diff --git a/menu/menu_entries.c b/menu/menu_entries.c
index 6a39a9a4a8..a56088c004 100644
--- a/menu/menu_entries.c
+++ b/menu/menu_entries.c
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ bool menu_entries_ctl(enum menu_entries_ctl_state state, void *data)
          break;
       case MENU_ENTRIES_CTL_SETTINGS_DEINIT:
          if (menu_entries_list_settings)
-            menu_setting_free(menu_entries_list_settings);
+            menu_setting_ctl(MENU_SETTING_CTL_FREE, menu_entries_list_settings);
          menu_entries_list_settings = NULL;
          break;
       case MENU_ENTRIES_CTL_SETTINGS_INIT:
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.c b/menu/menu_setting.c
index 74b35b3347..2ec43e843d 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.c
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.c
@@ -7357,12 +7357,12 @@ bool menu_setting_action_right(rarch_setting_t *setting, bool wraparound)
    return true;
 }
 
-void menu_setting_free(rarch_setting_t *list)
+static bool menu_setting_free(void *data)
 {
-   rarch_setting_t *setting = list;
+   rarch_setting_t *setting = (rarch_setting_t*)data;
 
-   if (!list)
-      return;
+   if (!data)
+      return false;
 
    for (; menu_setting_get_type(setting) != ST_NONE; menu_settings_list_increment(&setting))
    {
@@ -7386,7 +7386,9 @@ void menu_setting_free(rarch_setting_t *list)
       }
    }
 
-   free(list);
+   free(data);
+
+   return true;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -7568,6 +7570,8 @@ bool menu_setting_ctl(enum menu_setting_ctl_state state, void *data)
                return false;
          }
          return true;
+      case MENU_SETTING_CTL_FREE:
+         return menu_setting_free(data);
       case MENU_SETTING_CTL_NONE:
       default:
          break;
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.h b/menu/menu_setting.h
index bb321ffcbe..94b3465ac0 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.h
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ enum setting_flags
 enum menu_setting_ctl_state
 {
    MENU_SETTING_CTL_NONE = 0,
+   MENU_SETTING_CTL_FREE,
    MENU_SETTING_CTL_IS_OF_PATH_TYPE
 };
 
@@ -317,8 +318,6 @@ void menu_setting_get_label(void *data, char *s,
       size_t len, unsigned *w, unsigned type, 
       const char *menu_label, const char *label, unsigned idx);
 
-void menu_setting_free(rarch_setting_t *list);
-
 /**
  * setting_new:
  * @mask               : Bitmask of settings to include.