diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index b69416093b..5c066cf3a1 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -1734,7 +1734,7 @@ bool rarch_ctl(enum rarch_ctl_state state, void *data)
          runloop_system.mmaps.descriptors     = NULL;
          runloop_system.mmaps.num_descriptors = 0;
 
-         runloop_key_event          = NULL;
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_KEY_EVENT, NULL);
          runloop_frontend_key_event = NULL;
 
          audio_driver_unset_callback();
@@ -2032,6 +2032,9 @@ bool rarch_ctl(enum rarch_ctl_state state, void *data)
             *key_event = &runloop_key_event;
          }
          break;
+      case RARCH_CTL_UNSET_KEY_EVENT:
+         runloop_key_event          = NULL;
+         break;
       case RARCH_CTL_FRONTEND_KEY_EVENT_GET:
          {
             retro_keyboard_event_t **key_event =
diff --git a/retroarch.h b/retroarch.h
index f49189ec9b..daccb3a6c2 100644
--- a/retroarch.h
+++ b/retroarch.h
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ enum rarch_ctl_state
 
    /* Key event */
    RARCH_CTL_FRONTEND_KEY_EVENT_GET,
+   RARCH_CTL_UNSET_KEY_EVENT,
    RARCH_CTL_KEY_EVENT_GET,
    RARCH_CTL_DATA_DEINIT,