diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index e326bec051..80d6fa1ce2 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -1683,8 +1683,7 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_horizontal_list(menu_displaylist_info_t *info)
    strlcpy(lpl_basename, item->path, sizeof(lpl_basename));
    path_remove_extension(lpl_basename);
 
-   if (menu->playlist)
-      content_playlist_free(menu->playlist);
+   menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_PLAYLIST_FREE, NULL);
 
    fill_pathname_join(path_playlist,
          settings->playlist_directory, item->path,
@@ -2916,8 +2915,7 @@ int menu_displaylist_push_list(menu_displaylist_info_t *info, unsigned type)
             char path_playlist[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
             content_playlist_t *playlist        = NULL;
 
-            if (menu->playlist)
-               content_playlist_free(menu->playlist);
+            menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_PLAYLIST_FREE, NULL);
 
             fill_pathname_join(path_playlist,
                   settings->playlist_directory, info->path,
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.c b/menu/menu_driver.c
index 5da92bdbfd..b85bbc3c58 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.c
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.c
@@ -537,18 +537,12 @@ void menu_free(menu_handle_t *menu)
    if (!menu)
       return;
 
-   if (menu->playlist)
-      content_playlist_free(menu->playlist);
-   menu->playlist = NULL;
-  
+   menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_PLAYLIST_FREE, NULL);
    menu_shader_free(menu);
-
    menu_input_ctl(MENU_INPUT_CTL_DEINIT, NULL);
    menu_navigation_ctl(MENU_NAVIGATION_CTL_DEINIT, NULL);
    menu_driver_free(menu);
-
    menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_SYSTEM_INFO_DEINIT, NULL);
-
    menu_display_free();
    menu_entries_free();
 
@@ -666,6 +660,13 @@ bool menu_driver_ctl(enum rarch_menu_ctl_state state, void *data)
          menu_driver_data_own         = false;
          menu_driver_ctx              = NULL;
          break;
+      case RARCH_MENU_CTL_PLAYLIST_FREE:
+         if (!menu_driver_data)
+            return false;
+         if (menu_driver_data->playlist)
+            content_playlist_free(menu_driver_data->playlist);
+         menu_driver_data->playlist = NULL;
+         break;
       case RARCH_MENU_CTL_PLAYLIST_GET:
          {
             content_playlist_t **playlist = (content_playlist_t**)data;
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.h b/menu/menu_driver.h
index 8e9afbb7f3..3e6c2adbd9 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.h
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ enum rarch_menu_ctl_state
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_UNSET_LOAD_NO_CONTENT,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_SYSTEM_INFO_DEINIT,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_SYSTEM_INFO_GET,
+   RARCH_MENU_CTL_PLAYLIST_FREE,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_PLAYLIST_GET
 };