diff --git a/command_event.c b/command_event.c
index 53f3fdecfd..1f09407239 100644
--- a/command_event.c
+++ b/command_event.c
@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ bool event_command(enum event_command cmd)
          global->pending.windowed_scale = 0;
          break;
       case EVENT_CMD_MENU_TOGGLE:
-         if (runloop->is_menu)
+         if (menu_driver_alive())
             rarch_main_set_state(RARCH_ACTION_STATE_MENU_RUNNING_FINISHED);
          else
             rarch_main_set_state(RARCH_ACTION_STATE_MENU_RUNNING);
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ bool event_command(enum event_command cmd)
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
          menu_display_fb_set_dirty();
 
-         if (runloop->is_menu)
+         if (menu_driver_alive())
             event_command(EVENT_CMD_VIDEO_SET_BLOCKING_STATE);
 #endif
          break;
@@ -1387,7 +1387,7 @@ bool event_command(enum event_command cmd)
          event_command(EVENT_CMD_PAUSE_CHECKS);
          break;
       case EVENT_CMD_MENU_PAUSE_LIBRETRO:
-         if (runloop->is_menu)
+         if (menu_driver_alive())
          {
             if (settings->menu.pause_libretro)
                event_command(EVENT_CMD_AUDIO_STOP);
diff --git a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
index 4f4c8d2235..b357e16d44 100644
--- a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
+++ b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
@@ -1723,7 +1723,7 @@ static bool d3d_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (runloop->is_menu)
+   if (menu_driver_alive())
       menu_driver_frame();
 
 #ifdef _XBOX
diff --git a/gfx/drivers/gl.c b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
index ff16e47fb9..2f824ee1a0 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/gl.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
@@ -1613,7 +1613,7 @@ static bool gl_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
    gl_set_prev_texture(gl, &gl->tex_info);
 
 #if defined(HAVE_MENU)
-   if (runloop->is_menu)
+   if (menu_driver_alive())
       menu_driver_frame();
 
    if (gl->menu_texture_enable)
diff --git a/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c b/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c
index ec8fdc47f9..780849de03 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ static bool sdl2_gfx_frame(void *data, const void *frame, unsigned width,
    SDL_RenderCopyEx(vid->renderer, vid->frame.tex, NULL, NULL, vid->rotation, NULL, SDL_FLIP_NONE);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (runloop->is_menu)
+   if (menu_driver_alive())
       menu_driver_frame();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c b/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
index 06298d91d7..adf1cdd189 100644
--- a/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
+++ b/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static void ps3_joypad_poll(void)
          *state_cur |= (state_tmp.button[CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2] & CELL_PAD_CTRL_TRIANGLE) ? (1ULL << RETRO_DEVICE_ID_JOYPAD_X) : 0;
          *state_cur |= (state_tmp.button[CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2] & CELL_PAD_CTRL_SQUARE) ? (1ULL << RETRO_DEVICE_ID_JOYPAD_Y) : 0;
 
-         if (runloop->is_menu)
+         if (menu_driver_alive())
          {
             int value = 0;
             if (cellSysutilGetSystemParamInt(CELL_SYSUTIL_SYSTEMPARAM_ID_ENTER_BUTTON_ASSIGN, &value) == 0)
diff --git a/menu/drivers/glui.c b/menu/drivers/glui.c
index 02c05561db..4c51b15687 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/glui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/glui.c
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ static void glui_frame(void)
    glui = (glui_handle_t*)menu->userdata;
 
    if (menu_needs_refresh()
-         && runloop->is_menu
+         && menu_driver_alive() 
          && !menu->msg_force
          && !glui->box_message[0])
       return;
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rgui.c b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
index cbece07d7c..4ceaeb871d 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rgui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ static void rgui_render(void)
    if (!menu)
       return;
 
-   if (menu_needs_refresh() && runloop->is_menu && !menu->msg_force)
+   if (menu_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_alive() && !menu->msg_force)
       return;
 
    if (runloop->is_idle)
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rmenu.c b/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
index d29a033df0..01e0678e44 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static void rmenu_render(void)
       return;
    }
 
-   if (menu_needs_refresh() && runloop->is_menu
+   if (menu_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_alive() 
          && !menu->msg_force)
       return;
 
