diff --git a/gfx/drivers/gl.c b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
index eda8f87152..845abf6310 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/gl.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
@@ -275,15 +275,12 @@ static bool gl_shader_init(gl_t *gl)
 
    gl->shader = backend;
 
-   if (gl->shader && gl->shader->init)
-   {
-      ret = gl->shader->init(gl, shader_path);
+   ret = video_shader_init(gl->shader, gl, shader_path);
 
-      if (!ret)
-      {
-         RARCH_ERR("[GL]: Failed to initialize shader, falling back to stock.\n");
-         ret = gl->shader->init(gl, NULL);
-      }
+   if (!ret)
+   {
+      RARCH_ERR("[GL]: Failed to initialize shader, falling back to stock.\n");
+      ret = video_shader_init(gl->shader, gl, NULL);
    }
 
    return ret;
diff --git a/gfx/video_shader_driver.c b/gfx/video_shader_driver.c
index 3da806774b..7dbedbe569 100644
--- a/gfx/video_shader_driver.c
+++ b/gfx/video_shader_driver.c
@@ -92,3 +92,10 @@ void video_shader_scale(unsigned idx,
    if (shader->shader_scale)
       shader->shader_scale(idx, scale);
 }
+
+bool video_shader_init(const shader_backend_t *shader, void *data, const char *path)
+{
+   if (!shader || !shader->init)
+      return false;
+   return shader->init(data, path);
+}
diff --git a/gfx/video_shader_driver.h b/gfx/video_shader_driver.h
index 5e550749d1..10429d2627 100644
--- a/gfx/video_shader_driver.h
+++ b/gfx/video_shader_driver.h
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ const shader_backend_t *shader_ctx_init_first(void);
 
 struct video_shader *video_shader_driver_get_current_shader(void);
 
+bool video_shader_init(const shader_backend_t *shader, void *data, const char *path);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif