diff --git a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
index 6107d6d98a..84a24e1e4f 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
@@ -585,6 +585,16 @@ void fill_pathname_join(char *out_path,
    retro_assert(strlcat(out_path, path, size) < size);
 }
 
+void fill_pathname_join_special_ext(char *out_path,
+      const char *dir,  const char *path,
+      const char *last, const char *ext,
+      size_t size)
+{
+   fill_pathname_join(out_path, dir, path, size);
+   fill_string_join(out_path, last, size);
+   strlcat(out_path, ext, size);
+}
+
 void fill_pathname_join_concat(char *out_path,
       const char *dir, const char *path, 
       const char *concat,
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h b/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h
index 236991534a..9e753c0096 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h
@@ -310,6 +310,11 @@ void fill_pathname_resolve_relative(char *out_path, const char *in_refpath,
 void fill_pathname_join(char *out_path, const char *dir,
       const char *path, size_t size);
 
+void fill_pathname_join_special_ext(char *out_path,
+      const char *dir,  const char *path,
+      const char *last, const char *ext,
+      size_t size);
+
 void fill_pathname_join_concat(char *out_path,
       const char *dir, const char *path, 
       const char *concat,
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index da8b473ef0..b1d18ad545 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -1219,11 +1219,10 @@ bool retroarch_validate_game_options(char *s, size_t len, bool mkdir)
          APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_CONFIG);
 
    /* Concatenate strings into full paths for game_path */
-   fill_pathname_join(s,
-         config_directory, core_name, len);
-   fill_string_join(s, game_name, len);
-   strlcat(s,
-         file_path_str(FILE_PATH_OPT_EXTENSION), len);
+   fill_pathname_join_special_ext(s,
+         config_directory, core_name, game_name,
+         file_path_str(FILE_PATH_OPT_EXTENSION),
+         len);
 
    fill_pathname_join(core_path,
          config_directory, core_name, sizeof(core_path));