diff --git a/frontend/drivers/platform_darwin.m b/frontend/drivers/platform_darwin.m
index 7e743f18d7..62ac2a93f9 100644
--- a/frontend/drivers/platform_darwin.m
+++ b/frontend/drivers/platform_darwin.m
@@ -405,11 +405,7 @@ static void frontend_darwin_get_environment_settings(int *argc, char *argv[],
 
 static void frontend_darwin_load_content(void)
 {
-   driver_t          *driver = driver_get_ptr();
-   const ui_companion_driver_t *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
-
-   if (ui && ui->notify_content_loaded)
-      ui->notify_content_loaded(driver->ui_companion_data);
+   ui_companion_driver_notify_content_loaded();
 }
 
 static int frontend_darwin_get_rating(void)
diff --git a/frontend/frontend.c b/frontend/frontend.c
index 14ac8ee1fa..23e57dbb32 100644
--- a/frontend/frontend.c
+++ b/frontend/frontend.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ void main_exit(void *args)
    driver_t *driver                      = driver_get_ptr();
    settings_t *settings                  = config_get_ptr();
    global_t   *global                    = global_get_ptr();
-   const ui_companion_driver_t *ui       = ui_companion_get_ptr();
 
    event_command(EVENT_CMD_MENU_SAVE_CURRENT_CONFIG);
 
@@ -70,11 +69,7 @@ void main_exit(void *args)
 
    rarch_main_free();
 
-   if (ui)
-   {
-      if (ui->deinit)
-         ui->deinit(driver->ui_companion_data);
-   }
+   ui_companion_driver_deinit();
 
    frontend_driver_shutdown(false);
 
@@ -248,15 +243,12 @@ int rarch_main(int argc, char *argv[], void *data)
    void *args                      = (void*)data;
    int ret                         = 0;
    settings_t *settings            = NULL;
-   driver_t *driver                = NULL;
 #ifdef HAVE_THREADS
    global_t *global                = NULL;
 #endif
 
    rarch_main_alloc();
 
-   driver = driver_get_ptr();
-
    frontend_driver_init_first(args);
    rarch_main_new();
 
@@ -292,14 +284,7 @@ int rarch_main(int argc, char *argv[], void *data)
                system ? &system->info : NULL);
    }
 
-   if (driver)
-      driver->ui_companion = (ui_companion_driver_t*)ui_companion_init_first();
-
-   if (driver->ui_companion && driver->ui_companion->toggle)
-   {
-      if (settings->ui.companion_start_on_boot)
-         driver->ui_companion->toggle(driver->ui_companion_data);
-   }
+   ui_companion_driver_init_first();
 
 #ifndef HAVE_MAIN
    do
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c
index 11d6361db9..8703684eac 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_right.c
@@ -38,17 +38,14 @@ static int generic_shader_action_parameter_right(
       struct video_shader *shader, struct video_shader_parameter *param,
       unsigned type, const char *label, bool wraparound)
 {
-   driver_t                     *driver = driver_get_ptr();
-   const ui_companion_driver_t      *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
-
    if (!shader)
       return -1;
 
    param->current += param->step;
    param->current  = min(max(param->minimum, param->current), param->maximum);
 
-   if (ui->notify_refresh && ui_companion_is_on_foreground())
-      ui->notify_refresh(driver->ui_companion_data);
+   if (ui_companion_is_on_foreground())
+      ui_companion_driver_notify_refresh();
    return 0;
 }
 
@@ -353,8 +350,6 @@ static int playlist_association_right(unsigned type, const char *label,
 int core_setting_right(unsigned type, const char *label,
       bool wraparound)
 {
-   driver_t * driver = driver_get_ptr();
-   const ui_companion_driver_t *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
    unsigned idx     = type - MENU_SETTINGS_CORE_OPTION_START;
    rarch_system_info_t *system = rarch_system_info_get_ptr();
 
@@ -362,8 +357,8 @@ int core_setting_right(unsigned type, const char *label,
 
    core_option_next(system->core_options, idx);
 
