diff --git a/command.c b/command.c
index 21cf34109a..04195bfe5b 100644
--- a/command.c
+++ b/command.c
@@ -1878,7 +1878,7 @@ bool command_event(enum event_command cmd, void *data)
          return command_event_resize_windowed_scale();
       case CMD_EVENT_MENU_TOGGLE:
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-         if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+         if (menu_driver_is_alive())
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_MENU_RUNNING_FINISHED, NULL);
          else
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_MENU_RUNNING, NULL);
@@ -1969,7 +1969,7 @@ bool command_event(enum event_command cmd, void *data)
          command_event(CMD_EVENT_GAME_FOCUS_TOGGLE, (void*)(intptr_t)-1);
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
          menu_display_set_framebuffer_dirty_flag();
-         if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+         if (menu_driver_is_alive())
             command_event(CMD_EVENT_VIDEO_SET_BLOCKING_STATE, NULL);
 #endif
          break;
@@ -2382,7 +2382,7 @@ bool command_event(enum event_command cmd, void *data)
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
             settings_t *settings      = config_get_ptr();
 
-            if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+            if (menu_driver_is_alive())
             {
                if (settings->menu.pause_libretro)
                   command_event(CMD_EVENT_AUDIO_STOP, NULL);
diff --git a/gfx/common/win32_common.cpp b/gfx/common/win32_common.cpp
index 5af34e5fe8..21d578d48f 100644
--- a/gfx/common/win32_common.cpp
+++ b/gfx/common/win32_common.cpp
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ LRESULT CALLBACK WndProcGDI(HWND hwnd, UINT message,
          HDC hdc = BeginPaint(hwnd, &ps);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-         if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL) && !gdi_has_menu_frame())
+         if (menu_driver_is_alive() && !gdi_has_menu_frame())
          {
             RECT rect;
             GetClientRect(hwnd, &rect);
diff --git a/gfx/video_driver.c b/gfx/video_driver.c
index e682147593..5211b90ab9 100644
--- a/gfx/video_driver.c
+++ b/gfx/video_driver.c
@@ -2291,7 +2291,7 @@ void video_driver_build_info(video_frame_info_t *video_info)
 
    video_info->libretro_running       = false;
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   video_info->menu_is_alive          = menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL);
+   video_info->menu_is_alive          = menu_driver_is_alive();
    video_info->menu_footer_opacity    = settings->menu.footer.opacity;
    video_info->menu_header_opacity    = settings->menu.header.opacity;
    video_info->materialui_color_theme = settings->menu.materialui.menu_color_theme;
diff --git a/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c b/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
index 1cd6aaab6f..35fc7dadc9 100644
--- a/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
+++ b/input/drivers_joypad/ps3_joypad.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ static void ps3_joypad_poll(void)
          *state_cur |= (state_tmp.button[CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2] & CELL_PAD_CTRL_TRIANGLE) ? (UINT64_C(1) << RETRO_DEVICE_ID_JOYPAD_X) : 0;
          *state_cur |= (state_tmp.button[CELL_PAD_BTN_OFFSET_DIGITAL2] & CELL_PAD_CTRL_SQUARE) ? (UINT64_C(1) << RETRO_DEVICE_ID_JOYPAD_Y) : 0;
 
-         if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+         if (menu_driver_is_alive())
          {
             int value = 0;
             if (cellSysutilGetSystemParamInt(CELL_SYSUTIL_SYSTEMPARAM_ID_ENTER_BUTTON_ASSIGN, &value) == 0)
diff --git a/input/drivers_joypad/psp_joypad.c b/input/drivers_joypad/psp_joypad.c
index dcc802bd67..757c536b98 100644
--- a/input/drivers_joypad/psp_joypad.c
+++ b/input/drivers_joypad/psp_joypad.c
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ static void psp_joypad_poll(void)
 #endif
 #if defined(VITA)
       if (psp2_model == SCE_KERNEL_MODEL_VITA 
-         && !menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL)
+         && !menu_driver_is_alive()
          && settings->input.backtouch_enable)
       {
          unsigned i;
diff --git a/input/input_overlay.c b/input/input_overlay.c
index cc000042b5..3a04b2738c 100644
--- a/input/input_overlay.c
+++ b/input/input_overlay.c
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ void input_overlay_loaded(void *task_data, void *user_data, const char *err)
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
    /* We can't display when the menu is up */
-   if (data->hide_in_menu && menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+   if (data->hide_in_menu && menu_driver_is_alive())
    {
       if (data->overlay_enable)
          goto abort_load;
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rgui.c b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
index 7a7175adad..9ddfeaea23 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rgui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ static void rgui_render(void *data)
       msg_force = menu_display_get_msg_force();
 
