diff --git a/gfx/common/ctr_common.h b/gfx/common/ctr_common.h
index 4726d1c96f..b18fd8a4aa 100644
--- a/gfx/common/ctr_common.h
+++ b/gfx/common/ctr_common.h
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ typedef struct ctr_video
    ctr_video_mode_enum video_mode;
    int current_buffer_top;
 
+   bool p3d_event_pending;
+   bool ppf_event_pending;
+
    struct
    {
       ctr_vertex_t* buffer;
diff --git a/gfx/drivers/ctr_gfx.c b/gfx/drivers/ctr_gfx.c
index f554504e3e..5b1747e123 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/ctr_gfx.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/ctr_gfx.c
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ static void ctr_lcd_aptHook(APT_HookType hook, void* param)
       GPUCMD_Finalize();
       ctrGuFlushAndRun(true);
       gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_P3D, false);
+      ctr->p3d_event_pending = false;
    }
 
    if((hook == APTHOOK_ONSUSPEND) && (ctr->video_mode == CTR_VIDEO_MODE_400x240))
@@ -386,10 +387,7 @@ static void* ctr_init(const video_info_t* video,
                             sizeof(ctr_vertex_t));
    GPUCMD_Finalize();
    ctrGuFlushAndRun(true);
-
-   ctrGuDisplayTransfer(true, ctr->drawbuffers.top.left, 240, 400, CTRGU_RGBA8,
-                        gfxTopLeftFramebuffers[ctr->current_buffer_top],
-                        240,CTRGU_RGB8, CTRGU_MULTISAMPLE_NONE);
+   gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_P3D, false);
 
    if (input && input_data)
    {
@@ -422,8 +420,8 @@ static void* ctr_init(const video_info_t* video,
    }
 
    ctr->msg_rendering_enabled = false;
-
-//   DEBUG_HOLD();
+   ctr->p3d_event_pending = false;
+   ctr->ppf_event_pending = false;
 
    return ctr;
 }
@@ -488,9 +486,17 @@ static bool ctr_frame(void* data, const void* frame,
       ctr->lcd_buttom_on = !ctr->lcd_buttom_on;
    }
 
-   gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_P3D, false);
-   gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_PPF, false);
 
+   if (ctr->p3d_event_pending)
+   {
+      gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_P3D, false);
+      ctr->p3d_event_pending = false;
+   }
+   if (ctr->ppf_event_pending)
+   {
+      gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_PPF, false);
+      ctr->ppf_event_pending = false;
+   }
    frames++;
 
    if (ctr->vsync)
@@ -505,7 +511,6 @@ static bool ctr_frame(void* data, const void* frame,
       frames = 0;
    }
 
-
 //#define CTR_INSPECT_MEMORY_USAGE
 
 #ifdef CTR_INSPECT_MEMORY_USAGE
@@ -780,7 +785,8 @@ static bool ctr_frame(void* data, const void* frame,
 	framebufferInfoHeader[0x1]=1;
 
    ctr->current_buffer_top ^= 1;
-
+   ctr->p3d_event_pending = true;
+   ctr->ppf_event_pending = true;
    performance_counter_stop(&ctrframe_f);
 
    return true;
@@ -840,7 +846,6 @@ static void ctr_free(void* data)
    linearFree(ctr->empty_framebuffer);
    linearFree(ctr->vertex_cache.buffer);
    linearFree(ctr);
-//   DEBUG_HOLD();
    //   gfxExit();
 }
 
@@ -957,6 +962,7 @@ static void ctr_viewport_info(void* data, struct video_viewport* vp)
 static uintptr_t ctr_load_texture(void *video_data, void *data,
       bool threaded, enum texture_filter_type filter_type)
 {
+   ctr_video_t* ctr = (ctr_video_t*)video_data;
    struct texture_image *image = (struct texture_image*)data;
 
    ctr_texture_t* texture = calloc(1, sizeof(ctr_texture_t));
@@ -998,8 +1004,12 @@ static uintptr_t ctr_load_texture(void *video_data, void *data,
    //   printf("ctrGuCopyImage 0x%08X, %i, %i, 0x%08X, %i\n", tmpdata, image->width, image->height, texture->data, texture->width);
       ctrGuCopyImage(true, tmpdata, image->width, image->height, CTRGU_RGBA8, false,
                      texture->data, texture->width, CTRGU_RGBA8,  true);
-
-   //   gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_PPF, false);
+#if 0
+      gspWaitForEvent(GSPGPU_EVENT_PPF, false);
+      ctr->ppf_event_pending = false;
+#else
+      ctr->ppf_event_pending = true;
+#endif
       linearFree(tmpdata);
    }
 
diff --git a/gfx/drivers_font/ctr_font.c b/gfx/drivers_font/ctr_font.c
index b5aad4f394..448a13dfd7 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers_font/ctr_font.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers_font/ctr_font.c
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@
 #include "../../configuration.h"
 #include "../../verbosity.h"
 
+/* FIXME: this is just a workaround to avoid
+ * using ctrGuCopyImage, since it seems to cause
+ * a freeze/blackscreen when used here. */
+//#define FONT_TEXTURE_IN_VRAM
+
 typedef struct
 {
    ctr_texture_t texture;
@@ -38,10 +43,11 @@ typedef struct
    void* font_data;
 } ctr_font_t;
 
-static void* ctr_font_init_font(void* gl_data, const char* font_path, float font_size)
+static void* ctr_font_init_font(void* data, const char* font_path, float font_size)
 {
    const struct font_atlas* atlas = NULL;
    ctr_font_t* font = (ctr_font_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(*font));
+   ctr_video_t* ctr = (ctr_video_t*)data;
 
    if (!font)
       return NULL;
@@ -59,9 +65,14 @@ static void* ctr_font_init_font(void* gl_data, const char* font_path, float font
 
    font->texture.width = next_pow2(atlas->width);
    font->texture.height = next_pow2(atlas->height);
+#if FONT_TEXTURE_IN_VRAM
    font->texture.data = vramAlloc(font->texture.width * font->texture.height);
-
    uint8_t* tmp = linearAlloc(font->texture.width * font->texture.height);
+#else
+   font->texture.data = linearAlloc(font->texture.width * font->texture.height);
+   uint8_t* tmp = font->texture.data;
+#endif
+
    int i, j;
    const uint8_t*     src = atlas->buffer;
 
@@ -75,10 +86,13 @@ static void* ctr_font_init_font(void* gl_data, const char* font_path, float font
       }
 
    GSPGPU_FlushDataCache(tmp, font->texture.width * font->texture.height);
+
+#if FONT_TEXTURE_IN_VRAM
    ctrGuCopyImage(true, tmp, font->texture.width >> 2, font->texture.height, CTRGU_RGBA8, true,
                   font->texture.data, font->texture.width >> 2, CTRGU_RGBA8,  true);
 
    linearFree(tmp);
+#endif
 
    ctr_set_scale_vector(&font->scale_vector, 400, 240, font->texture.width, font->texture.height);
 
@@ -95,7 +109,11 @@ static void ctr_font_free_font(void* data)
    if (font->font_driver && font->font_data)
       font->font_driver->free(font->font_data);
 
+#ifdef FONT_TEXTURE_IN_VRAM
    vramFree(font->texture.data);
+#else
+   linearFree(font->texture.data);
+#endif
    free(font);
 }