diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index a1fe91be01..729bdec58e 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@
 #include "config.def.keybinds.h"
 
 #include "runtime_file.h"
+#include "runloop.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include "config.h"
@@ -283,6 +284,14 @@
 #include "lakka.h"
 #endif
 
+static runloop_core_status_msg_t runloop_core_status_msg         =
+{
+   0,
+   0.0f,
+   "",
+   false
+};
+
 static runloop_state_t runloop_state;
 
 /* GLOBAL POINTER GETTERS */
@@ -28349,7 +28358,7 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
          }
       }
 
-      if (TIME_TO_EXIT(trig_quit_key))
+      if (RUNLOOP_TIME_TO_EXIT(trig_quit_key))
       {
          bool quit_runloop           = false;
 #ifdef HAVE_SCREENSHOTS
diff --git a/retroarch.h b/retroarch.h
index 06cd5c265d..9a01d8c722 100644
--- a/retroarch.h
+++ b/retroarch.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*  RetroArch - A frontend for libretro.
  *  Copyright (C) 2010-2014 - Hans-Kristian Arntzen
- *  Copyright (C) 2011-2016 - Daniel De Matteis
+ *  Copyright (C) 2011-2021 - Daniel De Matteis
  *  Copyright (C) 2016-2019 - Brad Parker
  *
  *  RetroArch is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms
diff --git a/retroarch_data.h b/retroarch_data.h
index 58f2609379..d9273cdb13 100644
--- a/retroarch_data.h
+++ b/retroarch_data.h
@@ -148,30 +148,12 @@
 
 #define VIDEO_DRIVER_GET_HW_CONTEXT_INTERNAL(p_rarch) (&p_rarch->hw_render)
 
-#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
-#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_LOCK(runloop) slock_lock(runloop.msg_queue_lock)
-#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_UNLOCK(runloop) slock_unlock(runloop.msg_queue_lock)
-#else
-#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_LOCK(p_runloop)
-#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_UNLOCK(p_runloop)
-#endif
-
 #ifdef HAVE_BSV_MOVIE
 #define BSV_MOVIE_IS_EOF(p_rarch) || (p_rarch->bsv_movie_state.movie_end && p_rarch->bsv_movie_state.eof_exit)
 #else
 #define BSV_MOVIE_IS_EOF(p_rarch)
 #endif
 
-/* Time to exit out of the main loop?
- * Reasons for exiting:
- * a) Shutdown environment callback was invoked.
- * b) Quit key was pressed.
- * c) Frame count exceeds or equals maximum amount of frames to run.
- * d) Video driver no longer alive.
- * e) End of BSV movie and BSV EOF exit is true. (TODO/FIXME - explain better)
- */
-#define TIME_TO_EXIT(quit_key_pressed) (runloop_state.shutdown_initiated || quit_key_pressed || !is_alive BSV_MOVIE_IS_EOF(p_rarch) || ((runloop_state.max_frames != 0) && (frame_count >= runloop_state.max_frames)) || runloop_exec)
-
 /* Depends on ASCII character values */
 #define ISPRINT(c) (((int)(c) >= ' ' && (int)(c) <= '~') ? 1 : 0)
 
@@ -926,15 +908,6 @@ enum
    RA_OPT_LOAD_MENU_ON_ERROR
 };
 
-enum  runloop_state
-{
-   RUNLOOP_STATE_ITERATE = 0,
-   RUNLOOP_STATE_POLLED_AND_SLEEP,
-   RUNLOOP_STATE_MENU_ITERATE,
-   RUNLOOP_STATE_END,
-   RUNLOOP_STATE_QUIT
-};
-
 enum rarch_movie_type
 {
    RARCH_MOVIE_PLAYBACK = 0,
@@ -957,22 +930,6 @@ enum input_game_focus_cmd_type
    GAME_FOCUS_CMD_REAPPLY
 };
 
-typedef struct runloop_ctx_msg_info
-{
-   const char *msg;
-   unsigned prio;
-   unsigned duration;
-   bool flush;
-} runloop_ctx_msg_info_t;
-
-typedef struct
-{
-   unsigned priority;
-   float duration;
-   char str[128];
-   bool set;
-} runloop_core_status_msg_t;
-
 typedef struct video_pixel_scaler
 {
    struct scaler_ctx *scaler;
@@ -1052,83 +1009,6 @@ struct discord_state
 typedef struct discord_state discord_state_t;
 #endif
 
