diff --git a/command_event.c b/command_event.c
index bc17996330..0e21bc0b02 100644
--- a/command_event.c
+++ b/command_event.c
@@ -1029,7 +1029,7 @@ bool event_command(enum event_command cmd)
          break;
       case EVENT_CMD_MENU_TOGGLE:
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-         if (menu_driver_alive())
+         if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_MENU_RUNNING_FINISHED, NULL);
          else
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_MENU_RUNNING, NULL);
@@ -1096,7 +1096,7 @@ bool event_command(enum event_command cmd)
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
             menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_FRAMEBUFFER_DIRTY_FLAG, NULL);
 
-            if (menu_driver_alive())
+            if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
                event_command(EVENT_CMD_VIDEO_SET_BLOCKING_STATE);
 #endif
          }
@@ -1384,7 +1384,7 @@ bool event_command(enum event_command cmd)
          break;
       case EVENT_CMD_MENU_PAUSE_LIBRETRO:
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-         if (menu_driver_alive())
+         if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
          {
             if (settings->menu.pause_libretro)
                event_command(EVENT_CMD_AUDIO_STOP);
diff --git a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
index b0be1bd487..634e9c1d70 100644
--- a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
+++ b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
@@ -1527,7 +1527,7 @@ static bool d3d_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (menu_driver_alive())
+   if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
       menu_driver_frame();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/gfx/drivers/gl.c b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
index 0b4a5ee7a2..02afb85930 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/gl.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
@@ -1790,7 +1790,7 @@ static bool gl_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
 #if defined(HAVE_MENU)
    if (gl->menu_texture_enable)
    {
-      if (menu_driver_alive())
+      if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
          menu_driver_frame();
 
       if (gl->menu_texture_enable)
diff --git a/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c b/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c
index f31131eb66..e9f1c15291 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/sdl2_gfx.c
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ static bool sdl2_gfx_frame(void *data, const void *frame, unsigned width,
    SDL_RenderCopyEx(vid->renderer, vid->frame.tex, NULL, NULL, vid->rotation, NULL, SDL_FLIP_NONE);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (menu_driver_alive())
+   if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
       menu_driver_frame();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c b/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
index 02a63eb957..0f619ac1a4 100644
--- a/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
+++ b/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ static void ps3_joypad_poll(void)
          *state_cur |= (state_tmp.button[CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2] & CELL_PAD_CTRL_TRIANGLE) ? (UINT64_C(1) << RETRO_DEVICE_ID_JOYPAD_X) : 0;
          *state_cur |= (state_tmp.button[CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2] & CELL_PAD_CTRL_SQUARE) ? (UINT64_C(1) << RETRO_DEVICE_ID_JOYPAD_Y) : 0;
 
-         if (menu_driver_alive())
+         if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
          {
             int value = 0;
             if (cellSysutilGetSystemParamInt(CELL_SYSUTIL_SYSTEMPARAM_ID_ENTER_BUTTON_ASSIGN, &value) == 0)
diff --git a/input/input_overlay.c b/input/input_overlay.c
index 97e9b05922..a9a922dd69 100644
--- a/input/input_overlay.c
+++ b/input/input_overlay.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ static void input_overlay_loaded(void *task_data, void *user_data, const char *e
       return;
 
    /* We can't display when the menu is up */
-   if (settings->input.overlay_hide_in_menu && menu_driver_alive())
+   if (settings->input.overlay_hide_in_menu && menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
    {
       if (!input_driver_ctl(RARCH_INPUT_CTL_IS_OSK_ENABLED, NULL)
             && settings->input.overlay_enable)
diff --git a/menu/drivers/menu_generic.c b/menu/drivers/menu_generic.c
index 0d918f0430..4bd5b7e5d4 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/menu_generic.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/menu_generic.c
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ int menu_iterate_render(void)
          driver->render();
    }
 
-   if (menu_driver_alive() && !runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_IDLE, NULL))
+   if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL) && !runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_IDLE, NULL))
       menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_LIBRETRO, NULL);
 
    menu_driver_set_texture();
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rgui.c b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
index c73931a9ee..f0002b385e 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rgui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ static void rgui_render(void)
    {
       menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
 
