diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/IHitPolicy.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/IHitPolicy.cs
index 72c3d781bb..5d8ea035a7 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/IHitPolicy.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/IHitPolicy.cs
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
 // Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
-using System.Collections.Generic;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.UI;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.UI
 {
     public interface IHitPolicy
     {
         /// <summary>
-        /// Sets the <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/>s which this <see cref="IHitPolicy"/> controls.
+        /// The <see cref="IHitObjectContainer"/> containing the <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/>s which this <see cref="IHitPolicy"/> applies to.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="hitObjects">An enumeration of the <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/>s.</param>
-        void SetHitObjects(IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> hitObjects);
+        IHitObjectContainer HitObjectContainer { set; }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Determines whether a <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/> can be hit at a point in time.
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuPlayfield.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuPlayfield.cs
index c7900558a0..e085714265 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuPlayfield.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/OsuPlayfield.cs
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.UI
                 approachCircles = new ProxyContainer { RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both },
             };
 
-            hitPolicy = new StartTimeOrderedHitPolicy();
-            hitPolicy.SetHitObjects(HitObjectContainer.AliveObjects);
+            hitPolicy = new StartTimeOrderedHitPolicy { HitObjectContainer = HitObjectContainer };
 
             var hitWindows = new OsuHitWindows();
 
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/StartTimeOrderedHitPolicy.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/StartTimeOrderedHitPolicy.cs
index 38ba5fc490..0173156246 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/StartTimeOrderedHitPolicy.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/UI/StartTimeOrderedHitPolicy.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.UI;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.UI
 {
@@ -19,9 +20,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.UI
     /// </summary>
     public class StartTimeOrderedHitPolicy : IHitPolicy
     {
-        private IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> hitObjects;
-
-        public void SetHitObjects(IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> hitObjects) => this.hitObjects = hitObjects;
+        public IHitObjectContainer HitObjectContainer { get; set; }
 
         public bool IsHittable(DrawableHitObject hitObject, double time)
         {
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.UI
 
         private IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> enumerateHitObjectsUpTo(double targetTime)
         {
-            foreach (var obj in hitObjects)
+            foreach (var obj in HitObjectContainer.AliveObjects)
             {
                 if (obj.HitObject.StartTime >= targetTime)
                     yield break;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitObjectContainer.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitObjectContainer.cs
index 1972043ccb..11312a46df 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitObjectContainer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/HitObjectContainer.cs
@@ -17,19 +17,10 @@ using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.UI
 {
-    public class HitObjectContainer : LifetimeManagementContainer
+    public class HitObjectContainer : LifetimeManagementContainer, IHitObjectContainer
     {
-        /// <summary>
-        /// All currently in-use <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/>s.
-        /// </summary>
         public IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> Objects => InternalChildren.Cast<DrawableHitObject>().OrderBy(h => h.HitObject.StartTime);
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// All currently in-use <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/>s that are alive.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <remarks>
-        /// If this <see cref="HitObjectContainer"/> uses pooled objects, this is equivalent to <see cref="Objects"/>.
-        /// </remarks>
         public IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> AliveObjects => AliveInternalChildren.Cast<DrawableHitObject>().OrderBy(h => h.HitObject.StartTime);
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/IHitObjectContainer.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/IHitObjectContainer.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c784132e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/UI/IHitObjectContainer.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
+// See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
+
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.UI
+{
+    public interface IHitObjectContainer
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// All currently in-use <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/>s.
+        /// </summary>
+        IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> Objects { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// All currently in-use <see cref="DrawableHitObject"/>s that are alive.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        /// If this <see cref="IHitObjectContainer"/> uses pooled objects, this is equivalent to <see cref="Objects"/>.
+        /// </remarks>
+        IEnumerable<DrawableHitObject> AliveObjects { get; }
+    }
+}