-   if (ui->notify_refresh && ui_companion_is_on_foreground())
-      ui->notify_refresh(driver->ui_companion_data);
+   if (ui_companion_is_on_foreground())
+      ui_companion_driver_notify_refresh();
 
    return 0;
 }
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index 46d746dcb7..35c904fb82 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -3198,15 +3198,11 @@ void menu_displaylist_push_list_process(menu_displaylist_info_t *info)
    if (info->need_push)
    {
       const menu_ctx_driver_t *menu_driver = menu_ctx_driver_get_ptr();
-      driver_t *driver                = driver_get_ptr();
-      const ui_companion_driver_t *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
 
       if (menu_driver->populate_entries)
          menu_driver->populate_entries(info->path, info->label, info->type);
 
-      if (ui && driver)
-         ui->notify_list_loaded(driver->ui_companion_data,
-               info->list, info->menu_list);
+      ui_companion_driver_notify_list_loaded(info->list, info->menu_list);
    }
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/ui_companion_driver.c b/ui/ui_companion_driver.c
index b2b6029a7b..274e3183b3 100644
--- a/ui/ui_companion_driver.c
+++ b/ui/ui_companion_driver.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #include <boolean.h>
 
+#include "../configuration.h"
 #include "../driver.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
@@ -106,3 +107,57 @@ void ui_companion_event_command(enum event_command action)
    if (driver && ui && ui->event_command)
       ui->event_command(driver->ui_companion_data, action);
 }
+
+void ui_companion_driver_deinit(void)
+{
+   driver_t *driver        = driver_get_ptr();
+   const ui_companion_driver_t *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
+   if (!ui)
+      return;
+   if (ui->deinit)
+      ui->deinit(driver->ui_companion_data);
+}
+
+void ui_companion_driver_init_first(void)
+{
+   settings_t *settings    = config_get_ptr();
+   driver_t *driver        = driver_get_ptr();
+   if (driver)
+      driver->ui_companion = (ui_companion_driver_t*)ui_companion_init_first();
+
+   if (driver->ui_companion && driver->ui_companion->toggle)
+   {
+      if (settings->ui.companion_start_on_boot)
+         driver->ui_companion->toggle(driver->ui_companion_data);
+   }
+}
+
+void ui_companion_driver_notify_refresh(void)
+{
+   driver_t *driver        = driver_get_ptr();
+   const ui_companion_driver_t *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
+   if (!ui)
+      return;
+   if (ui->notify_refresh)
+      ui->notify_refresh(driver->ui_companion_data);
+}
+
+void ui_companion_driver_notify_list_loaded(file_list_t *list, file_list_t *menu_list)
+{
+   driver_t *driver        = driver_get_ptr();
+   const ui_companion_driver_t *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
+   if (!ui)
+      return;
+   if (ui->notify_list_loaded)
+      ui->notify_list_loaded(driver->ui_companion_data, list, menu_list);
+}
+
+void ui_companion_driver_notify_content_loaded(void)
+{
+   driver_t *driver        = driver_get_ptr();
+   const ui_companion_driver_t *ui = ui_companion_get_ptr();
+   if (!ui)
+      return;
+   if (ui->notify_content_loaded)
+      ui->notify_content_loaded(driver->ui_companion_data);
+}
diff --git a/ui/ui_companion_driver.h b/ui/ui_companion_driver.h
index 466c5ed5bf..7d49689a4f 100644
--- a/ui/ui_companion_driver.h
+++ b/ui/ui_companion_driver.h
@@ -74,12 +74,22 @@ const ui_companion_driver_t *ui_companion_get_ptr(void);
  **/
 const ui_companion_driver_t *ui_companion_init_first(void);
 
+void ui_companion_driver_init_first(void);
+
 bool ui_companion_is_on_foreground(void);
 
 void ui_companion_set_foreground(unsigned enable);
 
 void ui_companion_event_command(enum event_command action);
 
+void ui_companion_driver_deinit(void);
+
+void ui_companion_driver_notify_refresh(void);
+
+void ui_companion_driver_notify_list_loaded(file_list_t *list, file_list_t *menu_list);
+
+void ui_companion_driver_notify_content_loaded(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif