diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 0129f63508..f0dd024cd5 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -1318,11 +1318,55 @@ bool rarch_ctl(enum rarch_ctl_state state, void *data)
    static bool rarch_error_on_init         = false;
    static bool rarch_block_config_read     = false;
    static bool rarch_force_fullscreen      = false;
+   static bool rarch_stdin_claimed         = false;
    global_t *global                        = global_get_ptr();
    settings_t *settings                    = config_get_ptr();
 
    switch(state)
    {
+      case RARCH_CTL_IS_STDIN_CLAIMED:
+         return rarch_stdin_claimed;
+      case RARCH_CTL_SET_STDIN_CLAIMED:
+         rarch_stdin_claimed = true;
+         break;
+      case RARCH_CTL_UNSET_STDIN_CLAIMED:
+         rarch_stdin_claimed = true;
+         break;
+      case RARCH_CTL_VERIFY_STDIN_PATHS:
+         if (!*global->name.savefile)
+         {
+            RARCH_ERR("Need savefile path argument (--save) when reading rom from stdin.\n");
+            print_help("retroarch");
+            retro_fail(1, "verify_stdin_paths()");
+         }
+         else if (!*global->name.savestate)
+         {
+            RARCH_ERR("Need savestate path argument (--savestate) when reading rom from stdin.\n");
+            print_help("retroarch");
+            retro_fail(1, "verify_stdin_paths()");
+         }
+
+         if (path_is_directory(global->name.savefile))
+         {
+            RARCH_ERR("Cannot specify directory for path argument (--save) when reading from stdin.\n");
+            print_help("retroarch");
+            retro_fail(1, "verify_stdin_paths()");
+         }
+         else if (path_is_directory(global->name.savestate))
+         {
+            RARCH_ERR("Cannot specify directory for path argument (--savestate) when reading from stdin.\n");
+            print_help("retroarch");
+            retro_fail(1, "verify_stdin_paths()");
+         }
+         else if (path_is_directory(global->path.config))
+         {
+            RARCH_ERR("Cannot specify directory for config file (--config) when reading from stdin.\n");
+            print_help("retroarch");
+            retro_fail(1, "verify_stdin_paths()");
+         }
+
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_STDIN_CLAIMED, NULL);
+         break;
       case RARCH_CTL_SET_PATHS:
          set_basename((const char*)data);
 
diff --git a/retroarch.h b/retroarch.h
index 04fe534379..207d742c67 100644
--- a/retroarch.h
+++ b/retroarch.h
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ enum rarch_ctl_state
 
    RARCH_CTL_SET_PATHS_REDIRECT,
 
+   RARCH_CTL_IS_STDIN_CLAIMED,
+
+   RARCH_CTL_SET_STDIN_CLAIMED,
+
+   RARCH_CTL_UNSET_STDIN_CLAIMED,
+   
+   RARCH_CTL_VERIFY_STDIN_PATHS,
+
    RARCH_CTL_SET_SRAM_ENABLE,
 
    RARCH_CTL_SET_PATHS,