load(object self, Dictionary<string, MiniYaml> my)
+		public static void Load( object self, MiniYaml my )
 		{
-			foreach (var x in my)
+			foreach( var x in my.Nodes )
 				if (!x.Key.StartsWith("-"))
 					LoadField(self, x.Key, x.Value.Value);
+
+			foreach( var field in self.GetType().GetFields())
+				if( field.HasAttribute<FieldFromYamlKeyAttribute>() )
+					field.SetValue( self, GetValue( field.Name, field.FieldType, my.Value ) );
 		}
 
 		public static T Load<T>(MiniYaml y) where T : new()
@@ -58,7 +60,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 			var field = self.GetType().GetField( key.Trim() );
 
 			if( field == null )
-				UnknownFieldAction(key.Trim(), self.GetType());
+				UnknownFieldAction( key.Trim(), self.GetType() );
+			else if( field.HasAttribute<FieldFromYamlKeyAttribute>() )
+				return;
 			else
 				field.SetValue( self, GetValue( field.Name, field.FieldType, value ) );
 		}
@@ -150,10 +154,18 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 	{
 		public static MiniYaml Save(object o)
 		{
-			return new MiniYaml(null, o.GetType().GetFields(BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance)
-				.ToDictionary(
-					f => f.Name,
-					f => new MiniYaml(FormatValue(o, f))));
+			var dict = new Dictionary<string, MiniYaml>();
+			string root = null;
+
+			foreach( var f in o.GetType().GetFields( BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance ) )
+			{
+				if( f.HasAttribute<FieldFromYamlKeyAttribute>() )
+					root = FormatValue( o, f );
+				else
+					dict.Add( f.Name, new MiniYaml( FormatValue( o, f ) ) );
+			}
+
+			return new MiniYaml( root, dict );
 		}
 		
 		public static MiniYaml SaveDifferences(object o, object from)
@@ -187,4 +199,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 				: v.ToString();
 		}
 	}
+
+	public class FieldFromYamlKeyAttribute : Attribute { }
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.FileFormats/OpenRA.FileFormats.csproj b/OpenRA.FileFormats/OpenRA.FileFormats.csproj
index 6024cedd55..a4f5f64aee 100644
--- a/OpenRA.FileFormats/OpenRA.FileFormats.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.FileFormats/OpenRA.FileFormats.csproj
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@
     <Compile Include="Support\Stopwatch.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Support\Timer.cs" />
     <Compile Include="TypeDictionary.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="Map\ActorReference.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Map\TileReference.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Map\Terrain.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Primitives\Cache.cs" />
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/ActorInitializer.cs b/OpenRA.Game/ActorInitializer.cs
index b42753b7b1..8653ec1bfc 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/ActorInitializer.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/ActorInitializer.cs
@@ -49,8 +49,11 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 	public class LocationInit : IActorInit<int2>
 	{
+		[FieldFromYamlKey]
 		public readonly int2 value = int2.Zero;
 
+		public LocationInit() { }
+
 		public LocationInit( int2 init )
 		{
 			value = init;
@@ -64,9 +67,17 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 	public class OwnerInit : IActorInit<Player>
 	{
+		[FieldFromYamlKey]
 		public readonly string PlayerName = "Neutral";
 		Player player;
 
+		public OwnerInit() { }
+
+		public OwnerInit( string playerName )
+		{
+			this.PlayerName = playerName;
+		}
+
 		public OwnerInit( Player player )
 		{
 			this.player = player;
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/ActorReference.cs b/OpenRA.Game/ActorReference.cs
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..63ba48f1e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/ActorReference.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#region Copyright & License Information
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007-2010 The OpenRA Developers (see AUTHORS)
+ * This file is part of OpenRA, which is free software. It is made 
+ * available to you under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation. For more information,
+ * see LICENSE.
+ */
+#endregion
+
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Collections;
+
+namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
+{
+	public class ActorReference : IEnumerable
+	{
+		public readonly string Type;
+		public readonly TypeDictionary InitDict;
+
+		public ActorReference( string type ) : this( type, new Dictionary<string, MiniYaml>() ) { }
+
+		public ActorReference( string type, Dictionary<string, MiniYaml> inits )
+		{
+			Type = type;
+			InitDict = new TypeDictionary();
+			foreach( var i in inits )
+				InitDict.Add( LoadInit( i.Key, i.Value ) );
+		}
+
+		static IActorInit LoadInit(string traitName, MiniYaml my)
+		{
+			var info = Game.CreateObject<IActorInit>(traitName + "Init");
+			FieldLoader.Load(info, my);
+			return info;
+		}
+
+		public MiniYaml Save()
+		{
+			var ret = new MiniYaml( Type );
+			foreach( var init in InitDict )
+			{
+				var initName = init.GetType().Name;
+				ret.Nodes.Add( initName.Substring( 0, initName.Length - 4 ), FieldSaver.Save( init ) );
+			}
+			return ret;
+		}
+
+		// for initialization syntax
+		public void Add( object o ) { InitDict.Add( o ); }
+		public IEnumerator GetEnumerator() { return InitDict.GetEnumerator(); }
+	}
+}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/ActorInfo.cs b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/ActorInfo.cs
index ca6a349ef4..e8e0d9d74b 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/ActorInfo.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/ActorInfo.cs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ using System.Linq;
 using OpenRA.FileFormats;
 using OpenRA.Traits;
 
