diff --git a/command_event.c b/command_event.c
index e59bd4c9c3..deedb4020c 100644
--- a/command_event.c
+++ b/command_event.c
@@ -1398,34 +1398,13 @@ bool event_command(enum event_command cmd)
 #endif
          break;
       case EVENT_CMD_SHADER_DIR_DEINIT:
-         if (!global)
-            break;
-
-         dir_list_free(global->dir.shader_dir.list);
-         global->dir.shader_dir.list = NULL;
-         global->dir.shader_dir.ptr  = 0;
+         shader_dir_free();
          break;
       case EVENT_CMD_SHADER_DIR_INIT:
          event_command(EVENT_CMD_SHADER_DIR_DEINIT);
 
-         if (!*settings->video.shader_dir)
+         if (!shader_dir_init())
             return false;
-
-         global->dir.shader_dir.list = dir_list_new_special(NULL, DIR_LIST_SHADERS, NULL);
-
-         if (!global->dir.shader_dir.list || global->dir.shader_dir.list->size == 0)
-         {
-            event_command(EVENT_CMD_SHADER_DIR_DEINIT);
-            return false;
-         }
-
-         global->dir.shader_dir.ptr  = 0;
-         dir_list_sort(global->dir.shader_dir.list, false);
-
-         for (i = 0; i < global->dir.shader_dir.list->size; i++)
-            RARCH_LOG("%s \"%s\"\n",
-                  msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FOUND_SHADER),
-                  global->dir.shader_dir.list->elems[i].data);
          break;
       case EVENT_CMD_SAVEFILES:
          event_save_files();
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index a4412bf891..dec4d9d260 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "retroarch.h"
 #include "runloop.h"
 #include "rewind.h"
+#include "dir_list_special.h"
 #include "audio/audio_driver.h"
 
 #include "msg_hash.h"
@@ -290,6 +291,45 @@ static void check_stateslots(settings_t *settings,
 #define SHADER_EXT_CG        0x0059776fU
 #define SHADER_EXT_CGP       0x0b8865bfU
 
+void shader_dir_free(void)
+{
+   global_t *global = global_get_ptr();
+
+   if (!global)
+      return;
+
+   dir_list_free(global->dir.shader_dir.list);
+   global->dir.shader_dir.list = NULL;
+   global->dir.shader_dir.ptr  = 0;
+}
+
+bool shader_dir_init(void)
+{
+   unsigned i;
+   global_t      *global = global_get_ptr();
+   settings_t *settings  = config_get_ptr();
+
+   if (!*settings->video.shader_dir)
+      return false;
+
+   global->dir.shader_dir.list = dir_list_new_special(NULL, DIR_LIST_SHADERS, NULL);
+
+   if (!global->dir.shader_dir.list || global->dir.shader_dir.list->size == 0)
+   {
+      event_command(EVENT_CMD_SHADER_DIR_DEINIT);
+      return false;
+   }
+
+   global->dir.shader_dir.ptr  = 0;
+   dir_list_sort(global->dir.shader_dir.list, false);
+
+   for (i = 0; i < global->dir.shader_dir.list->size; i++)
+      RARCH_LOG("%s \"%s\"\n",
+            msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FOUND_SHADER),
+            global->dir.shader_dir.list->elems[i].data);
+   return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * check_shader_dir:
  * @pressed_next         : was next shader key pressed?
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index c9573ecf64..282a00956c 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -300,6 +300,10 @@ const char *rarch_main_msg_queue_pull(void);
 
 bool *runloop_perfcnt_enabled(void);
 
+void shader_dir_free(void);
+
+bool shader_dir_init(void);
+
 bool runloop_ctl(enum runloop_ctl_state state, void *data);
 
 typedef int (*transfer_cb_t)(void *data, size_t len);