diff --git a/core_impl.c b/core_impl.c
index e0fc8633c8..eb4b2fffd0 100644
--- a/core_impl.c
+++ b/core_impl.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "verbosity.h"
 #include "gfx/video_driver.h"
 #include "audio/audio_driver.h"
+#include "tasks/tasks_internal.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_RUNAHEAD
 #include "runahead/copy_load_info.h"
@@ -298,6 +299,7 @@ bool core_load_game(retro_ctx_load_content_info_t *load_info)
 #endif
 
    content_get_status(&contentless, &is_inited);
+   set_save_state_in_background(false);
 
    if (load_info && load_info->special)
       current_core.game_loaded = current_core.retro_load_game_special(
diff --git a/dynamic.c b/dynamic.c
index 4a91c2693b..6b35a0117d 100644
--- a/dynamic.c
+++ b/dynamic.c
@@ -1387,6 +1387,16 @@ bool rarch_environment_cb(unsigned cmd, void *data)
          break;
       }
 
+      case RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_SAVE_STATE_IN_BACKGROUND:
+      {
+         bool state = *(const bool*)data;
+         RARCH_LOG("Environ SET_SAVE_STATE_IN_BACKGROUND: %s.\n", state ? "yes" : "no");
+
+         set_save_state_in_background(state) ;
+
+         break;
+      }
+
       case RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_GET_LIBRETRO_PATH:
       {
          const char **path = (const char**)data;
diff --git a/retroarch.h b/retroarch.h
index 46d882deed..dda1628c29 100644
--- a/retroarch.h
+++ b/retroarch.h
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 
 RETRO_BEGIN_DECLS
 
+#define RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_SAVE_STATE_IN_BACKGROUND RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_PRIVATE+1
+
 enum rarch_ctl_state
 {
    RARCH_CTL_NONE = 0,
diff --git a/tasks/task_save.c b/tasks/task_save.c
index 1b5d93be4e..650f88f2ce 100644
--- a/tasks/task_save.c
+++ b/tasks/task_save.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 
 #define SAVE_STATE_CHUNK 4096
 
+static bool save_state_in_background = false;
 static struct string_list *task_save_files = NULL;
 
 struct ram_type
@@ -555,6 +556,33 @@ static void task_save_handler_finished(retro_task_t *task,
    free(state);
 }
 
+void* get_serialized_data(const char *path, size_t serial_size)
+{
+   retro_ctx_serialize_info_t serial_info;
+   bool ret    = false;
+   void *data  = NULL;
+
+   data = malloc(serial_size);
+
+   if (!data)
+      return NULL;
+
+   RARCH_LOG("%s: %d %s.\n",
+         msg_hash_to_str(MSG_STATE_SIZE),
+         (int)serial_size,
+         msg_hash_to_str(MSG_BYTES));
+
+   serial_info.data = data;
+   serial_info.size = serial_size;
+   ret              = core_serialize(&serial_info);
+   if ( !ret )
+   {
+      free(data) ;
+      return NULL ;
+   }
+   return data ;
+}
+
 /**
  * task_save_handler:
  * @task : the task being worked on
@@ -576,9 +604,22 @@ static void task_save_handler(retro_task_t *task)
          return;
    }
 
+   if (!state->data)
+   {
+      state->data = get_serialized_data(state->path, state->size) ;
+   }
+
    remaining       = MIN(state->size - state->written, SAVE_STATE_CHUNK);
-   written         = (int)intfstream_write(state->file,
+
+   if ( state->data )
+   {
+      written         = (int)intfstream_write(state->file,
          (uint8_t*)state->data + state->written, remaining);
+   }
+   else
+   {
+      written = 0 ;
+   }
 
    state->written += written;
 
@@ -1144,85 +1185,90 @@ error:
  **/
 bool content_save_state(const char *path, bool save_to_disk, bool autosave)
 {
-   retro_ctx_serialize_info_t serial_info;
    retro_ctx_size_info_t info;
    bool ret    = false;
    void *data  = NULL;
 
    core_serialize_size(&info);
 
-   RARCH_LOG("%s: \"%s\".\n",
-         msg_hash_to_str(MSG_SAVING_STATE),
-         path);
-
    if (info.size == 0)
       return false;
 