-/* Contains all callbacks associated with
- * core options.
- * > At present there is only a single
- *   callback, 'update_display' - but we
- *   may wish to add more in the future
- *   (e.g. for directly informing a core of
- *   core option value changes, or getting/
- *   setting extended/non-standard option
- *   value data types) */
-typedef struct core_options_callbacks
-{
-   retro_core_options_update_display_callback_t update_display;
-} core_options_callbacks_t;
-
-/* Contains the current retro_fastforwarding_override
- * parameters along with any pending updates triggered
- * by RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_FASTFORWARDING_OVERRIDE */
-typedef struct fastmotion_overrides
-{
-   struct retro_fastforwarding_override current;
-   struct retro_fastforwarding_override next;
-   bool pending;
-} fastmotion_overrides_t;
-
-struct runloop
-{
-   retro_usec_t frame_time_last;        /* int64_t alignment */
-
-   msg_queue_t msg_queue;                        /* ptr alignment */
-#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
-   slock_t *msg_queue_lock;
-#endif
-   size_t msg_queue_size;
-
-   core_option_manager_t *core_options;
-   core_options_callbacks_t core_options_callback; /* ptr alignment */
-
-   retro_keyboard_event_t key_event;             /* ptr alignment */
-   retro_keyboard_event_t frontend_key_event;    /* ptr alignment */
-
-   rarch_system_info_t system;                   /* ptr alignment */
-   struct retro_frame_time_callback frame_time;  /* ptr alignment */
-   struct retro_audio_buffer_status_callback audio_buffer_status; /* ptr alignment */
-   unsigned pending_windowed_scale;
-   unsigned max_frames;
-   unsigned audio_latency;
-
-   fastmotion_overrides_t fastmotion_override; /* float alignment */
-
-   bool missing_bios;
-   bool force_nonblock;
-   bool paused;
-   bool idle;
-   bool focused;
-   bool slowmotion;
-   bool fastmotion;
-   bool shutdown_initiated;
-   bool core_shutdown_initiated;
-   bool core_running;
-   bool perfcnt_enable;
-   bool game_options_active;
-   bool folder_options_active;
-   bool autosave;
-#ifdef HAVE_CONFIGFILE
-   bool overrides_active;
-#endif
-   bool remaps_core_active;
-   bool remaps_game_active;
-   bool remaps_content_dir_active;
-#ifdef HAVE_SCREENSHOTS
-   bool max_frames_screenshot;
-   char max_frames_screenshot_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
-#endif
-};
-
-typedef struct runloop runloop_state_t;
-
 struct rarch_state
 {
    input_driver_state_t input_driver_state;
@@ -1691,14 +1571,6 @@ static struct rarch_state         rarch_st;
 static const void *MAGIC_POINTER                                 = (void*)(uintptr_t)0x0DEFACED;
 #endif
 
