diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.Events.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.Events.cs
index 64fc34851f..00527b8496 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.Events.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.Events.cs
@@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 
 		private void CheatsMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
 		{
-			LoadCheatsWindow();
+			GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<Cheats>();
 		}
 
 		private void LuaConsoleMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
@@ -2046,7 +2046,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 		{
 			if (CheatStatusButton.Visible)
 			{
-				LoadCheatsWindow();
+				GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<Cheats>();
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -2173,7 +2173,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 			else if (ext.ToUpper() == ".CHT")
 			{
 				Global.CheatList.Load(filePaths[0], false);
-				LoadCheatsWindow();
+				GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<Cheats>();
 				ToolHelpers.UpdateCheatRelatedTools();
 			}
 			else if (ext.ToUpper() == ".WCH")
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs
index a77a4d73d8..ebf8b92542 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/MainForm.cs
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 		private GBtools.GBGPUView _gbgpuview;
 		private GBAtools.GBAGPUView _gbagpuview;
 		private PCEBGViewer _pcebgviewer;
-		private Cheats _cheats;
 		private ToolBox _toolbox;
 		private TI83KeyPad _ti83pad;
 		private TAStudio _tastudio;
@@ -123,13 +122,18 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 		public GenGameGenie Gengg { get { if (_gengg == null) _gengg = new GenGameGenie(); return _gengg; } set { _gengg = value; } }
 		public NESSoundConfig NesSound { get { if (_nessound == null) _nessound = new NESSoundConfig(); return _nessound; } set { _nessound = value; } }
 
-		//TODO: eventually start doing this, rather than tools attempting to talk to tools
-		public void Cheats_UpdateValues() { if (_cheats != null) { _cheats.UpdateValues(); } }
+		//TODO: clean me up
 		public void Cheats_Restart()
 		{
-			if (_cheats != null) _cheats.Restart();
-			else Global.CheatList.NewList(GenerateDefaultCheatFilename());
-			ToolHelpers.UpdateCheatRelatedTools();
+			if (GlobalWinF.Tools.Has<Cheats>())
+			{
+				GlobalWinF.Tools.Restart<Cheats>();
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				Global.CheatList.NewList(GenerateDefaultCheatFilename());
+				ToolHelpers.UpdateCheatRelatedTools();
+			}
 		}
 
 		public string GenerateDefaultCheatFilename()
@@ -355,7 +359,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 			}
 			if (Global.Config.RecentCheats.AutoLoad)
 			{
-				LoadCheatsWindow();
+				GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<Cheats>();
 			}
 			if (Global.Config.AutoLoadNESPPU && Global.Emulator is NES)
 			{
@@ -1625,8 +1629,6 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 					}
 				}
 
-				Cheats_UpdateValues();
-
 				CurrentlyOpenRom = file.CanonicalFullPath;
 				HandlePlatformMenus();
 				StateSlots.Clear();
@@ -2096,7 +2098,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 				case "Hex Editor": GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<HexEditor>(); break;
 				case "Trace Logger": LoadTraceLogger(); break;
 				case "Lua Console": OpenLuaConsole(); break;
-				case "Cheats": LoadCheatsWindow(); break;
+				case "Cheats": GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<Cheats>(); break;
 				case "TAStudio": LoadTAStudio(); break;
 				case "ToolBox": LoadToolBox(); break;
 				case "Virtual Pad": LoadVirtualPads(); break;
@@ -2820,24 +2822,6 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 				TI83KeyPad1.Focus();
 		}
 
-		public void LoadCheatsWindow()
-		{
-			if (_cheats == null)
-			{
-				_cheats = new Cheats();
-			}
-
-			if (!_cheats.IsHandleCreated || _cheats.IsDisposed)
-			{
-				_cheats = new Cheats();
-				_cheats.Show();
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				_cheats.Focus();
-			}
-		}
-
 		public VideoPluginSettings N64GenerateVideoSettings(GameInfo game, bool hasmovie)
 		{
 			string PluginToUse = "";
@@ -3218,7 +3202,6 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 			CloseForm(GBGPUView1);
 			CloseForm(GBAGPUView1);
 			CloseForm(PCEBGViewer1);
-			CloseForm(_cheats);
 			CloseForm(TI83KeyPad1);
 			CloseForm(TAStudio1); Global.MovieSession.EditorMode = false;
 			CloseForm(TraceLogger1);
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Cheats/CheatForm.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Cheats/CheatForm.cs
index 245961f760..1050d385b0 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Cheats/CheatForm.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Cheats/CheatForm.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ using BizHawk.Emulation.Consoles.Sega;
 
 namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 {
-	public partial class Cheats : Form
+	public partial class Cheats : Form, IToolForm
 	{
 		public const string NAME = "NamesColumn";
 		public const string ADDRESS = "AddressColumn";
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 
 		private int defaultWidth;
 		private int defaultHeight;
-		private string _sortedColumn = "";
+		private string _sortedColumn = String.Empty;
 		private bool _sortReverse = false;
 
