diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.Hotkey.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.Hotkey.cs
index f34fbb1887..0de90934a7 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.Hotkey.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.Hotkey.cs
@@ -593,6 +593,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				case "Rewind":
 				case "Fast Forward":
 				case "Open RA Overlay":
+					return true;
 				case "RA Up":
 				case "RA Down":
 				case "RA Left":
@@ -600,7 +601,8 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				case "RA Confirm":
 				case "RA Cancel":
 				case "RA Quit":
-					return true;
+					// don't consider these keys outside of RAIntegration overlay being active
+					return RA is RAIntegration { OverlayActive: true };
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RAIntegration.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RAIntegration.cs
index 4363954264..ffcc0e6f33 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RAIntegration.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/RetroAchievements/RAIntegration.cs
@@ -235,6 +235,8 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			_mainForm.EmuClient.BeforeQuickLoad += QuickLoadCallback;
 		}
 
+		public bool OverlayActive => RA.IsOverlayFullyVisible();
+
 		public override void Update()
 		{
 			if (RA.HardcoreModeIsActive())
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				RA.SetPaused(true);
 			}
 
-			if (!RA.IsOverlayFullyVisible()) return;
+			if (!OverlayActive) return;
 
 			var ci = new RAInterface.ControllerInput
 			{
@@ -263,6 +265,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			RA.NavigateOverlay(ref ci);
 
 			// todo: suppress user inputs with overlay active?
+			// cpp: well this happens now if hotkeys override controller inputs
 		}
 
 		public override void OnFrameAdvance()