diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/GPGX.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/GPGX.cs
index 246b08825b..aafe6cda6d 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/GPGX.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/GPGX.cs
@@ -310,83 +310,32 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Consoles.Sega.gpgx
 
 		#region saveram
 
-		// this all feels very messy
-
-		struct SaveRamInfo
-		{
-			public int totalsize;
-			public IntPtr[] areas;
-			public int[] sizes;
-
-			public int arraysize { get { return totalsize + 4 * LibGPGX.MAX_SRAM_TYPES; } }
-		}
-
-		SaveRamInfo GetSaveRamInfo()
-		{
-			SaveRamInfo ret = new SaveRamInfo
-			{
-				areas = new IntPtr[LibGPGX.MAX_SRAM_TYPES],
-				sizes = new int[LibGPGX.MAX_SRAM_TYPES],
-			};
-			for (int i = 0; i < LibGPGX.MAX_SRAM_TYPES; i++)
-			{
-				IntPtr area = IntPtr.Zero;
-				int size = 0;
-				LibGPGX.gpgx_get_sram(ref area, ref size, i);
-				ret.areas[i] = area;
-				ret.sizes[i] = size;
-				ret.totalsize += size;
-			}
-			return ret;
-		}
-
 		public byte[] ReadSaveRam()
 		{
-			var sri = GetSaveRamInfo();
-			if (sri.totalsize == 0)
+			int size = 0;
+			IntPtr area = IntPtr.Zero;
+			LibGPGX.gpgx_get_sram(ref area, ref size);
+			if (size <= 0 || area == IntPtr.Zero)
 				return new byte[0];
+			LibGPGX.gpgx_sram_prepread();
 
-			byte[] ret = new byte[sri.arraysize];
-
-			MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(ret, true);
-			BinaryWriter bw = new BinaryWriter(ms);
-
-			for (int i = 0; i < LibGPGX.MAX_SRAM_TYPES; i++)
-			{
-				bw.Write(sri.sizes[i]);
-				if (sri.areas[i] != IntPtr.Zero)
-				{
-					byte[] data = new byte[sri.sizes[i]];
-					Marshal.Copy(sri.areas[i], data, 0, sri.sizes[i]);
-					bw.Write(data);
-				}
-			}
-			bw.Flush();
-			ms.Close();
+			byte[] ret = new byte[size];
+			Marshal.Copy(area, ret, 0, size);
 			return ret;
 		}
 
 		public void StoreSaveRam(byte[] data)
 		{
-			var sri = GetSaveRamInfo();
-			if (sri.arraysize!= data.Length)
-				throw new Exception("Unexpected SaveRam size");
+			int size = 0;
+			IntPtr area = IntPtr.Zero;
+			LibGPGX.gpgx_get_sram(ref area, ref size);
+			if (size <= 0 || area == IntPtr.Zero)
+				return;
+			if (size != data.Length)
+				throw new Exception("Unexpected saveram size");
 
-			MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(data, false);
-			BinaryReader br = new BinaryReader(ms);
-
-			for (int i = 0; i < LibGPGX.MAX_SRAM_TYPES; i++)
-			{
-				int size = br.ReadInt32();
-				if (size != sri.sizes[i])
-					throw new Exception("Unexpected SaveRam size");
-				if (sri.areas[i] != IntPtr.Zero)
-				{
-					byte[] tmp = new byte[sri.sizes[i]];
-					br.Read(tmp, 0, sri.sizes[i]);
-					Marshal.Copy(tmp, 0, sri.areas[i], sri.sizes[i]);
-				}
-			}
+			Marshal.Copy(data, 0, area, size);
+			LibGPGX.gpgx_sram_commitwrite();
 		}
 
 		public void ClearSaveRam()
@@ -398,7 +347,10 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Consoles.Sega.gpgx
 		{
 			get
 			{
-				return GetSaveRamInfo().totalsize > 0;
+				int size = 0;
+				IntPtr area = IntPtr.Zero;
+				LibGPGX.gpgx_get_sram(ref area, ref size);
+				return size > 0 && area != IntPtr.Zero;
 			}
 			set
 			{
diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/LibGPGX.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/LibGPGX.cs
index fde17bd54b..0fcc7822fa 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/LibGPGX.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/gpgx/LibGPGX.cs
@@ -38,13 +38,21 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Consoles.Sega.gpgx
 		[DllImport("libgenplusgx.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
 		public static extern bool gpgx_put_control(IntPtr src, int bytes);
 
-		public const int MAX_SRAM_TYPES = 3;
 		[DllImport("libgenplusgx.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
-		public static extern void gpgx_get_sram(ref IntPtr area, ref int size, int type);
+		public static extern void gpgx_get_sram(ref IntPtr area, ref int size);
 
 		[DllImport("libgenplusgx.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
 		public static extern void gpgx_clear_sram();
 
+		// call this before reading sram returned by gpgx_get_sram()
+		[DllImport("libgenplusgx.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
+		public static extern void gpgx_sram_prepread();
+
+		// call this after writing sram returned by gpgx_get_sram()
+		[DllImport("libgenplusgx.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
+		public static extern void gpgx_sram_commitwrite();
+
+
 		public static bool gpgx_get_control(InputData dest)
 		{
 			int bytes = Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(InputData));
diff --git a/genplus-gx/cinterface/cinterface.c b/genplus-gx/cinterface/cinterface.c
index 712e6bfc8b..6624159aec 100644
--- a/genplus-gx/cinterface/cinterface.c
+++ b/genplus-gx/cinterface/cinterface.c
@@ -181,59 +181,82 @@ GPGX_EX void gpgx_advance(void)
 GPGX_EX void gpgx_clear_sram(void)
 {
 	// clear sram
-	if (sram.sram)
-		memset(sram.sram, 0, 0x10000);
+	if (sram.on)
+		memset(sram.sram, 0xff, 0x10000);
 
