diff --git a/menu/drivers/xui.cpp b/menu/drivers/xui.cpp
index a9f3f89fb1..55e3a555de 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/xui.cpp
+++ b/menu/drivers/xui.cpp
@@ -463,9 +463,12 @@ static void blit_line(int x, int y, const char *message, bool green)
 
 static void xui_render_background(void)
 {
+#if 0
+   /* TODO/FIXME - refactor this */
    if (menu_display_libretro_running())
       XuiElementSetShow(m_background, FALSE);
    else
+#endif
       XuiElementSetShow(m_background, TRUE);
 }
 
diff --git a/menu/menu_display.c b/menu/menu_display.c
index e95d39eef3..0403c4d039 100644
--- a/menu/menu_display.c
+++ b/menu/menu_display.c
@@ -312,23 +312,24 @@ void menu_display_set_font_framebuffer(const uint8_t *buffer)
    menu_display_font_framebuf = buffer;
 }
 
-bool menu_display_libretro_running(void)
+static bool menu_display_libretro_running(
+      bool rarch_is_inited, 
+      bool rarch_is_dummy_core)
 {
    settings_t *settings = config_get_ptr();
    if (!settings->bools.menu_pause_libretro)
    {
-      if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL)
-            && !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
+      if (rarch_is_inited && !rarch_is_dummy_core)
          return true;
    }
    return false;
 }
 
-bool menu_display_libretro(void)
+bool menu_display_libretro(bool is_idle, bool rarch_is_inited, bool rarch_is_dummy_core)
 {
    video_driver_set_texture_enable(true, false);
 
-   if (menu_display_libretro_running())
+   if (menu_display_libretro_running(rarch_is_inited, rarch_is_dummy_core))
    {
       if (!input_driver_is_libretro_input_blocked())
          input_driver_set_libretro_input_blocked();
@@ -339,7 +340,7 @@ bool menu_display_libretro(void)
       return true;
    }
 
-   if (runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_IDLE, NULL))
+   if (is_idle)
       return true; /* Maybe return false here for indication of idleness? */
    return video_driver_cached_frame();
 }
diff --git a/menu/menu_display.h b/menu/menu_display.h
index 1416167bf4..9e89fc165b 100644
--- a/menu/menu_display.h
+++ b/menu/menu_display.h
@@ -215,8 +215,7 @@ void menu_display_coords_array_reset(void);
 video_coord_array_t *menu_display_get_coords_array(void);
 const uint8_t *menu_display_get_font_framebuffer(void);
 void menu_display_set_font_framebuffer(const uint8_t *buffer);
-bool menu_display_libretro_running(void);
-bool menu_display_libretro(void);
+bool menu_display_libretro(bool is_idle, bool is_inited, bool is_dummy);
 
 void menu_display_set_width(unsigned width);
 void menu_display_get_fb_size(unsigned *fb_width, unsigned *fb_height,
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.c b/menu/menu_driver.c
index 9b19644a09..f25c59ab1e 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.c
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.c
@@ -332,7 +332,8 @@ static void menu_update_libretro_info(void)
    command_event(CMD_EVENT_LOAD_CORE_PERSIST, NULL);
 }
 
-bool menu_driver_render(bool is_idle)
+bool menu_driver_render(bool is_idle, bool rarch_is_inited,
+      bool rarch_is_dummy_core)
 {
    if (!menu_driver_data)
       return false;
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ bool menu_driver_render(bool is_idle)
    }
 
    if (menu_driver_alive && !is_idle)
-      menu_display_libretro();
+      menu_display_libretro(is_idle, rarch_is_inited, rarch_is_dummy_core);
 
    if (menu_driver_ctx->set_texture)
       menu_driver_ctx->set_texture();
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.h b/menu/menu_driver.h
index 3013d1d763..cbb74a0a78 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.h
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.h
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ extern unsigned int rdb_entry_start_game_selection_ptr;
 
 const char *menu_driver_ident(void);
 
-bool menu_driver_render(bool is_idle);
+bool menu_driver_render(bool is_idle, bool is_inited, bool is_dummy);
 
 bool menu_driver_ctl(enum rarch_menu_ctl_state state, void *data);
 
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 03a938695b..b71d96faae 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -2376,7 +2376,10 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_MENU_RUNNING_FINISHED, NULL);
 
          if (focused || !runloop_idle)
-            menu_driver_render(runloop_idle);
+            menu_driver_render(runloop_idle, rarch_is_inited,
+                  (current_core_type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
+                  )
+                  ;
 
          if (!focused)
             return RUNLOOP_STATE_SLEEP;