-   data = malloc(info.size);
-
-   if (!data)
-      return false;
-
-   RARCH_LOG("%s: %d %s.\n",
-         msg_hash_to_str(MSG_STATE_SIZE),
-         (int)info.size,
-         msg_hash_to_str(MSG_BYTES));
-
-   serial_info.data = data;
-   serial_info.size = info.size;
-   ret              = core_serialize(&serial_info);
-
-   if (ret)
+   if ( !save_state_in_background )
    {
-      if (save_to_disk)
-      {
-         if (filestream_exists(path) && !autosave)
-         {
-            /* Before overwritting the savestate file, load it into a buffer
-            to allow undo_save_state() to work */
-            /* TODO/FIXME - Use msg_hash_to_str here */
-            RARCH_LOG("%s ...\n",
-                  msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FILE_ALREADY_EXISTS_SAVING_TO_BACKUP_BUFFER));
+      RARCH_LOG("%s: \"%s\".\n",
+            msg_hash_to_str(MSG_SAVING_STATE),
+            path);
 
-            task_push_load_and_save_state(path, data, info.size, true, autosave);
-         }
-         else
-            task_push_save_state(path, data, info.size, autosave);
+      data = get_serialized_data(path, info.size) ;
+
+
+      if (!data)
+      {
+         RARCH_ERR("%s \"%s\".\n",
+               msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FAILED_TO_SAVE_STATE_TO),
+               path);
+         return false;
+      }
+
+      RARCH_LOG("%s: %d %s.\n",
+            msg_hash_to_str(MSG_STATE_SIZE),
+            (int)info.size,
+            msg_hash_to_str(MSG_BYTES));
+
+   }
+
+   if (save_to_disk)
+   {
+      if (filestream_exists(path) && !autosave)
+      {
+         /* Before overwritting the savestate file, load it into a buffer
+         to allow undo_save_state() to work */
+         /* TODO/FIXME - Use msg_hash_to_str here */
+         RARCH_LOG("%s ...\n",
+               msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FILE_ALREADY_EXISTS_SAVING_TO_BACKUP_BUFFER));
+
+         task_push_load_and_save_state(path, data, info.size, true, autosave);
       }
       else
-      {
-         /* save_to_disk is false, which means we are saving the state
-         in undo_load_buf to allow content_undo_load_state() to restore it */
-
-         /* If we were holding onto an old state already, clean it up first */
-         if (undo_load_buf.data)
-         {
-            free(undo_load_buf.data);
-            undo_load_buf.data = NULL;
-         }
-
-         undo_load_buf.data = malloc(info.size);
-         if (!undo_load_buf.data)
-         {
-            free(data);
-            return false;
-         }
-
-         memcpy(undo_load_buf.data, data, info.size);
-         free(data);
-         undo_load_buf.size = info.size;
-         strlcpy(undo_load_buf.path, path, sizeof(undo_load_buf.path));
-      }
+         task_push_save_state(path, data, info.size, autosave);
    }
    else
    {
+      if ( data == NULL )
+         data = get_serialized_data(path, info.size) ;
+
+      if ( data == NULL )
+      {
+         RARCH_ERR("%s \"%s\".\n",
+               msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FAILED_TO_SAVE_STATE_TO),
+               path);
+         return false ;
+      }
+      /* save_to_disk is false, which means we are saving the state
+      in undo_load_buf to allow content_undo_load_state() to restore it */
+
+      /* If we were holding onto an old state already, clean it up first */
+      if (undo_load_buf.data)
+      {
+         free(undo_load_buf.data);
+         undo_load_buf.data = NULL;
+      }
+
+      undo_load_buf.data = malloc(info.size);
+      if (!undo_load_buf.data)
+      {
+         free(data);
+         return false;
+      }
+
+      memcpy(undo_load_buf.data, data, info.size);
       free(data);
-      RARCH_ERR("%s \"%s\".\n",
-            msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FAILED_TO_SAVE_STATE_TO),
-            path);
+      undo_load_buf.size = info.size;
+      strlcpy(undo_load_buf.path, path, sizeof(undo_load_buf.path));
    }
 
-   return ret;
+   return true;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1546,3 +1592,8 @@ void *savefile_ptr_get(void)
 {
    return task_save_files;
 }
+
+void set_save_state_in_background(bool state)
+{
+   save_state_in_background = state ;
+}
diff --git a/tasks/tasks_internal.h b/tasks/tasks_internal.h
index a2632e4ac8..4647a1dea1 100644
--- a/tasks/tasks_internal.h
+++ b/tasks/tasks_internal.h
@@ -267,6 +267,8 @@ bool task_push_audio_mixer_load(
 
 extern const char* const input_builtin_autoconfs[];
 
+void set_save_state_in_background(bool state) ;
+
 RETRO_END_DECLS
 
 #endif