diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 8935bbe034..378ef89d0d 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -563,11 +563,7 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
    };
 
    global->inited.core.no_content        = false;
-#ifdef HAVE_DYNAMIC
    global->inited.core.type              = CORE_TYPE_DUMMY;
-#else
-   global->inited.core.type              = CORE_TYPE_PLAIN;
-#endif
    *global->subsystem                    = '\0';
    global->has_set.save_path             = false;
    global->has_set.state_path            = false;
@@ -593,12 +589,6 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
 
    global->overrides_active              = false;
 
-   if (argc < 2)
-   {
-      global->inited.core.type           = CORE_TYPE_DUMMY;
-      return;
-   }
-
    /* Make sure we can call parse_input several times ... */
    optind    = 0;
    optstring = "hs:fvS:A:c:U:DN:d:" BSV_MOVIE_ARG NETPLAY_ARG DYNAMIC_ARG FFMPEG_RECORD_ARG;
@@ -714,7 +704,6 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
                strlcpy(settings->libretro, optarg,
                      sizeof(settings->libretro));
                global->has_set.libretro = true;
-               global->inited.core.type = CORE_TYPE_PLAIN;
             }
             break;
 #endif
@@ -796,7 +785,6 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
             break;
          
          case RA_OPT_MENU:
-            global->inited.core.type        = CORE_TYPE_DUMMY;
             break;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_NETPLAY
@@ -887,6 +875,8 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
       }
    }
 
+   global->inited.core.type       = CORE_TYPE_PLAIN;
+   /* TODO: clean out this dead code */
    if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
    {
       if (optind < argc)
@@ -900,7 +890,10 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
    else if (*global->subsystem && optind < argc)
       set_special_paths(argv + optind, argc - optind);
    else
+   {
       global->inited.core.no_content = true;
+      global->inited.core.type       = CORE_TYPE_DUMMY;
+   }
 
 
    /* Copy SRM/state dirs used, so they can be reused on reentrancy. */