diff --git a/configuration.c b/configuration.c
index c7e037f926..afcf09e99a 100644
--- a/configuration.c
+++ b/configuration.c
@@ -1172,11 +1172,11 @@ static void config_set_defaults(void)
    *settings->directory.audio_filter = '\0';
 
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_UPS_PREF))
-      global->patch.ups_pref = false;
+      rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_UPS_PREF, NULL);
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_BPS_PREF))
-      global->patch.bps_pref = false;
+      rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BPS_PREF, NULL);
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_IPS_PREF))
-      global->patch.ips_pref = false;
+      rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_IPS_PREF, NULL);
 
    *global->record.output_dir = '\0';
    *global->record.config_dir = '\0';
@@ -1772,17 +1772,26 @@ static bool config_load_file(const char *path, bool set_defaults,
 
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_UPS_PREF))
    {
-      CONFIG_GET_BOOL_BASE(conf, global, patch.ups_pref, "ups_pref");
+      if (config_get_bool(conf, "ups_pref", &tmp_bool))
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_UPS_PREF, NULL);
+      else
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_UPS_PREF, NULL);
    }
 
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_BPS_PREF))
    {
-      CONFIG_GET_BOOL_BASE(conf, global, patch.bps_pref, "bps_pref");
+      if (config_get_bool(conf, "bps_pref", &tmp_bool))
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_BPS_PREF, NULL);
+      else
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BPS_PREF, NULL);
    }
 
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_IPS_PREF))
    {
-      CONFIG_GET_BOOL_BASE(conf, global, patch.ips_pref, "ips_pref");
+      if (config_get_bool(conf, "ips_pref", &tmp_bool))
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_IPS_PREF, NULL);
+      else
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_IPS_PREF, NULL);
    }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_NETPLAY
@@ -2971,11 +2980,11 @@ bool config_save_file(const char *path)
 #endif
 
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_UPS_PREF))
-      config_set_bool(conf, "ups_pref", global->patch.ups_pref);
+      config_set_bool(conf, "ups_pref", rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_UPS_PREF, NULL));
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_BPS_PREF))
-      config_set_bool(conf, "bps_pref", global->patch.bps_pref);
+      config_set_bool(conf, "bps_pref", rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_BPS_PREF, NULL));
    if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_IPS_PREF))
-      config_set_bool(conf, "ips_pref", global->patch.ips_pref);
+      config_set_bool(conf, "ips_pref", rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_IPS_PREF, NULL));
    config_set_bool(conf, "log_verbosity",
          verbosity_is_enabled());
    config_set_bool(conf, "perfcnt_enable",
diff --git a/patch.c b/patch.c
index c302295e41..ce2f7c5d86 100644
--- a/patch.c
+++ b/patch.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 #include "msg_hash.h"
 #include "patch.h"
+#include "retroarch.h"
 #include "runloop.h"
 #include "verbosity.h"
 
@@ -555,7 +556,7 @@ error:
 static bool try_bps_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
    global_t *global = global_get_ptr();
-   bool allow_bps   = !global->patch.ups_pref && !global->patch.ips_pref;
+   bool allow_bps   = !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_UPS_PREF, NULL) && !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_IPS_PREF, NULL);
 
    if (!allow_bps || string_is_empty(global->name.bps))
       return false;
@@ -567,7 +568,7 @@ static bool try_bps_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 static bool try_ups_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
    global_t *global = global_get_ptr();
-   bool allow_ups   = !global->patch.bps_pref && !global->patch.ips_pref;
+   bool allow_ups   = !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_BPS_PREF, NULL) && !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_IPS_PREF, NULL);
 
    if (!allow_ups || string_is_empty(global->name.ups))
       return false;
@@ -579,7 +580,7 @@ static bool try_ups_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 static bool try_ips_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
    global_t *global = global_get_ptr();
-   bool allow_ips   = !global->patch.ups_pref && !global->patch.bps_pref;
+   bool allow_ips   = !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_UPS_PREF, NULL) && !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_BPS_PREF, NULL);
 
