diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 77c47e64be..c8f6f0e32a 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -405,19 +405,9 @@ static void retroarch_set_special_paths(char **argv, unsigned num_content)
 
 const char *retroarch_get_current_savefile_dir(void)
 {
-   char* ret        = NULL;
-   
-   if (!string_is_empty(current_savefile_dir))
-      ret = current_savefile_dir;
-   else
-   {
-      global_t *global = global_get_ptr();
-      ret = strdup(global->name.base);
-      path_basedir(ret);
-   }
+   char *ret = current_savefile_dir;
 
-   RARCH_LOG("Environ SAVE_DIRECTORY: \"%s\".\n",
-         ret);
+   RARCH_LOG("Environ SAVE_DIRECTORY: \"%s\".\n", ret);
 
    return ret;
 }
@@ -517,6 +507,15 @@ static void retroarch_set_paths_redirect(const char *path)
       }
    }
 
+   /* Set savefile directory if empty based on content directory */
+   if (string_is_empty(current_savefile_dir))
+   {
+      global_t *global = global_get_ptr();
+      strlcpy(current_savefile_dir, global->name.base,
+         sizeof(current_savefile_dir));
+      path_basedir(current_savefile_dir);
+   }
+
    if(path_is_directory(current_savefile_dir))
       strlcpy(global->name.savefile, current_savefile_dir,
             sizeof(global->name.savefile));