-namespace OpenRA.GameRules
+namespace OpenRA
 {
 	public class ActorInfo
 	{
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Map.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Map.cs
index 4791bf4261..c54a6914d7 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Map.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Map.cs
@@ -123,20 +123,19 @@ namespace OpenRA
 				int actors = 0;
 				foreach (var kv in yaml["Actors"].Nodes)
 				{
-				    string[] vals = kv.Value.Value.Split(' ');
-				    string[] loc = vals[2].Split(',');
-				    var a = new ActorReference("Actor"+actors++, vals[0], new int2(int.Parse(loc[0]), int.Parse(loc[1])), "Neutral");
-				    Actors.Add(a.Id, a);
+					string[] vals = kv.Value.Value.Split(' ');
+					string[] loc = vals[2].Split(',');
+					Actors.Add( "Actor" + actors++, new ActorReference( vals[ 0 ] )
+					{
+						new LocationInit( new int2( int.Parse( loc[ 0 ] ), int.Parse( loc[ 1 ] ) ) ),
+						new OwnerInit( "Neutral" ),
+					} );
 				}
 			}
 			else
-			{
-				foreach (var kv in yaml["Actors"].Nodes)
-				{
-					kv.Value.Nodes.Add( "Type", new MiniYaml( kv.Value.Value ) );
-					var a = new ActorReference(kv.Key, kv.Value);
-					Actors.Add(a.Id, a);
-				}
+			{
+				foreach( var kv in yaml[ "Actors" ].Nodes )
+					Actors.Add( kv.Key, new ActorReference( kv.Value.Value, kv.Value.Nodes ) );
 			}
 
 			// Smudges
@@ -173,10 +172,10 @@ namespace OpenRA
 					p => FieldSaver.Save(p.Value))));
 
 			root.Add("Actors",
-				new MiniYaml(null, Actors.ToDictionary(
-					a => "{0}".F(a.Key),
-					a => FieldSaver.Save(a.Value))));
-			
+				new MiniYaml( null, Actors.ToDictionary(
+					x => x.Key,
+					x => x.Value.Save() ) ) );
+
 			root.Add("Waypoints", MiniYaml.FromDictionary<string, int2>(Waypoints));
 			root.Add("Smudges", MiniYaml.FromList<SmudgeReference>(Smudges));
 			root.Add("Rules", new MiniYaml(null, Rules));
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
index f6ab5a911c..f7dd4eb396 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@
       <Name>OpenRA.FileFormats</Name>
     </ProjectReference>
     <Compile Include="ActorInitializer.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="ActorReference.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Map.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Widgets\Delegates\DeveloperModeDelegate.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/SpawnMapActors.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/SpawnMapActors.cs
index efe02afbfc..7b1dc1c52e 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/SpawnMapActors.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/SpawnMapActors.cs
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA
 			Game.skipMakeAnims = true;		// rude hack
 
 			foreach (var actorReference in world.Map.Actors)
-				MapActors[actorReference.Key] = world.CreateActor(actorReference.Value.Type, actorReference.Value.Location,
-					world.players.Values.FirstOrDefault(p => p.InternalName == actorReference.Value.Owner));
+				MapActors[actorReference.Key] = world.CreateActor(actorReference.Value.Type, actorReference.Value.InitDict);
 
 			Game.skipMakeAnims = false;
 		}