diff --git a/core_impl.c b/core_impl.c
index cd86d1b058..9f1cb1ebbf 100644
--- a/core_impl.c
+++ b/core_impl.c
@@ -282,8 +282,6 @@ bool core_unserialize(retro_ctx_serialize_info_t *info)
 {
    if (!info)
       return false;
-   if (core_serialization_quirks_v & RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_INITIALIZING)
-      return false;
    if (!core.retro_unserialize(info->data_const, info->size))
       return false;
 
@@ -298,8 +296,6 @@ bool core_serialize(retro_ctx_serialize_info_t *info)
 {
    if (!info)
       return false;
-   if (core_serialization_quirks_v & RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_INITIALIZING)
-      return false;
    if (!core.retro_serialize(info->data, info->size))
       return false;
    return true;
diff --git a/dynamic.c b/dynamic.c
index 03345d02ca..e6d1c45d2e 100644
--- a/dynamic.c
+++ b/dynamic.c
@@ -1611,16 +1611,7 @@ bool rarch_environment_cb(unsigned cmd, void *data)
       case RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_SERIALIZATION_QUIRKS:
       {
          uint64_t *quirks = (uint64_t *) data;
-
          core_set_serialization_quirks(*quirks);
-
-         /* Zero any unrecognized quirks, and zero unsupported VARIABLE_SIZE */
-         *quirks &= (RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_INCOMPLETE
-                    |RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_MUST_INITIALIZE
-                    |RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_INITIALIZING
-                    |RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_SINGLE_SESSION
-                    |RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_ARCHITECTURE_DEPENDENT);
-
          break;
       }
 
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/libretro.h b/libretro-common/include/libretro.h
index 59914d2c59..241f1006d6 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/libretro.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/libretro.h
@@ -982,13 +982,15 @@ struct retro_hw_render_context_negotiation_interface
  * rerecording. */
 #define RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_INCOMPLETE (1 << 0)
 /* The core must spend some time initializing before serialization is
- * safe. */
+ * supported. */
 #define RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_MUST_INITIALIZE (1 << 1)
 /* If MUST_INITIALIZE is set, this should also be set if initialization is
  * in progress. */
-#define RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_INITIALIZING (1 << 2)
 /* Serialization size may change within a session. */
-#define RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_VARIABLE_SIZE (1 << 3)
+#define RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_CORE_VARIABLE_SIZE (1 << 2)
+/* Set by the frontend to acknowledge that it supports variable-sized
+ * states. */
+#define RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_FRONT_VARIABLE_SIZE (1 << 3)
 /* Serialized state can only be loaded during the same session. */
 #define RETRO_SERIALIZATION_QUIRK_SINGLE_SESSION (1 << 4)
 /* Serialized state cannot be loaded on a different architecture from the
@@ -998,7 +1000,7 @@ struct retro_hw_render_context_negotiation_interface
 #define RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_SERIALIZATION_QUIRKS 44
                                            /* uint64_t * --
                                             * Sets quirk flags associated with serialization. The frontend will zero any flags it doesn't
-                                            * recognize or support. Should be set during retro_init or retro_load_game.
+                                            * recognize or support. Should be set in either retro_init or retro_load_game, but not both.
                                             */