diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 665cd8f0f8..d5c287dee8 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -712,7 +712,6 @@ static void retroarch_parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
 
    global->has_set.save_path             = false;
    global->has_set.state_path            = false;
-   global->has_set.libretro              = false;
    global->has_set.libretro_directory    = false;
    global->has_set.verbosity             = false;
 
@@ -863,7 +862,8 @@ static void retroarch_parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
                config_clear_active_core_path();
                strlcpy(settings->directory.libretro, optarg,
                      sizeof(settings->directory.libretro));
-               global->has_set.libretro = true;
+
+               retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO);
                global->has_set.libretro_directory = true;
                RARCH_WARN("Using old --libretro behavior. "
                      "Setting libretro_directory to \"%s\" instead.\n",
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ static void retroarch_parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
             else if (path_file_exists(optarg))
             {
                runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_SET_LIBRETRO_PATH, optarg);
-               global->has_set.libretro = true;
+               retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO);
 
                /* We requested explicit core, so use PLAIN core type. */
                retroarch_set_current_core_type(CORE_TYPE_PLAIN, false);
@@ -1339,8 +1339,7 @@ bool retroarch_main_init(int argc, char *argv[])
                   if (settings->multimedia.builtin_mediaplayer_enable)
                   {
 #ifdef HAVE_FFMPEG
-                     global_t *global  = global_get_ptr();
-                     global->has_set.libretro  = false;
+                     retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO);
                      retroarch_set_current_core_type(CORE_TYPE_FFMPEG, false);
 #endif
                   }
@@ -1349,8 +1348,7 @@ bool retroarch_main_init(int argc, char *argv[])
                case RARCH_CONTENT_IMAGE:
                   if (settings->multimedia.builtin_imageviewer_enable)
                   {
-                     global_t *global  = global_get_ptr();
-                     global->has_set.libretro  = false;
+                     retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO);
                      retroarch_set_current_core_type(CORE_TYPE_IMAGEVIEWER, false);
                   }
                   break;
@@ -1630,10 +1628,14 @@ void retroarch_fill_pathnames(void)
             sizeof(global->name.ips));
 }
 
+static bool has_set_libretro = false;
+
 bool retroarch_override_setting_is_set(enum rarch_override_setting enum_idx)
 {
    switch (enum_idx)
    {
+      case RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO:
+         return has_set_libretro;
       case RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_NONE:
       default:
          break;
@@ -1646,6 +1648,9 @@ void retroarch_override_setting_set(enum rarch_override_setting enum_idx)
 {
    switch (enum_idx)
    {
+      case RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO:
+         has_set_libretro = true;
+         break;
       case RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_NONE:
       default:
          break;
@@ -1656,6 +1661,9 @@ void retroarch_override_setting_unset(enum rarch_override_setting enum_idx)
 {
    switch (enum_idx)
    {
+      case RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO:
+         has_set_libretro = false;
+         break;
       case RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_NONE:
       default:
          break;
diff --git a/retroarch.h b/retroarch.h
index 9598e0671a..3c18365f3e 100644
--- a/retroarch.h
+++ b/retroarch.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ enum rarch_capabilities
 enum rarch_override_setting
 {
    RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_NONE = 0,
+   RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO,
    RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LAST
 };
 
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index 1889b2af97..3c5a92f945 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ typedef struct global
       bool verbosity;
 
       bool libretro_device[MAX_USERS];
-      bool libretro;
       bool libretro_directory;
 
       bool netplay_mode;
diff --git a/tasks/task_content.c b/tasks/task_content.c
index d50ea3910e..baacb204ad 100644
--- a/tasks/task_content.c
+++ b/tasks/task_content.c
@@ -1571,7 +1571,7 @@ static void menu_content_environment_get(int *argc, char *argv[],
       wrap_args->state_path    = global->dir.savestate;
    if (fullpath && *fullpath)
       wrap_args->content_path  = fullpath;
-   if (!global->has_set.libretro)
+   if (!retroarch_override_setting_is_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO))
       wrap_args->libretro_path = string_is_empty(config_get_active_core_path()) ? NULL :
          config_get_active_core_path();