diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Animation/Ragdoll.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Animation/Ragdoll.cs
index eaa73302b..309920928 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Animation/Ragdoll.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Animation/Ragdoll.cs
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ namespace Barotrauma
                 if (impact > 3.0f && limb.SoundTimer <= 0.0f)
                 {
                     limb.SoundTimer = Limb.SoundInterval;
-                    if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(limb.HitSound))
+                    if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(limb.HitSoundTag))
                     {
-                        SoundPlayer.PlaySound(limb.HitSound, volume, impact * 100.0f, limb.WorldPosition);
+                        SoundPlayer.PlaySound(limb.HitSoundTag, volume, impact * 100.0f, limb.WorldPosition);
                     }
                     foreach (WearableSprite wearable in limb.WearingItems)
                     {
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Limb.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Limb.cs
index c75c13e07..0b98f2619 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Limb.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaClient/Source/Characters/Limb.cs
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ namespace Barotrauma
             private set;
         }
 
-        private string hitSound;
+        private string hitSoundTag;
 
-        public string HitSound
+        public string HitSoundTag
         {
-            get { return hitSound; }
+            get { return hitSoundTag; }
         }
 
         partial void InitProjSpecific(XElement element)
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@ namespace Barotrauma
                         LightSource = new LightSource(subElement);
                         break;
                     case "sound":
-                        hitSound = subElement.GetAttributeString("file", "");
+                        hitSoundTag = subElement.GetAttributeString("tag", "");
+                        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(hitSoundTag))
+                        {
+                            //legacy support
+                            hitSoundTag = subElement.GetAttributeString("file", "");
+                        }
                         break;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Crawler/crawler.xml b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Crawler/crawler.xml
index 45cd1f962..569e0d317 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Crawler/crawler.xml
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Crawler/crawler.xml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "5" width="5" height="40" type="RightFoot" flip="true" pullpos="0.0,15.0" refjoint="3" stepoffset="20.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Crawler/crawler.png" sourcerect="59,78,19,43" depth="0.03" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="Content/Sounds/stepMetal.ogg"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_metal"/>
     </limb>
 
     <limb id = "6" width="13" height="35" type="LeftLeg" flip="true">
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "7" width="5" height="40" type="LeftFoot" flip="true" pullpos="0.0,15.0" refjoint="5" stepoffset="20.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Crawler/crawler.png" sourcerect="59,78,19,43" depth="0.03" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="Content/Sounds/stepMetal.ogg"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_metal"/>
     </limb>
 
     <limb id = "8" width="13" height="35" type="RightLeg" flip="true">
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "9" width="5" height="40" type="RightFoot" flip="true" pullpos="0.0,15.0"  refjoint="7" stepoffset="20.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Crawler/crawler.png" sourcerect="59,78,19,43" depth="0.03" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="Content/Sounds/stepMetal.ogg"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_metal"/>
     </limb>
 
     <joint limb1="0" limb1anchor="-5,-38" limb2="1" limb2anchor="-2,25" lowerlimit="-20" upperlimit="40" canbesevered="true"/>
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/human.xml b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/human.xml
index 929e6f009..973571620 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/human.xml
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/human.xml
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
     <limb id = "8" radius="5" height="13" mass = "2" type ="LeftFoot" flip="true" pullpos="-5.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/[GENDER]legs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" depth="0.14" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
       <damagedsprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/damagedlegs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="footstep_metal"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_metal"/>
     </limb>
   
     <!-- right leg -->
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     <limb id = "11" radius="5" height="13" mass = "2" type ="RightFoot" flip="true" pullpos="-5.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/[GENDER]legs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
       <damagedsprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/damagedlegs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="footstep_metal"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_metal"/>
     </limb>
 
     <!-- head to body -->
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/humanhusk.xml b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/humanhusk.xml
index ae252d2e7..a65381c00 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/humanhusk.xml
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Human/humanhusk.xml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
     <limb id = "8" radius="5" height="13" mass = "2" type ="LeftFoot" flip="true" pullpos="-5.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/[GENDER]legs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" depth="0.14" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
       <damagedsprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/damagedlegs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="footstep_metal"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_metal"/>
     </limb>
   
     <!-- right leg -->
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
     <limb id = "11" radius="5" height="13" mass = "2" type ="RightFoot" flip="true" pullpos="-5.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/[GENDER]legs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
       <damagedsprite texture="Content/Characters/Human/damagedlegs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="footstep_metal"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_metal"/>
     </limb>
 
 
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Husk/husk.xml b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Husk/husk.xml
index 64f66a84d..860715a22 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Husk/husk.xml
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Husk/husk.xml
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "8" radius="5" height="13" mass = "2" type ="LeftFoot" flip="true" pullpos="-5.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Husk/legs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" depth="0.14" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="footstep_armor"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_armor"/>
     </limb>
   
     <!-- right leg -->
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "11" radius="5" height="13" mass = "2" type ="RightFoot" flip="true" pullpos="-5.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Husk/legs.png" sourcerect="35,53,16,25" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="footstep_armor"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_armor"/>
     </limb> 
 
     <!-- head to body -->
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.xml b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.xml
index 1207f2fbc..81d6748bd 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.xml
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.xml
@@ -61,14 +61,14 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "5" width="15" height="63" mass = "4" refjoint="3" flip="true">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.png" sourcerect="231,80,23,67" depth="0.011" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="Content/Sounds/stepMetal.ogg"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_armor"/>
     </limb>
     <!-- ""claw" -->
     <limb id = "6" width="15" height="63" mass = "4" flip="true" pullpos="0.0,30.0" refjoint="0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.png" sourcerect="228,1,28,76" depth="0.01" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
       <attack range="200" damagerange="100" duration="0.25" damage="50" stun="0.1" bleedingdamage="5" structuredamage="20"  damagetype="slash" targetforce="-100" severlimbsprobability="0.8"
               torque="-20" force="10" applyforceonlimbs="0,1,6"/>
-      <sound file ="Content/Sounds/stepMetal.ogg"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_armor"/>
     </limb>
 
     <limb id = "7" width="15" height="63" mass = "4" type="LeftLeg" flip="true">
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "8" width="15" height="63" mass = "4" type="LeftFoot" flip="true" pullpos="0.0,30.0" refjoint="0" stepoffset="100.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.png" sourcerect="206,3,20,85" depth="0.014" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="Content/Sounds/stepMetal.ogg"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_armor"/>
     </limb>
 
     <limb id = "9" width="15" height="63" mass = "4" type="RightLeg" flip="true">
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
     </limb>
     <limb id = "10" width="15" height="102" mass = "4" type="RightFoot" flip="true" pullpos="0.0,50.0" refjoint="5" stepoffset="-150.0,0.0">
       <sprite texture="Content/Characters/Mantis/mantis.png" sourcerect="111,0,32,112" depth="0.016" origin="0.5,0.5"/>
-      <sound file ="Content/Sounds/stepMetal.ogg"/>
+      <sound tag="footstep_armor"/>
     </limb>
     
     <joint limb1="0" limb1anchor="-5,-53" limb2="1" limb2anchor="0,20" lowerlimit="-20" upperlimit="20" canbesevered="true"/>