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp b/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
index 4c92d84f14..8b7ab0eca1 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
+++ b/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ static void rmenu_xui_render(void)
    if (!menu)
       return;
 	if (menu_needs_refresh() && 
-		runloop->is_menu && !menu->msg_force)
+		menu_driver_alive() && !menu->msg_force)
 		return;
 
    menu_display_fb_unset_dirty();
diff --git a/menu/menu.c b/menu/menu.c
index edc2436d9d..b637bc95c3 100644
--- a/menu/menu.c
+++ b/menu/menu.c
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ void *menu_init(const void *data)
    rarch_assert(menu->msg_queue = msg_queue_new(8));
 
    menu_display_fb_set_dirty();
+   menu_driver_set_alive();
 
    return menu;
 error:
@@ -255,6 +256,8 @@ void menu_free(menu_handle_t *menu)
    if (global->core_info_current)
       free(global->core_info_current);
 
+   menu_driver_unset_alive();
+
    free(menu);
 }
 
@@ -299,7 +302,7 @@ int menu_iterate(retro_input_t input,
 
    ret = menu_entry_iterate(action);
 
-   if (runloop->is_menu && !runloop->is_idle)
+   if (menu_driver_alive() && !runloop->is_idle)
       menu_display_fb();
 
    menu_driver_set_texture();
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.c b/menu/menu_driver.c
index ea51a7d448..fe7a96734e 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.c
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include "../driver.h"
 #include "../general.h"
 
+static bool menu_alive = false;
+
 static const menu_ctx_driver_t *menu_ctx_drivers[] = {
 #if defined(HAVE_RMENU)
    &menu_ctx_rmenu,
@@ -360,3 +362,18 @@ void  menu_driver_navigation_ascend_alphabet(size_t *ptr_out)
    if (driver->navigation_ascend_alphabet)
       driver->navigation_ascend_alphabet(ptr_out);
 }
+
+bool menu_driver_alive(void)
+{
+   return menu_alive;
+}
+
+void menu_driver_set_alive(void)
+{
+   menu_alive = true;
+}
+
+void menu_driver_unset_alive(void)
+{
+   menu_alive = false;
+}
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.h b/menu/menu_driver.h
index 722dd6fdf9..685268ba94 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.h
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.h
@@ -344,6 +344,12 @@ void  menu_driver_list_set_selection(file_list_t *list);
 
 void  menu_driver_context_destroy(void);
 
+bool menu_driver_alive(void);
+
+void menu_driver_set_alive(void);
+
+void menu_driver_unset_alive(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 9839e9572c..8cd2467a92 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -1274,7 +1274,7 @@ void rarch_main_set_state(unsigned cmd)
             }
 
             menu_set_refresh();
-            runloop->is_menu   = true;
+            menu_driver_set_alive();
          }
 #endif
          break;
@@ -1292,8 +1292,7 @@ void rarch_main_set_state(unsigned cmd)
          menu_setting_apply_deferred();
 
          menu_driver_toggle(false);
-
-         runloop->is_menu = false;
+         menu_driver_unset_alive();
 
          driver_set_nonblock_state(driver->nonblock_state);
 
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 8a06ddc37c..d25e871e0c 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -418,10 +418,9 @@ static void check_shader_dir(bool pressed_next, bool pressed_prev)
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
 static void do_state_check_menu_toggle(void)
 {
-   runloop_t *runloop = rarch_main_get_ptr();
    global_t *global   = global_get_ptr();
 
-   if (runloop->is_menu)
+   if (menu_driver_alive())
    {
       if (global->main_is_init && !global->libretro_dummy)
          rarch_main_set_state(RARCH_ACTION_STATE_MENU_RUNNING_FINISHED);
@@ -450,7 +449,7 @@ static int do_pre_state_checks(event_cmd_state_t *cmd)
    if (cmd->overlay_next_pressed)
       event_command(EVENT_CMD_OVERLAY_NEXT);
 
-   if (!runloop->is_paused || runloop->is_menu)
+   if (!runloop->is_paused || menu_driver_alive())
    {
       if (cmd->fullscreen_toggle)
          event_command(EVENT_CMD_FULLSCREEN_TOGGLE);
@@ -1109,7 +1108,7 @@ int rarch_main_iterate(void)
 #endif
    
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (runloop->is_menu)
+   if (menu_driver_alive())
    {
       menu_handle_t *menu = menu_driver_get_ptr();
       if (menu)
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index 1a3c4a9414..2d74ab2a60 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ typedef struct runloop
    bool is_paused;
    bool is_idle;
    bool ui_companion_is_on_foreground;
-   bool is_menu;
    bool is_slowmotion;
 
    struct