    if (!allow_ips || string_is_empty(global->name.ips))
       return false;
@@ -598,11 +599,9 @@ static bool try_ips_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
  **/
 void patch_content(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
-   global_t *global = global_get_ptr();
-
-   if (    global->patch.ips_pref 
-         + global->patch.bps_pref 
-         + global->patch.ups_pref > 1)
+   if (    (unsigned)rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_IPS_PREF, NULL) 
+         + (unsigned)rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_BPS_PREF, NULL) 
+         + (unsigned)rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_UPS_PREF, NULL) > 1)
    {
       RARCH_WARN("%s\n",
             msg_hash_to_str(MSG_SEVERAL_PATCHES_ARE_EXPLICITLY_DEFINED));
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 46dd84bf91..7d84b08b21 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -473,10 +473,9 @@ static void retroarch_parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
    retroarch_override_setting_free_state();
 
    rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_USERNAME_UNSET, NULL);
-
-   global->patch.ups_pref                = false;
-   global->patch.bps_pref                = false;
-   global->patch.ips_pref                = false;
+   rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_UPS_PREF, NULL);
+   rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_IPS_PREF, NULL);
+   rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BPS_PREF, NULL);
    *global->name.ups                     = '\0';
    *global->name.bps                     = '\0';
    *global->name.ips                     = '\0';
@@ -693,26 +692,26 @@ static void retroarch_parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
          case RA_OPT_BPS:
             strlcpy(global->name.bps, optarg,
                   sizeof(global->name.bps));
-            global->patch.bps_pref   = true;
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_BPS_PREF, NULL);
             retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_BPS_PREF);
             break;
 
          case 'U':
             strlcpy(global->name.ups, optarg,
                   sizeof(global->name.ups));
-            global->patch.ups_pref   = true;
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_UPS_PREF, NULL);
             retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_UPS_PREF);
             break;
 
          case RA_OPT_IPS:
             strlcpy(global->name.ips, optarg,
                   sizeof(global->name.ips));
-            global->patch.ips_pref   = true;
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_IPS_PREF, NULL);
             retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_IPS_PREF);
             break;
 
          case RA_OPT_NO_PATCH:
-            global->patch.block_patch = true;
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_PATCH_BLOCKED, NULL);
             break;
 
          case 'D':
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 5a5fd5456b..ad8d425c77 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -744,6 +744,10 @@ bool runloop_ctl(enum runloop_ctl_state state, void *data)
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_SRAM_LOAD_DISABLED, NULL);
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_SRAM_SAVE_DISABLED, NULL);
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_SRAM_ENABLE, NULL);
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BPS_PREF, NULL);
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_IPS_PREF, NULL);
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_UPS_PREF, NULL);
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_PATCH_BLOCKED, NULL);
             path_clear_content();
             runloop_overrides_active   = false;
 
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index a342a81fd9..71363cfe65 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -154,14 +154,6 @@ typedef struct global
       char remapfile[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    } name;
 
-   struct
-   {
-      bool block_patch;
-      bool ups_pref;
-      bool bps_pref;
-      bool ips_pref;
-   } patch;
-
 #ifdef HAVE_NETPLAY
    /* Netplay. */
    struct
diff --git a/tasks/task_content.c b/tasks/task_content.c
index 45de219c1a..a48bed0786 100644
--- a/tasks/task_content.c
+++ b/tasks/task_content.c
@@ -329,12 +329,11 @@ static bool load_content_into_memory(unsigned i, const char *path, void **buf,
 
    if (i == 0)
    {
-      global_t *global          = global_get_ptr();
       /* First content file is significant, attempt to do patching,
        * CRC checking, etc. */
 
       /* Attempt to apply a patch. */
-      if (!global->patch.block_patch)
+      if (!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_PATCH_BLOCKED, NULL))
          patch_content(&ret_buf, length);
 
       content_get_crc(&content_crc_ptr);