diff --git a/command_event.c b/command_event.c
index ee68c978ee..785f185724 100644
--- a/command_event.c
+++ b/command_event.c
@@ -533,13 +533,13 @@ static bool event_init_content(void)
    if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
       return true;
 
-   if (!global->inited.core.no_content)
+   if (!content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL))
       rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_FILL_PATHNAMES, NULL);
 
    if (!content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_INIT, NULL))
       return false;
 
-   if (global->inited.core.no_content)
+   if (content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL))
       return true;
 
    event_set_savestate_auto_index();
@@ -579,14 +579,15 @@ static bool event_init_core(void)
       config_load_remap();
 
    /* per-core saves: reset redirection paths */
-   if((settings->sort_savestates_enable || settings->sort_savefiles_enable) && !global->inited.core.no_content)
+   if((settings->sort_savestates_enable || settings->sort_savefiles_enable) 
+         && !content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL))
       rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_PATHS_REDIRECT, NULL);
 
    rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_VERIFY_API_VERSION, NULL);
    core.retro_init();
 
-   global->sram.use = (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_PLAIN) &&
-      !global->inited.core.no_content;
+   global->sram.use = (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_PLAIN) 
+      && !content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL);
 
    if (!event_init_content())
       return false;
@@ -604,10 +605,12 @@ static bool event_save_auto_state(void)
    settings_t *settings = config_get_ptr();
    global_t   *global   = global_get_ptr();
 
-   if (!settings->savestate_auto_save ||
-         (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY) ||
-       global->inited.core.no_content)
-       return false;
+   if (!settings->savestate_auto_save)
+      return false;
+   if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
+      return false;
+   if (content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL))
+      return false;
 
    fill_pathname_noext(savestate_name_auto, global->name.savestate,
          ".auto", sizeof(savestate_name_auto));
diff --git a/content.c b/content.c
index ddf212bf03..f36e7d3def 100644
--- a/content.c
+++ b/content.c
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ static bool init_content_file_set_attribs(
       attr.i              |= system->info.need_fullpath << 1;
       attr.i              |= (!system->no_content)      << 2;
 
-      if (global->inited.core.no_content 
+      if (content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL)
             && settings->core.set_supports_no_game_enable)
          string_list_append(content, "", attr);
       else
@@ -754,9 +754,15 @@ bool content_ctl(enum content_ctl_state state, void *data)
    unsigned i;
    static struct string_list *temporary_content = NULL;
    static bool content_is_inited                = false;
+   static bool core_does_not_need_content       = false;
 
    switch(state)
    {
+      case CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT:
+         return core_does_not_need_content;
+      case CONTENT_CTL_SET_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT:
+         core_does_not_need_content = true;
+         break;
       case CONTENT_CTL_LOAD_STATE:
          {
             const char *path = (const char*)data;
@@ -775,8 +781,9 @@ bool content_ctl(enum content_ctl_state state, void *data)
          return content_is_inited;
       case CONTENT_CTL_DEINIT:
          content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_TEMPORARY_FREE, NULL);
-         content_is_inited = false;
-         return true;
+         content_is_inited          = false;
+         core_does_not_need_content = false;
+         break;
       case CONTENT_CTL_INIT:
          content_is_inited = false;
          if (content_init_file(temporary_content))
diff --git a/content.h b/content.h
index a8403abe72..6918442acc 100644
--- a/content.h
+++ b/content.h
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ enum content_ctl_state
 
    CONTENT_CTL_IS_INITED,
 
+   CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT,
+
+   CONTENT_CTL_SET_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT,
+
    /* Initializes and loads a content file for the currently
     * selected libretro core. */
    CONTENT_CTL_INIT,
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 65d58e619f..f73a85476e 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include <file/file_path.h>
 #include <retro_stat.h>
 
+#include "content.h"
 #include "core_info.h"
 #include "msg_hash.h"
 #include "movie.h"
@@ -618,7 +619,6 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
       { NULL, 0, NULL, 0 }
    };
 
-   global->inited.core.no_content        = false;
    global->inited.core.type              = CORE_TYPE_PLAIN;
    *global->subsystem                    = '\0';
    global->has_set.save_path             = false;
@@ -966,8 +966,7 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
    else if (*global->subsystem && optind < argc)
       set_special_paths(argv + optind, argc - optind);
    else
-      global->inited.core.no_content = true;
-
+      content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_SET_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL);
 
    /* Copy SRM/state dirs used, so they can be reused on reentrancy. */
    if (global->has_set.save_path &&
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index 94a50d18ae..283bd4d460 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -287,7 +287,6 @@ typedef struct global
       bool main;
       struct
       {
-         bool no_content;
          enum rarch_core_type type;
       } core;
    } inited;