diff --git a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
index c8c3db42ae..ee7f5e0bd9 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
@@ -137,10 +137,15 @@ void path_vfs_init(const struct retro_vfs_interface_info* vfs_info)
    path_mkdir_cb          = vfs_iface->mkdir;
 }
 
-#define path_stat(path, size) ((path_stat_cb != NULL) ? path_stat_cb((path), (size)) : retro_vfs_stat_impl((path), (size)))
+#define path_stat_internal(path, size) ((path_stat_cb != NULL) ? path_stat_cb((path), (size)) : retro_vfs_stat_impl((path), (size)))
 
 #define path_mkdir_norecurse(dir) ((path_mkdir_cb != NULL) ? path_mkdir_cb((dir)) : retro_vfs_mkdir_impl((dir)))
 
+int path_stat(const char *path)
+{
+   return path_stat_internal(path, NULL);
+}
+
 /**
  * path_is_directory:
  * @path               : path
@@ -162,24 +167,24 @@ bool path_is_directory(const char *path)
    orbisDclose(dfd);
    return true;
 #else
-   return (path_stat(path, NULL) & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_DIRECTORY) != 0;
+   return (path_stat_internal(path, NULL) & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_DIRECTORY) != 0;
 #endif
 }
 
 bool path_is_character_special(const char *path)
 {
-   return (path_stat(path, NULL) & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_CHARACTER_SPECIAL) != 0;
+   return (path_stat_internal(path, NULL) & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_CHARACTER_SPECIAL) != 0;
 }
 
 bool path_is_valid(const char *path)
 {
-   return (path_stat(path, NULL) & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_VALID) != 0;
+   return (path_stat_internal(path, NULL) & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_VALID) != 0;
 }
 
 int32_t path_get_size(const char *path)
 {
    int32_t filesize = 0;
-   if (path_stat(path, &filesize) != 0)
+   if (path_stat_internal(path, &filesize) != 0)
       return filesize;
 
    return -1;
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h b/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h
index a7e4f8c299..5565fe4648 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/file/file_path.h
@@ -494,6 +494,8 @@ bool path_is_directory(const char *path);
 
 bool path_is_character_special(const char *path);
 
+int path_stat(const char *path);
+
 bool path_is_valid(const char *path);
 
 int32_t path_get_size(const char *path);
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 3848894f27..68aa99a700 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -1524,34 +1524,37 @@ static void retroarch_parse_input_and_config(int argc, char *argv[])
 
    #ifdef HAVE_DYNAMIC
             case 'L':
-               if (path_is_directory(optarg))
                {
-                  settings_t *settings  = config_get_ptr();
+                  int path_stats = path_stat(optarg);
 
-                  path_clear(RARCH_PATH_CORE);
-                  strlcpy(settings->paths.directory_libretro, optarg,
-                        sizeof(settings->paths.directory_libretro));
+                  if ((path_stats & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_DIRECTORY) != 0)
+                  {
+                     settings_t *settings  = config_get_ptr();
 
-                  retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO, NULL);
-                  retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO_DIRECTORY, NULL);
-                  RARCH_WARN("Using old --libretro behavior. "
-                        "Setting libretro_directory to \"%s\" instead.\n",
-                        optarg);
+                     path_clear(RARCH_PATH_CORE);
+                     strlcpy(settings->paths.directory_libretro, optarg,
+                           sizeof(settings->paths.directory_libretro));
+
+                     retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO, NULL);
+                     retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO_DIRECTORY, NULL);
+                     RARCH_WARN("Using old --libretro behavior. "
+                           "Setting libretro_directory to \"%s\" instead.\n",
+                           optarg);
+                  }
+                  else if ((path_stats & RETRO_VFS_STAT_IS_VALID) != 0)
+                  {
+                     path_set(RARCH_PATH_CORE, optarg);
+                     retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO, NULL);
+
+                     /* We requested explicit core, so use PLAIN core type. */
+                     retroarch_set_current_core_type(CORE_TYPE_PLAIN, false);
+                  }
+                  else
+                  {
+                     RARCH_WARN("--libretro argument \"%s\" is neither a file nor directory. Ignoring.\n",
+                           optarg);
+                  }
                }
-               else if (filestream_exists(optarg))
-               {
-                  path_set(RARCH_PATH_CORE, optarg);
-                  retroarch_override_setting_set(RARCH_OVERRIDE_SETTING_LIBRETRO, NULL);
-
-                  /* We requested explicit core, so use PLAIN core type. */
-                  retroarch_set_current_core_type(CORE_TYPE_PLAIN, false);
-               }
-               else
-               {
-                  RARCH_WARN("--libretro argument \"%s\" is neither a file nor directory. Ignoring.\n",
-                        optarg);
-               }
-
                break;
    #endif
             case 'P':