diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.c b/menu/menu_driver.c
index 822f8dfe8d..49735d81b9 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.c
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.c
@@ -551,9 +551,7 @@ void menu_free(menu_handle_t *menu)
    if (global->core_info.list)
       core_info_list_free(global->core_info.list);
 
-   if (global->core_info.current)
-      free(global->core_info.current);
-   global->core_info.current = NULL;
+   runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_FREE, NULL);
 
    free(menu);
 }
@@ -606,8 +604,7 @@ void *menu_init(const void *data)
    if (!menu_entries_init(menu))
       goto error;
 
-   global->core_info.current = (core_info_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(core_info_t));
-   if (!global->core_info.current)
+   if (!runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_INIT, NULL))
       goto error;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SHADER_MANAGER
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 1813046706..f0fa5d973e 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -1629,7 +1629,7 @@ int rarch_defer_core(void *data, const char *dir,
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
    if (menu_label_hash == MENU_LABEL_LOAD_CONTENT)
    {
-      info = (const core_info_t*)&global->core_info.current;
+      runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_GET, (void*)&info);
 
       if (info)
       {
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 82c9af1379..6e25f83a4e 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -521,6 +521,26 @@ bool runloop_ctl(enum runloop_ctl_state state, void *data)
          return true;
       case RUNLOOP_CTL_HAS_CORE_OPTIONS:
          return runloop_system.core_options;
+      case RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_FREE:
+         {
+            global_t *global   = global_get_ptr();
+            if (!global)
+               return false;
+            if (global->core_info.current)
+               free(global->core_info.current);
+            global->core_info.current = NULL;
+         }
+         return true;
+      case RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_INIT:
+         {
+            global_t *global   = global_get_ptr();
+            if (!global)
+               return false;
+            global->core_info.current = (core_info_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(core_info_t));
+            if (!global->core_info.current)
+               return false;
+         }
+         return true;
       case RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_GET:
          {
             global_t *global   = global_get_ptr();
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index 6ec0812ce9..211ae357c7 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ enum runloop_ctl_state
    RUNLOOP_CTL_SET_PERFCNT_ENABLE,
    RUNLOOP_CTL_UNSET_PERFCNT_ENABLE,
    RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_PERFCNT_ENABLE,
+   RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_FREE,
+   RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_INIT,
    RUNLOOP_CTL_CURRENT_CORE_GET,
    RUNLOOP_CTL_DATA_DEINIT,
    /* Checks for state changes in this frame. */