       if (menu_entries_ctl(MENU_ENTRIES_CTL_NEEDS_REFRESH, NULL)
-            && menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL) && !msg_force)
+            && menu_driver_is_alive() && !msg_force)
          return;
 
       if (runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_IDLE, NULL))
diff --git a/menu/drivers/xui.cpp b/menu/drivers/xui.cpp
index 0d2c89ca62..0d733de233 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/xui.cpp
+++ b/menu/drivers/xui.cpp
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ static void xui_render(void *data)
 
    if (
          menu_entries_ctl(MENU_ENTRIES_CTL_NEEDS_REFRESH, NULL) 
-         && menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL)
+         && menu_driver_is_alive()
          && !msg_force
       )
       return;
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.c b/menu/menu_driver.c
index abc6130bb9..5575af35e7 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.c
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.c
@@ -304,10 +304,7 @@ const char *menu_driver_ident(void)
 
 void menu_driver_frame(video_frame_info_t *video_info)
 {
-   if (!menu_driver_alive)
-      return;
-
-   if (menu_driver_ctx->frame)
+   if (menu_driver_alive && menu_driver_ctx->frame)
       menu_driver_ctx->frame(menu_userdata, video_info);
 }
 
@@ -376,6 +373,11 @@ bool menu_driver_render(bool is_idle)
    return true;
 }
 
+bool menu_driver_is_alive(void)
+{
+   return menu_driver_alive;
+}
+
 bool menu_driver_ctl(enum rarch_menu_ctl_state state, void *data)
 {
    switch (state)
@@ -507,8 +509,6 @@ bool menu_driver_ctl(enum rarch_menu_ctl_state state, void *data)
       case RARCH_MENU_CTL_UNSET_TOGGLE:
          menu_driver_toggle(false);
          break;
-      case RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE:
-         return menu_driver_alive;
       case RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_OWN_DRIVER:
          menu_driver_data_own = true;
          break;
diff --git a/menu/menu_driver.h b/menu/menu_driver.h
index 5eafc3f88b..f67f3fc8d8 100644
--- a/menu/menu_driver.h
+++ b/menu/menu_driver.h
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ enum rarch_menu_ctl_state
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_TOGGLE,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_TOGGLE,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_UNSET_TOGGLE,
-   RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_DESTROY,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_SET_TEXTURE,
    RARCH_MENU_CTL_SET_OWN_DRIVER,
@@ -392,6 +391,8 @@ void menu_driver_set_binding_state(bool on);
 
 void menu_driver_frame(video_frame_info_t *video_info);
 
+bool menu_driver_is_alive(void);
+
 extern menu_ctx_driver_t menu_ctx_xui;
 extern menu_ctx_driver_t menu_ctx_rgui;
 extern menu_ctx_driver_t menu_ctx_mui;
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 786f0877c3..4c4da02cfb 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -1080,7 +1080,7 @@ bool retroarch_main_init(int argc, char *argv[])
    {
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
       /* Check if menu was active prior to core initialization */
-      if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+      if (menu_driver_is_alive())
       {
          /* Attempt initializing dummy core */
          current_core_type = CORE_TYPE_DUMMY;
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index fb0bd6fd9b..f23fcaf096 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
 
    if (runloop_cmd_triggered(trigger_input, RARCH_FULLSCREEN_TOGGLE_KEY))
    {
-      bool fullscreen_toggled = !runloop_paused || menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL);
+      bool fullscreen_toggled = !runloop_paused || menu_driver_is_alive();
 
       if (fullscreen_toggled)
          command_event(CMD_EVENT_FULLSCREEN_TOGGLE, NULL);
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
    }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+   if (menu_driver_is_alive())
    {
       menu_ctx_iterate_t iter;
       core_poll();
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
    if (menu_event_kb_is_set(RETROK_F1) == 1)
    {
-      if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+      if (menu_driver_is_alive())
       {
          if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) &&
                !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
             runloop_cmd_triggered(trigger_input, RARCH_MENU_TOGGLE)) ||
          rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
    {
-      if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+      if (menu_driver_is_alive())
       {
          if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) &&
                !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ static enum runloop_state runloop_check_state(
    else
       menu_event_kb_set(false, RETROK_F1);
 
-   if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
+   if (menu_driver_is_alive())
    {
       if (!settings->menu.throttle_framerate && !settings->fastforward_ratio)
          return RUNLOOP_STATE_MENU_ITERATE;
@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ int runloop_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
    settings_t *settings                         = config_get_ptr();
    uint64_t old_input                           = last_input;
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   bool menu_is_alive                           = menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL);
+   bool menu_is_alive                           = menu_driver_is_alive();
 #else
    bool menu_is_alive                           = false;
 #endif