-static runloop_core_status_msg_t runloop_core_status_msg         =
-{
-   0,
-   0.0f,
-   "",
-   false
-};
-
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBNX
 /* TODO/FIXME - public global variable */
 extern u32 __nx_applet_type;
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6c37ffa485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+/*  RetroArch - A frontend for libretro.
+ *  Copyright (C) 2010-2014 - Hans-Kristian Arntzen
+ *  Copyright (C) 2011-2021 - Daniel De Matteis
+ *
+ *  RetroArch is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms
+ *  of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Found-
+ *  ation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *  RetroArch is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
+ *  without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+ *  PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with RetroArch.
+ *  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#ifndef __RUNLOOP_H
+#define __RUNLOOP_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include <boolean.h>
+#include <retro_inline.h>
+#include <retro_common_api.h>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+
+#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
+#include <rthreads/rthreads.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "core_option_manager.h"
+
+enum  runloop_state
+{
+   RUNLOOP_STATE_ITERATE = 0,
+   RUNLOOP_STATE_POLLED_AND_SLEEP,
+   RUNLOOP_STATE_MENU_ITERATE,
+   RUNLOOP_STATE_END,
+   RUNLOOP_STATE_QUIT
+};
+
+typedef struct runloop_ctx_msg_info
+{
+   const char *msg;
+   unsigned prio;
+   unsigned duration;
+   bool flush;
+} runloop_ctx_msg_info_t;
+
+/* Contains the current retro_fastforwarding_override
+ * parameters along with any pending updates triggered
+ * by RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_FASTFORWARDING_OVERRIDE */
+typedef struct fastmotion_overrides
+{
+   struct retro_fastforwarding_override current;
+   struct retro_fastforwarding_override next;
+   bool pending;
+} fastmotion_overrides_t;
+
+typedef struct
+{
+   unsigned priority;
+   float duration;
+   char str[128];
+   bool set;
+} runloop_core_status_msg_t;
+
+/* Contains all callbacks associated with
+ * core options.
+ * > At present there is only a single
+ *   callback, 'update_display' - but we
+ *   may wish to add more in the future
+ *   (e.g. for directly informing a core of
+ *   core option value changes, or getting/
+ *   setting extended/non-standard option
+ *   value data types) */
+typedef struct core_options_callbacks
+{
+   retro_core_options_update_display_callback_t update_display;
+} core_options_callbacks_t;
+
+struct runloop
+{
+   retro_usec_t frame_time_last;        /* int64_t alignment */
+
+   msg_queue_t msg_queue;                        /* ptr alignment */
+#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
+   slock_t *msg_queue_lock;
+#endif
+   size_t msg_queue_size;
+
+   core_option_manager_t *core_options;
+   core_options_callbacks_t core_options_callback; /* ptr alignment */
+
+   retro_keyboard_event_t key_event;             /* ptr alignment */
+   retro_keyboard_event_t frontend_key_event;    /* ptr alignment */
+
+   rarch_system_info_t system;                   /* ptr alignment */
+   struct retro_frame_time_callback frame_time;  /* ptr alignment */
+   struct retro_audio_buffer_status_callback audio_buffer_status; /* ptr alignment */
+   unsigned pending_windowed_scale;
+   unsigned max_frames;
+   unsigned audio_latency;
+
+   fastmotion_overrides_t fastmotion_override; /* float alignment */
+
+   bool missing_bios;
+   bool force_nonblock;
+   bool paused;
+   bool idle;
+   bool focused;
+   bool slowmotion;
+   bool fastmotion;
+   bool shutdown_initiated;
+   bool core_shutdown_initiated;
+   bool core_running;
+   bool perfcnt_enable;
+   bool game_options_active;
+   bool folder_options_active;
+   bool autosave;
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIGFILE
+   bool overrides_active;
+#endif
+   bool remaps_core_active;
+   bool remaps_game_active;
+   bool remaps_content_dir_active;
+#ifdef HAVE_SCREENSHOTS
+   bool max_frames_screenshot;
+   char max_frames_screenshot_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+#endif
+};
+
+typedef struct runloop runloop_state_t;
+
+#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
+#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_LOCK(runloop) slock_lock(runloop.msg_queue_lock)
+#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_UNLOCK(runloop) slock_unlock(runloop.msg_queue_lock)
+#else
+#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_LOCK(p_runloop)
+#define RUNLOOP_MSG_QUEUE_UNLOCK(p_runloop)
+#endif
+
+/* Time to exit out of the main loop?
+ * Reasons for exiting:
+ * a) Shutdown environment callback was invoked.
+ * b) Quit key was pressed.
+ * c) Frame count exceeds or equals maximum amount of frames to run.
+ * d) Video driver no longer alive.
+ * e) End of BSV movie and BSV EOF exit is true. (TODO/FIXME - explain better)
+ */
+#define RUNLOOP_TIME_TO_EXIT(quit_key_pressed) (runloop_state.shutdown_initiated || quit_key_pressed || !is_alive BSV_MOVIE_IS_EOF(p_rarch) || ((runloop_state.max_frames != 0) && (frame_count >= runloop_state.max_frames)) || runloop_exec)
+
+RETRO_BEGIN_DECLS
+
+RETRO_END_DECLS
+
+#endif