diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Cheat.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Cheat.cs
index bae019699e..1840449e18 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Cheat.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Cheat.cs
@@ -167,17 +167,24 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 			{
 				if (ShouldPoke())
 				{
-					switch (_watch.Size)
+					try
 					{
-						case WatchSize.Byte:
-							_watch.Poke(((ByteWatch)_watch).FormatValue((byte)_val));
-							break;
-						case WatchSize.Word:
-							_watch.Poke(((WordWatch)_watch).FormatValue((ushort)_val));
-							break;
-						case WatchSize.DWord:
-							_watch.Poke(((DWordWatch)_watch).FormatValue((uint)_val));
-							break;
+						switch (_watch.Size)
+						{
+							case WatchSize.Byte:
+								_watch.PokeByte(unchecked((byte) _val));
+								break;
+							case WatchSize.Word:
+								_watch.PokeWord(unchecked((ushort) _val));
+								break;
+							case WatchSize.DWord:
+								_watch.PokeDWord(unchecked((uint) _val));
+								break;
+						}
+					}
+					catch
+					{
+						// ignore (matches `*Watch.Poke` implementations)
 					}
 				}
 
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Watch/Watch.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Watch/Watch.cs
index f1f0d24e35..1405123cfd 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Watch/Watch.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/tools/Watch/Watch.cs
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 				: 0;
 		}
 
-		protected void PokeByte(byte val)
+		protected internal void PokeByte(byte val)
 		{
 			if (IsValid)
 			{
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 			}
 		}
 
-		protected void PokeWord(ushort val)
+		protected internal void PokeWord(ushort val)
 		{
 			if (IsValid)
 			{
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 			}
 		}
 
-		protected void PokeDWord(uint val)
+		protected internal void PokeDWord(uint val)
 		{
 			if (IsValid)
 			{