diff --git a/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.c b/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.c
index bdb63a24a5..9ce1dcd82d 100644
--- a/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.c
+++ b/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.c
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ static void msg_widget_msg_transition_animation_done(void *userdata)
    msg->msg_transition_animation = 0.0f;
 }
 
-static bool menu_widgets_msg_queue_push_internal(
+bool menu_widgets_msg_queue_push(
       retro_task_t *task, const char *msg,
       unsigned duration,
       char *title,
@@ -339,10 +339,6 @@ static bool menu_widgets_msg_queue_push_internal(
 {
    menu_widget_msg_t* msg_widget = NULL;
 
-#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
-   runloop_msg_queue_lock();
-#endif
-
    ui_companion_driver_msg_queue_push(msg,
          prio, task ? duration : duration * 60 / 1000, flush);
 
@@ -510,24 +506,9 @@ static bool menu_widgets_msg_queue_push_internal(
       }
    }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
-   runloop_msg_queue_unlock();
-#endif
-
    return true;
 }
 
-bool menu_widgets_msg_queue_push(const char *msg,
-      unsigned duration,
-      char *title,
-      enum message_queue_icon icon, enum message_queue_category category,
-      unsigned prio, bool flush)
-{
-   if (menu_widgets_inited)
-      return menu_widgets_msg_queue_push_internal(NULL, msg, duration, title, icon, category, prio, flush);
-   return false;
-}
-
 static void menu_widgets_unfold_end(void *userdata)
 {
    menu_widget_msg_t *unfold = (menu_widget_msg_t*) userdata;
@@ -2153,20 +2134,6 @@ void menu_widgets_screenshot_taken(const char *shotname, const char *filename)
    strlcpy(screenshot_shotname, shotname, sizeof(screenshot_shotname));
 }
 
-bool menu_widgets_task_msg_queue_push(retro_task_t *task,
-      const char *msg,
-      unsigned prio, unsigned duration,
-      bool flush)
-{
-   if (!menu_widgets_inited)
-      return false;
-
-   if (task->title != NULL && !task->mute)
-      menu_widgets_msg_queue_push_internal(task, msg, duration, NULL, (enum message_queue_icon)MESSAGE_QUEUE_CATEGORY_INFO, (enum message_queue_category)MESSAGE_QUEUE_ICON_DEFAULT, prio, flush);
-
-   return true;
-}
-
 static void menu_widgets_end_load_content_animation(void *userdata)
 {
 #if 0
diff --git a/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.h b/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.h
index f5a53ff52d..a7e43848e8 100644
--- a/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.h
+++ b/menu/widgets/menu_widgets.h
@@ -41,10 +41,12 @@ void menu_widgets_init(bool video_is_threaded);
 void menu_widgets_free(void);
 bool menu_widgets_ready(void);
 
-bool menu_widgets_msg_queue_push(const char *msg,
+bool menu_widgets_msg_queue_push(
+      retro_task_t *task, const char *msg,
       unsigned duration,
       char *title,
-      enum message_queue_icon icon, enum message_queue_category category,
+      enum message_queue_icon icon,
+      enum message_queue_category category,
       unsigned prio, bool flush);
 
 bool menu_widgets_volume_update_and_show(void);
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index b1846d9ece..132b41aef2 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -14236,7 +14236,18 @@ void runloop_task_msg_queue_push(retro_task_t *task, const char *msg,
       bool flush)
 {
 #if defined(HAVE_MENU) && defined(HAVE_MENU_WIDGETS)
-   if (!menu_widgets_task_msg_queue_push(task, msg, prio, duration, flush))
+   bool ready = menu_widgets_ready();
+   if (ready && task->title && !task->mute)
+   {
+#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
+      runloop_msg_queue_lock_internal();
+#endif
+      menu_widgets_msg_queue_push(task, msg, duration, NULL, (enum message_queue_icon)MESSAGE_QUEUE_CATEGORY_INFO, (enum message_queue_category)MESSAGE_QUEUE_ICON_DEFAULT, prio, flush);
+#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
+      runloop_msg_queue_unlock_internal();
+#endif
+   }
+   else
 #endif
       runloop_msg_queue_push(msg, prio, duration, flush, NULL, MESSAGE_QUEUE_ICON_DEFAULT, MESSAGE_QUEUE_CATEGORY_INFO);
 }
@@ -14248,16 +14259,23 @@ void runloop_msg_queue_push(const char *msg,
       enum message_queue_icon icon, enum message_queue_category category)
 {
    runloop_ctx_msg_info_t msg_info;
-#if defined(HAVE_MENU) && defined(HAVE_MENU_WIDGETS)
-   if (menu_widgets_msg_queue_push(msg,
-            roundf((float)duration / 60.0f * 1000.0f), title, icon, category, prio, flush))
-      return;
-#endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_THREADS
    runloop_msg_queue_lock_internal();
 #endif
 
+#if defined(HAVE_MENU) && defined(HAVE_MENU_WIDGETS)
+   if (menu_widgets_ready())
+   {
+      menu_widgets_msg_queue_push(NULL, msg,
+            roundf((float)duration / 60.0f * 1000.0f), title, icon, category, prio, flush);
+#ifdef HAVE_THREADS
+      runloop_msg_queue_unlock_internal();
+#endif
+      return;
+   }
+#endif
+
    if (flush)
       msg_queue_clear(runloop_msg_queue);