-	// clear and format bram
-	memset(scd.bram, 0, 0x2000);
-	brm_format[0x10] = brm_format[0x12] = brm_format[0x14] = brm_format[0x16] = 0x00;
-	brm_format[0x11] = brm_format[0x13] = brm_format[0x15] = brm_format[0x17] = (sizeof(scd.bram) / 64) - 3;
-	memcpy(scd.bram + 0x2000 - 0x40, brm_format, 0x40);
+	if (cdd.loaded)
+	{
+		// clear and format bram
+		memset(scd.bram, 0, 0x2000);
+		brm_format[0x10] = brm_format[0x12] = brm_format[0x14] = brm_format[0x16] = 0x00;
+		brm_format[0x11] = brm_format[0x13] = brm_format[0x15] = brm_format[0x17] = (sizeof(scd.bram) / 64) - 3;
+		memcpy(scd.bram + 0x2000 - 0x40, brm_format, 0x40);
 
-	// clear and format ebram
-	memset(scd.cartridge.area, 0x00, scd.cartridge.mask + 1);
-    brm_format[0x10] = brm_format[0x12] = brm_format[0x14] = brm_format[0x16] = (((scd.cartridge.mask + 1) / 64) - 3) >> 8;
-    brm_format[0x11] = brm_format[0x13] = brm_format[0x15] = brm_format[0x17] = (((scd.cartridge.mask + 1) / 64) - 3) & 0xff;
-	memcpy(scd.cartridge.area + scd.cartridge.mask + 1 - 0x40, brm_format, 0x40);
-}
-
-GPGX_EX void gpgx_get_sram(void **area, int *size, int type)
-{
-	if (type == 0)
-	{
-		// cart sram
-		if (sram.on)
-		{
-			if (area)
-			*area = sram.sram;
-			if (size)
-				*size = 0x10000;
-		}
-	}
-	else if (type == 1)
-	{
-		// bram
-		if (cdd.loaded)
-		{
-			if (area)
-				*area = scd.bram;
-			if (size)
-				*size = 0x2000;
-		}
-	}
-	else if (type == 2)
-	{
-		// external bram
 		if (scd.cartridge.id)
 		{
-			if (area)
-				*area = scd.cartridge.area;
-			if (size)
-				*size = scd.cartridge.mask + 1;
+			// clear and format ebram
+			memset(scd.cartridge.area, 0x00, scd.cartridge.mask + 1);
+			brm_format[0x10] = brm_format[0x12] = brm_format[0x14] = brm_format[0x16] = (((scd.cartridge.mask + 1) / 64) - 3) >> 8;
+			brm_format[0x11] = brm_format[0x13] = brm_format[0x15] = brm_format[0x17] = (((scd.cartridge.mask + 1) / 64) - 3) & 0xff;
+			memcpy(scd.cartridge.area + scd.cartridge.mask + 1 - 0x40, brm_format, 0x40);
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+// a bit hacky:
+// in order to present a single memory block to the frontend,
+// we copy the bram bits next to the ebram bits
+
+GPGX_EX void gpgx_sram_prepread(void)
+{
+	if (!sram.on && cdd.loaded && scd.cartridge.id)
+	{
+		void *dest = scd.cartridge.area + scd.cartridge.mask + 1;
+		memcpy(dest, scd.bram, 0x2000);
+	}
+}
+
+GPGX_EX void gpgx_sram_commitwrite(void)
+{
+	if (!sram.on && cdd.loaded && scd.cartridge.id)
+	{
+		void *src = scd.cartridge.area + scd.cartridge.mask + 1;
+		memcpy(scd.bram, src, 0x2000);
+	}
+}
+
+GPGX_EX void gpgx_get_sram(void **area, int *size)
+{
+	if (sram.on)
+	{
+		if (area)
+			*area = sram.sram;
+		if (size)
+			*size = 0x10000;
+	}
+	else if (scd.cartridge.id)
+	{
+		if (area)
+			*area = scd.cartridge.area;
+		if (size)
+			*size = scd.cartridge.mask + 1 + 0x2000;
+	}
+	else if (cdd.loaded)
+	{
+		if (area)
+			*area = scd.bram;
+		if (size)
+			*size = 0x2000;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		if (area)
+			*area = NULL;
+		if (size)
+			*size = 0;
+	}
+}
+
 GPGX_EX int gpgx_init(const char *feromextension, int (*feload_archive_cb)(const char *filename, unsigned char *buffer, int maxsize), int sixbutton, char system_a, char system_b)
 {
 	zap();
diff --git a/genplus-gx/core/cd_hw/cd_cart.c b/genplus-gx/core/cd_hw/cd_cart.c
index 954222162b..ca77d544a4 100644
--- a/genplus-gx/core/cd_hw/cd_cart.c
+++ b/genplus-gx/core/cd_hw/cd_cart.c
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ void cd_cart_init(void)
   else
   {
     /* enable 512K backup RAM cartridge when booting from CD (Mode 2) */
-    scd.cartridge.id = 6;
+    //scd.cartridge.id = 6;
+	scd.cartridge.id = 4; // use 128K instead, which is the size of a real ebram cart
+						// bizhawk doesn't need the extra space because it gives each game its own anyway
   }
 
   /* RAM cartridge enabled ? */
diff --git a/output/dll/libgenplusgx.dll b/output/dll/libgenplusgx.dll
index b9e6b3126c..6b24d4a3f4 100644
Binary files a/output/dll/libgenplusgx.dll and b/output/dll/libgenplusgx.dll differ