diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Leaderboards.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Leaderboards.cs
index b12e2e3bda..5b1d1a06ce 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Leaderboards.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Leaderboards.cs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			}
 		}
 
-		private bool LBoardsActive { get; set; }
+		private bool LBoardNotifsActive { get; set; }
 		private LBoard CurrentLboard { get; set; }
 
 		public class LBoard
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Ping.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Ping.cs
index e34615fe96..adc171222d 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Ping.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.Ping.cs
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 
 		private void CheckPing()
 		{
-			if (RichPresenceActive)
+			if (RichPresenceActive || HardcoreMode)
 			{
 				var len = _lib.rc_runtime_get_richpresence(_runtime, _richPresenceBuffer, (uint)_richPresenceBuffer.Length, _peekcb, IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero);
 				CurrentRichPresence = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(_richPresenceBuffer, 0, len);
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.cs
index d55aeb09eb..e2bc2369e3 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RCheevos.cs
@@ -119,19 +119,20 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			enableCheevosItem.CheckedChanged += (_, _) => CheevosActive = !CheevosActive;
 			raDropDownItems.Add(enableCheevosItem);
 
-			var enableLboardsItem = new ToolStripMenuItem("Enable Leaderboards")
+			var enableLboardNotifsItem = new ToolStripMenuItem("Enable Leaderboard Notifications")
 			{
-				Checked = LBoardsActive,
+				Checked = LBoardNotifsActive,
 				CheckOnClick = true,
 				Enabled = HardcoreMode
 			};
-			enableLboardsItem.CheckedChanged += (_, _) => LBoardsActive = !LBoardsActive;
-			raDropDownItems.Add(enableLboardsItem);
+			enableLboardNotifsItem.CheckedChanged += (_, _) => LBoardNotifsActive = !LBoardNotifsActive;
+			raDropDownItems.Add(enableLboardNotifsItem);
 
 			var enableRichPresenceItem = new ToolStripMenuItem("Enable Rich Presence")
 			{
-				Checked = RichPresenceActive,
-				CheckOnClick = true
+				Checked = RichPresenceActive || HardcoreMode,
+				CheckOnClick = true,
+				Enabled = !HardcoreMode
 			};
 			enableRichPresenceItem.CheckedChanged += (_, _) => RichPresenceActive = !RichPresenceActive;
 			raDropDownItems.Add(enableRichPresenceItem);
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 					ToSoftcoreMode();
 				}
 
-				enableLboardsItem.Enabled = HardcoreMode;
+				enableLboardNotifsItem.Enabled = HardcoreMode;
 			};
 			raDropDownItems.Add(enableHardcoreItem);
 
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 
 			var config = _getConfig();
 			CheevosActive = config.RACheevosActive;
-			LBoardsActive = config.RALBoardsActive;
+			LBoardNotifsActive = config.RALBoardsActive;
 			RichPresenceActive = config.RARichPresenceActive;
 			_hardcoreMode = config.RAHardcoreMode;
 			EnableSoundEffects = config.RASoundEffects;
@@ -314,7 +315,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			var buffer = file.ReadAllBytes();
 			_lib.rc_runtime_deserialize_progress_sized(_runtime, buffer, (uint)buffer.Length, IntPtr.Zero);
 		}
-		
+
 		private void QuickLoadCallback(object _, BeforeQuickLoadEventArgs e)
 		{
 			if (HardcoreMode)
@@ -332,7 +333,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 		{
 			var config = _getConfig();
 			config.RACheevosActive = CheevosActive;
-			config.RALBoardsActive = LBoardsActive;
+			config.RALBoardsActive = LBoardNotifsActive;
 			config.RARichPresenceActive = RichPresenceActive;
 			config.RAHardcoreMode = HardcoreMode;
 			config.RASoundEffects = EnableSoundEffects;
@@ -527,7 +528,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 					}
 				case LibRCheevos.rc_runtime_event_type_t.RC_RUNTIME_EVENT_LBOARD_STARTED:
 					{
-						if (!LBoardsActive || !HardcoreMode) return;
+						if (!HardcoreMode) return;
 
 						var lboard = _gameData.GetLboardById(evt->id);
 						if (!lboard.Invalid)
@@ -537,9 +538,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 							if (!lboard.Hidden)
 							{
 								CurrentLboard = lboard;
-								_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage("Leaderboard Attempt Started!");
-								_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage(lboard.Description);
-								PlaySound(_lboardStartSound);
+
+								if (LBoardNotifsActive)
+								{
+									_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage("Leaderboard Attempt Started!");
+									_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage(lboard.Description);
+									PlaySound(_lboardStartSound);
+								}
 							}
 						}
 
@@ -547,7 +552,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 					}
 				case LibRCheevos.rc_runtime_event_type_t.RC_RUNTIME_EVENT_LBOARD_CANCELED:
 					{
-						if (!LBoardsActive || !HardcoreMode) return;
+						if (!HardcoreMode) return;
 
 						var lboard = _gameData.GetLboardById(evt->id);
 						if (!lboard.Invalid)
@@ -559,19 +564,22 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 									CurrentLboard = null;
 								}
 
-								_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage($"Leaderboard Attempt Failed! ({lboard.Score})");
-								_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage(lboard.Description);
-								PlaySound(_lboardFailedSound);
+								if (LBoardNotifsActive)
+								{
+									_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage($"Leaderboard Attempt Failed! ({lboard.Score})");
+									_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage(lboard.Description);
+									PlaySound(_lboardFailedSound);
+								}
 							}
 
 							lboard.SetScore(0);
 						}
-						
+
 						break;
 					}
 				case LibRCheevos.rc_runtime_event_type_t.RC_RUNTIME_EVENT_LBOARD_UPDATED:
 					{
-						if (!LBoardsActive || !HardcoreMode) return;
+						if (!HardcoreMode) return;
 
 						var lboard = _gameData.GetLboardById(evt->id);
 						if (!lboard.Invalid)
@@ -583,7 +591,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 					}
 				case LibRCheevos.rc_runtime_event_type_t.RC_RUNTIME_EVENT_LBOARD_TRIGGERED:
 					{
-						if (!LBoardsActive || !HardcoreMode) return;
+						if (!HardcoreMode) return;
 
 						var lboard = _gameData.GetLboardById(evt->id);
 						if (!lboard.Invalid)
@@ -597,9 +605,12 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 									CurrentLboard = null;
 								}
 
-								_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage($"Leaderboard Attempt Complete! ({lboard.Score})");
-								_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage(lboard.Description);
-								PlaySound(_lboardCompleteSound);
+								if (LBoardNotifsActive)
+								{
+									_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage($"Leaderboard Attempt Complete! ({lboard.Score})");
+									_dialogParent.AddOnScreenMessage(lboard.Description);
+									PlaySound(_lboardCompleteSound);
+								}
 							}
 						}