diff --git a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
index 132bf73ef7..a8b18d084d 100644
--- a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
+++ b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
@@ -107,16 +107,10 @@ static void d3d_deinit_chain(d3d_video_t *d3d)
 
 static void d3d_deinitialize(d3d_video_t *d3d)
 {
-   driver_t *driver = driver_get_ptr();
-   const font_renderer_t *font_ctx = NULL;
    if (!d3d)
       return;
 
-   font_ctx = (const font_renderer_t*)driver->font_osd_driver;
-
-   if (font_ctx->free)
-      font_ctx->free(driver->font_osd_data);
-   font_ctx = NULL;
+   font_driver_free();
    d3d_deinit_chain(d3d);
 }
 
@@ -406,8 +400,7 @@ static bool d3d_initialize(d3d_video_t *d3d, const video_info_t *info)
    strlcpy(settings->video.font_path, "game:\\media\\Arial_12.xpr",
          sizeof(settings->video.font_path));
 #endif
-   if (!font_init_first((const void**)&driver->font_osd_driver, &driver->font_osd_data,
-         d3d, settings->video.font_path, 0, FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_DIRECT3D_API))
+   if (!font_driver_init_first(d3d, settings->video.font_path, 0, FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_DIRECT3D_API))
    {
       RARCH_ERR("[D3D]: Failed to initialize font renderer.\n");
       return false;
@@ -528,14 +521,11 @@ static void d3d_set_osd_msg(void *data, const char *msg,
       const struct font_params *params, void *font)
 {
    d3d_video_t          *d3d = (d3d_video_t*)data;
-   driver_t          *driver = driver_get_ptr();
-   const font_renderer_t *font_ctx = driver->font_osd_driver;
 
    if (d3d->renderchain_driver->set_font_rect && params)
       d3d->renderchain_driver->set_font_rect(d3d, params);
 
-   if (font_ctx->render_msg)
-      font_ctx->render_msg(driver->font_osd_data, msg, params);
+   font_driver_render_msg(msg, params);
 }
 
 /* Delay constructor due to lack of exceptions. */
@@ -1505,7 +1495,7 @@ static bool d3d_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
       return false;
    }
 
-   if (font_ctx->render_msg && msg)
+   if (font_driver_has_render_msg() && msg)
    {
       struct font_params font_parms = {0};
 #ifdef _XBOX
@@ -1520,7 +1510,7 @@ static bool d3d_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
       font_parms.y                  = msg_height;
       font_parms.scale              = 21;
 #endif
-      font_ctx->render_msg(driver->font_osd_data, msg, &font_parms);
+      font_driver_render_msg(msg, &font_params);
    }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
diff --git a/gfx/drivers/gl.c b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
index bc8885004a..da7246b917 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/gl.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/gl.c
@@ -1637,9 +1637,7 @@ static bool gl_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
    struct gfx_tex_info feedback_info;
    static struct retro_perf_counter frame_run = {0};
    gl_t                            *gl = (gl_t*)data;
-   driver_t                    *driver = driver_get_ptr();
    settings_t                *settings = config_get_ptr();
-   const struct font_renderer *font_driver = driver ? driver->font_osd_driver : NULL;
 
    rarch_perf_init(&frame_run, "frame_run");
    retro_perf_start(&frame_run);
@@ -1796,8 +1794,8 @@ static bool gl_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
    }
 #endif
 
-   if (msg && driver->font_osd_driver && driver->font_osd_data)
-      font_driver->render_msg(driver->font_osd_data, msg, NULL);
+   if (msg)
+      font_driver_render_msg(msg, NULL);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_OVERLAY
    if (gl->overlay_enable)
@@ -1916,10 +1914,6 @@ static void gl_free_overlay(gl_t *gl)
 static void gl_free(void *data)
 {
    gl_t *gl = (gl_t*)data;
-   driver_t *driver = driver_get_ptr();
-   const struct font_renderer *font_driver = driver ? 
-      driver->font_osd_driver : NULL;
-
    if (!gl)
       return;
 
@@ -1940,8 +1934,7 @@ static void gl_free(void *data)
    }
 #endif
 
-   if (font_driver && driver->font_osd_data)
-      font_driver->free(driver->font_osd_data);
+   font_driver_free();
    gl_shader_deinit(gl);
 
 #ifndef NO_GL_FF_VERTEX
@@ -2453,8 +2446,7 @@ static void *gl_init(const video_info_t *video, const input_driver_t **input, vo
    const char *version                = NULL;
    struct retro_hw_render_callback *hw_render = NULL;
    settings_t *settings               = config_get_ptr();
-   driver_t *driver                   = driver_get_ptr();
-   gl_t *gl = (gl_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(gl_t));
+   gl_t *gl                           = (gl_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(gl_t));
    if (!gl)
       return NULL;
 