+		public bool UpdateBefore { get { return false; } }
+
 		public Cheats()
 		{
 			InitializeComponent();
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 			CheatListView.QueryItemBkColor += CheatListView_QueryItemBkColor;
 			CheatListView.VirtualMode = true;
 
-			_sortedColumn = "";
+			_sortedColumn = String.Empty;
 			_sortReverse = false;
 			TopMost = Global.Config.CheatsAlwaysOnTop;
 		}
@@ -294,7 +296,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 
 		private void CheatListView_QueryItemText(int index, int column, out string text)
 		{
-			text = "";
+			text = String.Empty;
 			if (index >= Global.CheatList.Count || Global.CheatList[index].IsSeparator)
 			{
 				return;
@@ -317,7 +319,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 					text = Global.CheatList[index].CompareStr;
 					break;
 				case ON:
-					text = Global.CheatList[index].Enabled ? "*" : "";
+					text = Global.CheatList[index].Enabled ? "*" : String.Empty;
 					break;
 				case DOMAIN:
 					text = Global.CheatList[index].Domain.Name;
@@ -577,6 +579,24 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 			}
 		}
 
+		public string GenerateDefaultCheatFilename()
+		{
+			PathEntry pathEntry = Global.Config.PathEntries[Global.Emulator.SystemId, "Cheats"];
+			if (pathEntry == null)
+			{
+				pathEntry = Global.Config.PathEntries[Global.Emulator.SystemId, "Base"];
+			}
+			string path = PathManager.MakeAbsolutePath(pathEntry.Path, Global.Emulator.SystemId);
+
+			var f = new FileInfo(path);
+			if (f.Directory != null && f.Directory.Exists == false)
+			{
+				f.Directory.Create();
+			}
+
+			return Path.Combine(path, PathManager.FilesystemSafeName(Global.Game) + ".cht");
+		}
+
 		#region Events
 
 		#region File
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/HexEditor/HexEditor.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/HexEditor/HexEditor.cs
index 153cd5a300..141e40c167 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/HexEditor/HexEditor.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/HexEditor/HexEditor.cs
@@ -900,8 +900,8 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 		{
 			GlobalWinF.Tools.UpdateValues<RamWatch>();
 			GlobalWinF.Tools.UpdateValues<RamSearch>();
+			GlobalWinF.Tools.UpdateValues<Cheats>();
 			GlobalWinF.MainForm.UpdateCheatStatus();
-			GlobalWinF.MainForm.Cheats_UpdateValues();
 			UpdateValues();
 		}
 
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Lua/Libraries/EmuLuaLibrary.Client.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Lua/Libraries/EmuLuaLibrary.Client.cs
index 014b081eb4..cd230fb019 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Lua/Libraries/EmuLuaLibrary.Client.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/Lua/Libraries/EmuLuaLibrary.Client.cs
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 
 		public static void client_opencheats()
 		{
-			GlobalWinF.MainForm.LoadCheatsWindow();
+			GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<Cheats>();
 		}
 
 		public static void client_openhexeditor()
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolBox.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolBox.cs
index 2cb75ca1f3..da174244c3 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolBox.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolBox.cs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 
 		private void toolStripButton1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
 		{
-			GlobalWinF.MainForm.LoadCheatsWindow();
+			GlobalWinF.Tools.Load<Cheats>();
 		}
 
 		private void toolStripButton2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
diff --git a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolHelpers.cs b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolHelpers.cs
index 68d972bb24..414ed1984a 100644
--- a/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolHelpers.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.MultiClient/tools/ToolHelpers.cs
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.MultiClient
 			GlobalWinF.Tools.UpdateValues<RamWatch>();
 			GlobalWinF.Tools.UpdateValues<RamSearch>();
 			GlobalWinF.Tools.UpdateValues<HexEditor>();
-			GlobalWinF.MainForm.Cheats_UpdateValues();
+			GlobalWinF.Tools.UpdateValues<Cheats>();
 			GlobalWinF.MainForm.UpdateCheatStatus();
 		}