-      if (menu_entries_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_alive() && !msg_force)
+      if (menu_entries_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL) && !msg_force)
          return;
 
       if (runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_IDLE, NULL))
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rmenu.c b/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
index 4ea4562007..9aec9db60d 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ static void rmenu_render(void)
 
    menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
 
-   if (menu_entries_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_alive() 
+   if (menu_entries_needs_refresh()
+         && menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL)
          && !msg_force)
       return;
 
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp b/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
index 165a26622c..c6ebc5449c 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
+++ b/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
@@ -548,9 +548,9 @@ static void rmenu_xui_render(void)
    if (!menu)
       return;
    if (
-         menu_entries_needs_refresh() && 
-         menu_driver_alive() &&
-         !msg_force
+         menu_entries_needs_refresh() 
+         && menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL)
+         && !msg_force
       )
 		return;
 
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.c b/menu/menu_driver.c
index 5ad7feea6b..b4ea433549 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.c
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.c
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ static const menu_ctx_driver_t *menu_ctx_drivers[] = {
    NULL
 };
 
-static bool menu_alive = false;
 static menu_handle_t *menu_driver_data;
 static const menu_ctx_driver_t *menu_driver_ctx;
 
@@ -268,11 +267,6 @@ void menu_driver_free(menu_handle_t *menu)
       driver->free(menu);
 }
 
-bool menu_driver_alive(void)
-{
-   return menu_alive;
-}
-
 int menu_driver_iterate(enum menu_action action)
 {
    const menu_ctx_driver_t *driver = menu_ctx_driver_get_ptr();
@@ -292,9 +286,12 @@ void menu_driver_toggle(bool latch)
    if (menu_driver->toggle)
       menu_driver->toggle(latch);
 
-   menu_alive = latch;
+   if (latch)
+      menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_ALIVE, NULL);
+   else
+      menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_UNSET_ALIVE, NULL);
 
-   if (menu_alive == true)
+   if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
    {
       menu_entries_set_refresh(false);
 
@@ -373,10 +370,19 @@ int menu_driver_pointer_tap(unsigned x, unsigned y, unsigned ptr,
 
 bool menu_driver_ctl(enum rarch_menu_ctl_state state, void *data)
 {
+   static bool menu_driver_alive                  = false;
    static bool menu_driver_data_own               = false;
 
    switch (state)
    {
+      case RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_ALIVE:
+         menu_driver_alive = true;
+         break;
+      case RARCH_MENU_CTL_UNSET_ALIVE:
+         menu_driver_alive = false;
+         break;
+      case RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE:
+         return menu_driver_alive;
       case RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_OWN_DRIVER:
          menu_driver_data_own = true;
          break;
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.h b/menu/menu_driver.h
index 38d7e0cfdb..b161ed401f 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.h
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.h
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ enum rarch_menu_ctl_state
 {
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_NONE = 0,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_DEINIT,
+   RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_ALIVE,
+   RARCH_MENU_CTL_UNSET_ALIVE,
+   RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_SET_TEXTURE,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_OWN_DRIVER,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_UNSET_OWN_DRIVER,
@@ -222,8 +225,6 @@ const menu_ctx_driver_t *menu_ctx_driver_get_ptr(void);
 
 void  menu_driver_context_destroy(void);
 
-bool menu_driver_alive(void);
-
 bool menu_driver_list_push(menu_displaylist_info_t *info, unsigned type);
 
 size_t  menu_driver_list_get_selection(void);
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 0f64595f58..999cfc5409 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -1106,7 +1106,7 @@ int rarch_main_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
    {
       bool fullscreen_toggled = !runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_PAUSED, NULL);
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-      fullscreen_toggled = fullscreen_toggled || menu_driver_alive();
+      fullscreen_toggled = fullscreen_toggled || menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL);
 #endif
 
       if (fullscreen_toggled)
@@ -1119,7 +1119,7 @@ int rarch_main_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
    if (cmd.menu_pressed || (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
    {
-      if (menu_driver_alive())
+      if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
       {
          if (global->inited.main && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_MENU_RUNNING_FINISHED, NULL);
@@ -1141,7 +1141,7 @@ int rarch_main_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
 
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (menu_driver_alive())
+   if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
    {
       bool focused = runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_CHECK_FOCUS, NULL) && !ui_companion_is_on_foreground();
       bool is_idle = runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_IDLE, NULL);