@@ -2649,8 +2641,7 @@ static void *gl_init(const video_info_t *video, const input_driver_t **input, vo
    
    if (settings->video.font_enable)
    {
-      if (!font_init_first((const void**)&driver->font_osd_driver, &driver->font_osd_data,
-            gl, *settings->video.font_path 
+      if (!font_driver_init_first(gl, *settings->video.font_path 
             ? settings->video.font_path : NULL, settings->video.font_size,
             FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_OPENGL_API))
          RARCH_ERR("[GL]: Failed to initialize font renderer.\n");
diff --git a/gfx/font_driver.c b/gfx/font_driver.c
index fc0a386284..cd0838136e 100644
--- a/gfx/font_driver.c
+++ b/gfx/font_driver.c
@@ -142,3 +142,40 @@ bool font_init_first(const void **font_driver, void **font_handle,
 
    return false;
 }
+
+bool font_driver_has_render_msg(void)
+{
+   driver_t          *driver = driver_get_ptr();
+   const font_renderer_t *font_ctx = driver->font_osd_driver;
+   if (!font_ctx || !font_ctx->render_msg)
+      return false;
+   return true;
+}
+
+void font_driver_render_msg(const char *msg, const struct font_params *params)
+{
+   driver_t          *driver = driver_get_ptr();
+   const font_renderer_t *font_ctx = driver->font_osd_driver;
+
+   if (font_ctx->render_msg)
+      font_ctx->render_msg(driver->font_osd_data, msg, params);
+}
+
+void font_driver_free(void)
+{
+   driver_t *driver = driver_get_ptr();
+   const font_renderer_t *font_ctx = (const font_renderer_t*)driver->font_osd_driver;
+
+   if (font_ctx->free)
+      font_ctx->free(driver->font_osd_data);
+   driver->font_osd_data   = NULL;
+   driver->font_osd_driver = NULL;
+}
+
+bool font_driver_init_first(void *data, const char *font_path, float font_size,
+      enum font_driver_render_api api)
+{
+   driver_t *driver = driver_get_ptr();
+   return font_init_first((const void**)&driver->font_osd_driver, &driver->font_osd_data,
+            data, font_path, font_size, api);
+}
diff --git a/gfx/font_driver.h b/gfx/font_driver.h
index 0bb8d61ea8..56c42d612e 100644
--- a/gfx/font_driver.h
+++ b/gfx/font_driver.h
@@ -33,11 +33,43 @@ enum font_driver_render_api
    FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_VITA2D
 };
 
+enum text_alignment
+{
+   TEXT_ALIGN_LEFT = 0,
+   TEXT_ALIGN_RIGHT,
+   TEXT_ALIGN_CENTER
+};
+
+struct font_params
+{
+   float x;
+   float y;
+   float scale;
+   /* Drop shadow color multiplier. */
+   float drop_mod;
+   /* Drop shadow offset.
+    * If both are 0, no drop shadow will be rendered. */
+   int drop_x, drop_y;
+   /* ABGR. Use the macros. */
+   uint32_t color;
+   bool full_screen;
+   enum text_alignment text_align;
+};
+
 bool font_init_first(
       const void **font_driver, void **font_handle,
       void *video_data, const char *font_path, float font_size,
       enum font_driver_render_api api);
 
+bool font_driver_has_render_msg(void);
+
+void font_driver_render_msg(const char *msg, const struct font_params *params);
+
+void font_driver_free(void);
+
+bool font_driver_init_first(void *data, const char *font_path, float font_size,
+      enum font_driver_render_api api);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/gfx/video_driver.c b/gfx/video_driver.c
index ba1a2f9393..8aaba963d6 100644
--- a/gfx/video_driver.c
+++ b/gfx/video_driver.c
@@ -808,8 +808,6 @@ bool video_driver_get_video_output_size(unsigned *width, unsigned *height)
    return false;
 }
 
-
-
 void video_driver_set_osd_msg(const char *msg,
       const struct font_params *params, void *font)
 {
diff --git a/gfx/video_driver.h b/gfx/video_driver.h
index 2788d35cde..aa58242aa3 100644
--- a/gfx/video_driver.h
+++ b/gfx/video_driver.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <boolean.h>
 #include <gfx/scaler/scaler.h>
+#include "font_driver.h"
 #include "video_filter.h"
 #include "video_shader_parse.h"
 
@@ -33,13 +34,6 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-enum text_alignment
-{
-   TEXT_ALIGN_LEFT = 0,
-   TEXT_ALIGN_RIGHT,
-   TEXT_ALIGN_CENTER
-};
-
 enum texture_filter_type
 {
    TEXTURE_FILTER_LINEAR = 0,
@@ -71,23 +65,6 @@ typedef struct video_info
    bool rgb32;
 } video_info_t;
 
-
-struct font_params
-{
-   float x;
-   float y;
-   float scale;
-   /* Drop shadow color multiplier. */
-   float drop_mod;
-   /* Drop shadow offset.
-    * If both are 0, no drop shadow will be rendered. */
-   int drop_x, drop_y;
-   /* ABGR. Use the macros. */
-   uint32_t color;
-   bool full_screen;
-   enum text_alignment text_align;
-};
-
 #define FONT_COLOR_RGBA(r, g, b, a) (((r) << 24) | ((g) << 16) | ((b) << 8) | ((a) << 0))
 #define FONT_COLOR_GET_RED(col)   (((col) >> 24) & 0xff)
 #define FONT_COLOR_GET_GREEN(col) (((col) >> 16) & 0xff)