diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_get_value.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_get_value.c
index 99e6f75f6e..8238c0b580 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_get_value.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_get_value.c
@@ -1902,7 +1902,7 @@ int menu_cbs_init_bind_get_string_representation(menu_file_list_cbs_t *cbs,
 
    if (cbs->setting)
    {
-      switch (cbs->setting->type)
+      switch (setting_get_type(cbs->setting))
       {
          case ST_BOOL:
             BIND_ACTION_GET_VALUE(cbs,
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_left.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_left.c
index be7d3835dc..826d9b1733 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_left.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_left.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ static int action_left_shader_filter_default(unsigned type, const char *label,
    if (!setting)
       return menu_cbs_exit();
    return menu_action_handle_setting(setting,
-         setting->type, MENU_ACTION_LEFT, wraparound);
+         setting_get_type(setting), MENU_ACTION_LEFT, wraparound);
 #else
    return 0;
 #endif
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ static int menu_cbs_init_bind_left_compare_label(menu_file_list_cbs_t *cbs,
       const char *parent_group   = cbs->setting->parent_group;
 
       if (string_is_equal(parent_group, msg_hash_to_str(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_MAIN_MENU)) 
-               && (cbs->setting->type == ST_GROUP))
+               && (setting_get_type(cbs->setting) == ST_GROUP))
       {
          BIND_ACTION_LEFT(cbs, action_left_mainmenu);
          return 0;
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
index 808153284d..701577a43a 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
@@ -1942,7 +1942,7 @@ static int action_ok_file_load(const char *path,
 
    setting = menu_setting_find(menu_label);
 
-   if (setting && setting->type == ST_PATH)
+   if (setting_get_type(setting) == ST_PATH)
       return action_ok_set_path(path, label, type, idx, entry_idx);
 
    strlcpy(menu_path_new, menu_path, sizeof(menu_path_new));
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c
index bda29d7eb3..85a126e6c9 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c
@@ -285,7 +285,8 @@ static int action_right_shader_filter_default(unsigned type, const char *label,
    rarch_setting_t *setting = menu_setting_find_enum(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_SMOOTH);
    if (!setting)
       return menu_cbs_exit();
-   return menu_action_handle_setting(setting, setting->type, MENU_ACTION_RIGHT,
+   return menu_action_handle_setting(setting,
+         setting_get_type(setting), MENU_ACTION_RIGHT,
          wraparound);
 #else
    return 0;
@@ -526,7 +527,7 @@ static int menu_cbs_init_bind_right_compare_label(menu_file_list_cbs_t *cbs,
       const char *parent_group   = cbs->setting->parent_group;
 
       if (string_is_equal(parent_group, msg_hash_to_str(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_MAIN_MENU)) 
-               && (cbs->setting->type == ST_GROUP))
+               && (setting_get_type(cbs->setting) == ST_GROUP))
       {
          BIND_ACTION_RIGHT(cbs, action_right_scroll);
          return 0;
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_select.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_select.c
index c944aeb1e0..97a62dd642 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_select.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_select.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static int action_select_default(const char *path, const char *label, unsigned t
     
    if (cbs->setting)
    {
-      switch (cbs->setting->type)
+      switch (setting_get_type(cbs->setting))
       {
          case ST_BOOL:
          case ST_INT:
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_title.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_title.c
index d16882e691..e83426263d 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_title.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_title.c
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ static int menu_cbs_init_bind_title_compare_label(menu_file_list_cbs_t *cbs,
       const char *parent_group   = cbs->setting->parent_group;
 
       if (string_is_equal(parent_group, msg_hash_to_str(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_MAIN_MENU)) 
-            && cbs->setting->type == ST_GROUP)
+            && setting_get_type(cbs->setting) == ST_GROUP)
       {
          BIND_ACTION_GET_TITLE(cbs, action_get_title_group_settings);
          return 0;
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index a0f0dc99c2..eca1c64571 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -2221,7 +2221,7 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_settings_internal(void *data,
       bool time_to_exit             = false;
       const char *short_description = setting->short_description;
       const char *name              = setting->name;
-      enum setting_type type        = setting->type;
+      enum setting_type type        = setting_get_type(setting);
       rarch_setting_t **list        = &setting;
 
       switch (parse_type)
@@ -2307,7 +2307,7 @@ loop:
          case PARSE_GROUP:
          case PARSE_ONLY_GROUP:
          case PARSE_SUB_GROUP:
-            if (setting->type == precond)
+            if (setting_get_type(setting) == precond)
                time_to_exit = true;
             break;
          case PARSE_ONLY_BIND:
@@ -2408,7 +2408,7 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_settings_internal_enum(void *data,
       bool time_to_exit             = false;
       const char *short_description = setting->short_description;
       const char *name              = setting->name;
-      enum setting_type type        = setting->type;
+      enum setting_type type        = setting_get_type(setting);
       rarch_setting_t **list        = &setting;
 
       switch (parse_type)
@@ -2494,7 +2494,7 @@ loop:
          case PARSE_GROUP:
          case PARSE_ONLY_GROUP:
          case PARSE_SUB_GROUP:
-            if (setting->type == precond)
+            if (setting_get_type(setting) == precond)
                time_to_exit = true;
             break;
          case PARSE_ONLY_BIND:
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.c b/menu/menu_setting.c
index 9447175451..6c60fda1b1 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.c
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.c
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ int menu_action_handle_setting(rarch_setting_t *setting,
    if (!setting)
       return -1;
 
