diff --git a/leaderboard.lua b/leaderboard.lua
index 05a5eaa..1509d8a 100644
--- a/leaderboard.lua
+++ b/leaderboard.lua
@@ -289,9 +289,30 @@ local function writeScore(fh, score)
 	)
 end
 
+local function saveScores()
+	local f = assert(io.open(FILENAME + ".txt", "w"))
+	if f == nil then
+		print("Failed to open file for writing: " + FILENAME + ".txt")
+		return
+	end
+
+	for _, tbl in pairs(lb) do
+		for _, scoreTable in pairs(tbl) do
+			for _, score in ipairs(scoreTable) do
+				writeScore(f, score)
+			end
+		end
+	end
+
+	f:close()
+end
+
 -- Read the leaderboard
 local f = io.open(FILENAME + ".txt", "r")
 if f then
+	-- track if scores checksums have been written
+	local checksumWrite = false
+
 	for l in f:lines() do
 		-- Leaderboard is stored in the following tab separated format
 		-- mapnum, name, skin, color, time, splits, flags, stat, map_checksum
@@ -326,11 +347,14 @@ if f then
 		local mapnum = tonumber(t[1])
 
 		-- Checksums
-		local cks = t[9] or mapChecksum(mapnum)
+		local cks = t[9] 
 
-		-- We have no previous recognition of this map
-		-- remove it
 		if cks == nil then
+			checksumWrite = true
+			cks = mapChecksum(mapnum)
+
+			-- We have no previous recognition of this map
+			-- remove it
 			if cks == nil then
 				local rsfh = io.open(FILENAME + "_removed_scores.txt", "a")
 				if not rsfh then
@@ -363,6 +387,11 @@ if f then
 
 	sortScores()
 	f:close()
+
+	-- save scores
+	if checksumWrite then
+		saveScores()
+	end
 else
 	print("Failed to open file: ", FILENAME + ".txt")
 end
@@ -1232,21 +1261,7 @@ local function saveTime(player)
 		StatTrack = true
 	end
 
-	local f = assert(io.open(FILENAME + ".txt", "w"))
-	if f == nil then
-		print("Failed to open file for writing: " + FILENAME + ".txt")
-		return
-	end
-
-	for _, tbl in pairs(lb) do
-		for _, scoreTable in pairs(tbl) do
-			for _, score in ipairs(scoreTable) do
-				writeScore(f, score)
-			end
-		end
-	end
-
-	f:close()
+	saveScores()
 end
 
 -- DEBUGGING