diff --git a/configuration.c b/configuration.c
index 3c0bb87be5..50530a9b96 100644
--- a/configuration.c
+++ b/configuration.c
@@ -773,6 +773,7 @@ static int populate_settings_bool(settings_t *settings, struct config_bool_setti
    SETTING_BOOL("video_vfilter",                 &settings->video.vfilter, true, video_vfilter, false);
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
+   SETTING_BOOL("menu_unified_controls",         &settings->menu.unified_controls, true, false, false);
 #ifdef HAVE_THREADS
    SETTING_BOOL("threaded_data_runloop_enable",  &settings->threaded_data_runloop_enable, true, threaded_data_runloop_enable, false);
 #endif
diff --git a/configuration.h b/configuration.h
index 3612a07615..d4cc94cf91 100644
--- a/configuration.h
+++ b/configuration.h
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ typedef struct settings
       {
          unsigned menu_color_theme;
       } materialui;
+
+      bool unified_controls;
    } menu;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_de.h b/intl/msg_hash_de.h
index 6117c5a6d5..9a340fe5d9 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_de.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_de.h
@@ -846,3 +846,5 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE,
       "Enable or disable recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE,
       "Limit the number of entries in recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Unified Menu Controls")
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_eo.h b/intl/msg_hash_eo.h
index 311dffe647..cbb044b7c0 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_eo.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_eo.h
@@ -2245,3 +2245,5 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE,
       "Enable or disable recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE,
       "Limit the number of entries in recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Unified Menu Controls")
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_fr.h b/intl/msg_hash_fr.h
index ffe5013be0..7a63ea1932 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_fr.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_fr.h
@@ -2211,3 +2211,5 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE,
       "Enable or disable recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE,
       "Limit the number of entries in recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Unified Menu Controls")
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_ja.h b/intl/msg_hash_ja.h
index 4ce00a91e4..e63f10a684 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_ja.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_ja.h
@@ -2265,3 +2265,5 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE,
       "Enable or disable recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE,
       "Limit the number of entries in recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Unified Menu Controls")
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_lbl.h b/intl/msg_hash_lbl.h
index 8e9547099c..77618556b5 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_lbl.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_lbl.h
@@ -1151,3 +1151,5 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_SHADER_PIPELINE_SIMPLE_SNOW,
       "shader_pipeline_simple_snow")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_SHADER_PIPELINE_SNOW,
       "shader_pipeline_snow")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "unified_menu_controls")
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_nl.h b/intl/msg_hash_nl.h
index 3f6c3d41db..4e307c7585 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_nl.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_nl.h
@@ -2245,3 +2245,5 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE,
       "Enable or disable recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE,
       "Limit the number of entries in recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Unified Menu Controls")
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_ru.h b/intl/msg_hash_ru.h
index 2ef320b97e..f1b0b369f0 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_ru.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_ru.h
@@ -2239,3 +2239,5 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE,
       "Enable or disable recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE,
       "Limit the number of entries in recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Unified Menu Controls")
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_us.h b/intl/msg_hash_us.h
index b50457c8c5..b700be4636 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_us.h
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_us.h
@@ -2277,3 +2277,7 @@ MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE,
       "Enable or disable recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
 MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE,
       "Limit the number of entries in recent playlist for games, images, music, and videos.")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Unified Menu Controls")
+MSG_HASH(MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+      "Use the same controls for both the menu and the game. Applies to the keyboard.")
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_sublabel.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_sublabel.c
index a9310f195e..51f179f964 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_sublabel.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_sublabel.c
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ default_sublabel_macro(action_bind_sublabel_pause_nonactive,               MENU_
 default_sublabel_macro(action_bind_sublabel_video_disable_composition,     MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_VIDEO_DISABLE_COMPOSITION)
 default_sublabel_macro(action_bind_sublabel_history_list_enable,           MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_HISTORY_LIST_ENABLE)
 default_sublabel_macro(action_bind_sublabel_content_history_size,          MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_CONTENT_HISTORY_SIZE)
+default_sublabel_macro(action_bind_sublabel_menu_input_unified_controls,   MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS)
 
