diff --git a/menu/menu_shader.c b/menu/menu_shader.c
index a25c6cebc8..6729b0707a 100644
--- a/menu/menu_shader.c
+++ b/menu/menu_shader.c
@@ -58,11 +58,10 @@ void menu_shader_manager_free(void)
  **/
 bool menu_shader_manager_init(void)
 {
+   bool found                  = false;
    bool is_preset              = false;
-   config_file_t *conf         = NULL;
    char *new_path              = NULL;
    const char *path_shader     = retroarch_get_shader_preset();
-   enum rarch_shader_type type = RARCH_SHADER_NONE;
 
    menu_shader_manager_free();
 
@@ -72,16 +71,17 @@ bool menu_shader_manager_init(void)
    if (!menu_driver_shader || !path_shader)
       return false;
 
-   type = video_shader_get_type_from_ext(path_get_extension(path_shader),
-         &is_preset);
-
    if (is_preset)
    {
-      conf     = config_file_read(path_shader);
+      found     = config_file_exists(path_shader);
       new_path = strdup(path_shader);
    }
    else
    {
+      enum rarch_shader_type type = video_shader_get_type_from_ext(
+            path_get_extension(path_shader),
+            &is_preset);
+
       if (video_shader_is_supported(type))
       {
          strlcpy(menu_driver_shader->pass[0].source.path, path_shader,
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ bool menu_shader_manager_init(void)
       else
       {
          char preset_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
-         settings_t *settings        = config_get_ptr();
+         settings_t *settings              = config_get_ptr();
+         bool found                        = false;
          const char *shader_dir            =
             *settings->paths.directory_video_shader ?
             settings->paths.directory_video_shader :
@@ -101,39 +102,38 @@ bool menu_shader_manager_init(void)
 
          fill_pathname_join(preset_path, shader_dir,
                "menu.glslp", sizeof(preset_path));
-         conf = config_file_read(preset_path);
 
-         if (!conf)
+         found = config_file_exists(preset_path);
+
+         if (!found)
          {
             fill_pathname_join(preset_path, shader_dir,
                   "menu.cgp", sizeof(preset_path));
-            conf = config_file_read(preset_path);
+            found = config_file_read(preset_path);
          }
 
-         if (!conf)
+         if (!found)
          {
             fill_pathname_join(preset_path, shader_dir,
                   "menu.slangp", sizeof(preset_path));
-            conf = config_file_read(preset_path);
+            found = config_file_read(preset_path);
          }
 
          new_path = strdup(preset_path);
       }
    }
 
-   if (
-         !string_is_empty(new_path) && conf &&
-         video_shader_read_conf_cgp(conf, menu_driver_shader)
-      )
+   if (!string_is_empty(new_path) && found)
    {
+      config_file_t *conf = config_file_read(new_path);
+      video_shader_read_conf_cgp(conf, menu_driver_shader);
       video_shader_resolve_relative(menu_driver_shader, new_path);
       video_shader_resolve_parameters(conf, menu_driver_shader);
+      config_file_free(conf);
    }
 
    if (new_path)
       free(new_path);
-   if (conf)
-      config_file_free(conf);
 
    return true;
 }
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ bool menu_shader_manager_set_preset(void *data,
    }
 
    /* Makes sure that we use Menu Preset shader on driver reinit.
-    * Only do this when the cgp actually works to avoid potential errors. */
+    * Only do this when the preset actually works to avoid potential errors. */
    strlcpy(settings->paths.path_shader,
          preset_path ? preset_path : "",
          sizeof(settings->paths.path_shader));