diff --git a/Makefile.common b/Makefile.common
index ae667704fa..972d61e34e 100644
--- a/Makefile.common
+++ b/Makefile.common
@@ -259,12 +259,16 @@ OBJ += frontend/frontend.o \
        $(LIBRETRO_COMM_DIR)/features/features_cpu.o \
        performance_counters.o \
        verbosity.o \
-       runahead/copy_load_info.o \
+
+ifeq ($(HAVE_RUNAHEAD), 1)
+DEFINES += -DHAVE_RUNAHEAD
+OBJ += runahead/copy_load_info.o \
        runahead/dirty_input.o \
        runahead/mem_util.o \
        runahead/mylist.o \
        runahead/run_ahead.o \
        runahead/secondary_core.o
+endif
 
 
 
diff --git a/core_impl.c b/core_impl.c
index ce33e8e4d0..5acc659943 100644
--- a/core_impl.c
+++ b/core_impl.c
@@ -44,8 +44,10 @@
 #include "gfx/video_driver.h"
 #include "audio/audio_driver.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
 #include "runahead/copy_load_info.h"
 #include "runahead/secondary_core.h"
+#endif
 
 struct                     retro_callbacks retro_ctx;
 struct                     retro_core_t current_core;
@@ -266,7 +268,9 @@ bool core_set_controller_port_device(retro_ctx_controller_info_t *pad)
    if (!pad)
       return false;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
    remember_controller_port_device(pad->port, pad->device);
+#endif
 
    current_core.retro_set_controller_port_device(pad->port, pad->device);
    return true;
@@ -286,7 +290,9 @@ bool core_load_game(retro_ctx_load_content_info_t *load_info)
    bool contentless = false;
    bool is_inited   = false;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
    set_load_content_info(load_info);
+#endif
 
    content_get_status(&contentless, &is_inited);
 
diff --git a/dynamic.c b/dynamic.c
index 22d4476900..e312e03cc6 100644
--- a/dynamic.c
+++ b/dynamic.c
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@
 #include "msg_hash.h"
 #include "verbosity.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
 #include "runahead/secondary_core.h"
+#endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DYNAMIC
 #define SYMBOL(x) do { \
@@ -393,24 +395,28 @@ bool init_libretro_sym_custom(enum rarch_core_type type, struct retro_core_t *cu
    {
       case CORE_TYPE_PLAIN:
 #ifdef HAVE_DYNAMIC
-
-         if (lib_path == NULL || lib_handle_p == NULL)
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
+         if (!lib_path || !lib_handle_p)
+#endif
          {
             if (!load_dynamic_core())
                return false;
             lib_handle_local = lib_handle;
          }
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
          else
          {
-            /* for a secondary core, we already have a primary library loaded, so we can skip some checks and just load the library */
+            /* for a secondary core, we already have a 
+             * primary library loaded, so we can skip 
+             * some checks and just load the library */
             retro_assert(lib_path != NULL && lib_handle_p != NULL);
             lib_handle_local = dylib_load(lib_path);
-            if (lib_handle_local == NULL)
-            {
+
+            if (!lib_handle_local)
                return false;
-            }
             *lib_handle_p = lib_handle_local;
          }
+#endif
 #endif
 
          SYMBOL(retro_init);
@@ -659,8 +665,11 @@ bool init_libretro_sym(enum rarch_core_type type, struct retro_core_t *current_c
    if (!load_symbols(type, current_core))
       return false;
 
-   /* remember last core type created, so creating a secondary core will know what core type to use */
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
+   /* remember last core type created, so creating a 
+    * secondary core will know what core type to use. */
    set_last_core_type(type);
+#endif
    return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/griffin/griffin.c b/griffin/griffin.c
index 40b0f89ac7..5cf227c954 100644
--- a/griffin/griffin.c
+++ b/griffin/griffin.c
@@ -1255,12 +1255,14 @@ MENU
 #include "../libretro-common/net/net_http_parse.c"
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
 #include "../runahead/mem_util.c"
 #include "../runahead/secondary_core.c"
 #include "../runahead/run_ahead.c"
 #include "../runahead/copy_load_info.c"
 #include "../runahead/dirty_input.c"
 #include "../runahead/mylist.c"
+#endif
 
 /*============================================================
 DEPENDENCIES
diff --git a/qb/config.params.sh b/qb/config.params.sh
index a1be97d869..94135f94f6 100644
--- a/qb/config.params.sh
+++ b/qb/config.params.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ HAVE_MATERIALUI=auto       # MaterialUI menu
 HAVE_XMB=auto              # XMB menu
 HAVE_ZARCH=no              # Zarch menu
 HAVE_NUKLEAR=no            # Nuklear menu
+HAVE_RUNAHEAD=yes          # Runahead support
 HAVE_OVERLAY=yes           # Overlay support
 HAVE_DYNAMIC=yes           # Dynamic loading of libretro library
 HAVE_SDL=auto              # SDL support
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index a15ab8e714..eee794302a 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@
 
 #include "command.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
 #include "runahead/run_ahead.h"
+#endif
 
 #define _PSUPP(var, name, desc) printf("  %s:\n\t\t%s: %s\n", name, desc, _##var##_supp ? "yes" : "no")
 
@@ -3250,10 +3252,12 @@ int runloop_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
    if ((settings->uints.video_frame_delay > 0) && !input_nonblock_state)
       retro_sleep(settings->uints.video_frame_delay);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
    /* Run Ahead Feature replaces the call to core_run in this loop */
    if (settings->bools.run_ahead_enabled && settings->uints.run_ahead_frames > 0)
       run_ahead(settings->uints.run_ahead_frames, settings->bools.run_ahead_secondary_instance);
    else
+#endif
       core_run();
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CHEEVOS