 static int action_bind_sublabel_cheevos_entry(
       file_list_t *list,
@@ -155,6 +156,9 @@ int menu_cbs_init_bind_sublabel(menu_file_list_cbs_t *cbs,
    {
       switch (cbs->enum_idx)
       {
+         case MENU_ENUM_LABEL_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS:
+            BIND_ACTION_SUBLABEL(cbs, action_bind_sublabel_menu_input_unified_controls);
+            break;
          case MENU_ENUM_LABEL_AUDIO_MAX_TIMING_SKEW:
             BIND_ACTION_SUBLABEL(cbs, action_bind_sublabel_audio_max_timing_skew);
             break;
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index b987e4b5b4..1fc78c7600 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -5376,6 +5376,9 @@ bool menu_displaylist_ctl(enum menu_displaylist_ctl_state type, void *data)
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_INPUT_SMALL_KEYBOARD_ENABLE,
                PARSE_ONLY_BOOL, false);
 #endif
+         ret = menu_displaylist_parse_settings_enum(menu, info,
+               MENU_ENUM_LABEL_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+               PARSE_ONLY_BOOL, false);
          ret = menu_displaylist_parse_settings_enum(menu, info,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_INPUT_POLL_TYPE_BEHAVIOR,
                PARSE_ONLY_UINT, false);
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.c b/menu/menu_setting.c
index 89951b1cf5..1fc9357c0f 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.c
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.c
@@ -3912,6 +3912,22 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
                   general_read_handler);
             menu_settings_list_current_add_range(list, list_info, 1, MAX_USERS, 1, true, true);
 
+            CONFIG_BOOL(
+                  list, list_info,
+                  &settings->menu.unified_controls,
+                  MENU_ENUM_LABEL_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+                  MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS,
+                  false,
+                  MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_OFF,
+                  MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_ON,
+                  &group_info,
+                  &subgroup_info,
+                  parent_group,
+                  general_write_handler,
+                  general_read_handler,
+                  SD_FLAG_NONE
+                  );
+
             CONFIG_UINT(
                   list, list_info,
                   &settings->input.poll_type_behavior,
diff --git a/msg_hash.h b/msg_hash.h
index 14146274b8..777a62f85d 100644
--- a/msg_hash.h
+++ b/msg_hash.h
@@ -568,6 +568,7 @@ enum msg_hash_enums
    MENU_LABEL(INPUT_ICADE_ENABLE),
    MENU_LABEL(INPUT_ALL_USERS_CONTROL_MENU),
    MENU_LABEL(INPUT_POLL_TYPE_BEHAVIOR),
+   MENU_LABEL(INPUT_UNIFIED_MENU_CONTROLS),
 
    /* Video */
    MENU_LABEL(VIDEO_FONT_ENABLE),
diff --git a/retroarch.cfg b/retroarch.cfg
index 2de7ae0e85..4f660bd41f 100644
--- a/retroarch.cfg
+++ b/retroarch.cfg
@@ -640,6 +640,9 @@
 # are in the menu.
 # menu_pause_libretro = false
 
+# If disabled, we use separate controls for menu operation.
+# menu_unified_controls = false
+
 # Enable mouse input inside the menu.
 # menu_mouse_enable = false
 
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 82bf765c90..dd9326258b 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -1076,6 +1076,8 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
    return RUNLOOP_STATE_ITERATE;
 }
 
+#define runloop_menu_unified_controls_pressed() (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL) && settings->menu.unified_controls)
+
 /**
  * runloop_iterate:
  *
@@ -1090,15 +1092,19 @@ int runloop_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
    unsigned i;
    retro_time_t current, target, to_sleep_ms;
    uint64_t trigger_input                       = 0;
+   uint64_t current_input                       = 0;
    static uint64_t last_input                   = 0;
    settings_t *settings                         = config_get_ptr();
    uint64_t old_input                           = last_input;
-   uint64_t current_input                       = 
+
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-      menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL) ? 
-      input_menu_keys_pressed(old_input, &last_input, &trigger_input, runloop_paused) : 
+   if (!runloop_menu_unified_controls_pressed())
+         current_input = input_menu_keys_pressed(old_input,
+               &last_input, &trigger_input, runloop_paused);
+   else
 #endif
-      input_keys_pressed     (old_input, &last_input, &trigger_input, runloop_paused);
+      current_input = input_keys_pressed(old_input, &last_input,
+            &trigger_input, runloop_paused);
 
    if (runloop_frame_time.callback)
    {