-   switch (setting->type)
+   switch (setting_get_type(setting))
    {
       case ST_PATH:
          if (action == MENU_ACTION_OK)
@@ -690,9 +690,10 @@ static rarch_setting_t *menu_setting_find_internal(rarch_setting_t *setting,
    uint32_t needle        = msg_hash_calculate(label);
    rarch_setting_t **list = &setting;
 
-   for (; setting->type != ST_NONE; (*list = *list + 1))
+   for (; setting_get_type(setting) != ST_NONE; (*list = *list + 1))
    {
-      if (needle == setting->name_hash && setting->type <= ST_GROUP)
+      if (     (needle                    == setting->name_hash)
+            && (setting_get_type(setting) <= ST_GROUP))
       {
          const char *name              = setting->name;
          const char *short_description = setting->short_description;
@@ -717,9 +718,9 @@ static rarch_setting_t *menu_setting_find_internal_enum(rarch_setting_t *setting
      enum msg_hash_enums enum_idx)
 {
    rarch_setting_t **list = &setting;
-   for (; setting->type != ST_NONE; (*list = *list + 1))
+   for (; setting_get_type(setting) != ST_NONE; (*list = *list + 1))
    {
-      if (setting->enum_idx == enum_idx && setting->type <= ST_GROUP)
+      if (setting->enum_idx == enum_idx && setting_get_type(setting) <= ST_GROUP)
       {
          const char *short_description = setting->short_description;
          if (string_is_empty(short_description))
@@ -773,7 +774,7 @@ int menu_setting_set_flags(rarch_setting_t *setting)
    if (!setting)
       return 0;
 
-   switch (setting->type)
+   switch (setting_get_type(setting))
    {
       case ST_STRING_OPTIONS:
          return MENU_SETTING_STRING_OPTIONS;
@@ -821,7 +822,7 @@ void *setting_get_ptr(rarch_setting_t *setting)
    if (!setting)
       return NULL;
 
-   switch (setting->type)
+   switch (setting_get_type(setting))
    {
       case ST_BOOL:
          return setting->value.target.boolean;
@@ -6308,7 +6309,7 @@ bool menu_setting_free(void *data)
       return false;
 
    /* Free data which was previously tagged */
-   for (; setting->type != ST_NONE; (*list = *list + 1))
+   for (; setting_get_type(setting) != ST_NONE; (*list = *list + 1))
       for (values = setting->free_flags, n = 0; values != 0; values >>= 1, n++)
          if (values & 1)
             switch (1 << n)
@@ -6450,7 +6451,7 @@ bool menu_setting_ctl(enum menu_setting_ctl_state state, void *data)
 
             flags                    = setting->flags;
 
-            if (setting->type != ST_ACTION)
+            if (setting_get_type(setting) != ST_ACTION)
                return false;
 
             if (!setting->change_handler)
diff --git a/menu/widgets/menu_entry.c b/menu/widgets/menu_entry.c
index e327a244d8..1fe68b8f01 100644
--- a/menu/widgets/menu_entry.c
+++ b/menu/widgets/menu_entry.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ enum menu_entry_type menu_entry_get_type(uint32_t i)
 
    if (setting)
    {
-      switch (setting->type)
+      switch (setting_get_type(setting))
       {
          case ST_BOOL:
             return MENU_ENTRY_BOOL;
diff --git a/setting_list.c b/setting_list.c
index 94b7b50776..9949da39c1 100644
--- a/setting_list.c
+++ b/setting_list.c
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ bool settings_list_append(rarch_setting_t **list,
    return true;
 }
 
+enum setting_type setting_get_type(rarch_setting_t *setting)		
+{		
+   if (!setting)		
+      return ST_NONE;		
+   return setting->type;		
+}
+
 unsigned setting_get_bind_type(rarch_setting_t *setting)
 {
    if (!setting)
@@ -309,7 +316,7 @@ int setting_set_with_string_representation(rarch_setting_t* setting,
    max          = setting->max;
    flags        = setting->flags;
 
-   switch (setting->type)
+   switch (setting_get_type(setting))
    {
       case ST_INT:
          sscanf(value, "%d", setting->value.target.integer);
@@ -463,7 +470,7 @@ static void setting_reset_setting(rarch_setting_t* setting)
    if (!setting)
       return;
 
-   switch (setting->type)
+   switch (setting_get_type(setting))
    {
       case ST_BOOL:
          *setting->value.target.boolean          = setting->default_value.boolean;
@@ -486,7 +493,7 @@ static void setting_reset_setting(rarch_setting_t* setting)
       case ST_DIR:
          if (setting->default_value.string)
          {
-            if (setting->type == ST_STRING)
+            if (setting_get_type(setting) == ST_STRING)
                setting_set_with_string_representation(setting, setting->default_value.string);
             else
                fill_pathname_expand_special(setting->value.target.string,
@@ -2020,7 +2027,7 @@ static int setting_generic_action_ok_linefeed(void *data, bool wraparound)
 
    (void)wraparound;
 
-   switch (setting->type)
+   switch (setting_get_type(setting))
    {
       case ST_UINT:
          cb = menu_input_st_uint_cb;
diff --git a/setting_list.h b/setting_list.h
index 0f41fdceed..6ec91a4aad 100644
--- a/setting_list.h
+++ b/setting_list.h
@@ -414,6 +414,8 @@ void settings_data_list_current_add_free_flags(
       rarch_setting_info_t *list_info,
       unsigned values);
 
+enum setting_type setting_get_type(rarch_setting_t *setting);
+
 rarch_setting_t setting_terminator_setting(void);
 
 RETRO_END_DECLS