diff --git a/core_info.c b/core_info.c
index 6adc8fd655..e196218329 100644
--- a/core_info.c
+++ b/core_info.c
@@ -195,8 +195,15 @@ static core_info_list_t *core_info_list_new(void)
    size_t i;
    core_info_t *core_info           = NULL;
    core_info_list_t *core_info_list = NULL;
-   struct string_list *contents     = 
-      dir_list_new_special(NULL, DIR_LIST_CORES, NULL);
+   struct string_list *contents     = NULL;
+   settings_t *settings             = config_get_ptr();
+
+   if (!settings)
+      return NULL;
+
+   contents = dir_list_new_special(
+         settings->directory.libretro,
+         DIR_LIST_CORES, NULL);
 
    if (!contents)
       return NULL;
diff --git a/list_special.c b/list_special.c
index 3accb848fb..cab7f5bd74 100644
--- a/list_special.c
+++ b/list_special.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 
 #include "list_special.h"
 #include "frontend/frontend_driver.h"
-#include "configuration.h"
 #include "core_info.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
@@ -54,10 +53,8 @@ struct string_list *dir_list_new_special(const char *input_dir,
    const char *dir                   = NULL;
    const char *exts                  = NULL;
    bool include_dirs                 = false;
-   settings_t *settings              = config_get_ptr();
 
    (void)input_dir;
-   (void)settings;
 
    switch (type)
    {
@@ -66,7 +63,7 @@ struct string_list *dir_list_new_special(const char *input_dir,
          exts = filter;
          break;
       case DIR_LIST_CORES:
-         dir  = settings->directory.libretro;
+         dir  = input_dir;
 
          if (!frontend_driver_get_core_extension(ext_name, sizeof(ext_name)))
             return NULL;
@@ -109,11 +106,11 @@ struct string_list *dir_list_new_special(const char *input_dir,
          }
          break;
       case DIR_LIST_COLLECTIONS:
-         dir  = settings->directory.playlist;
+         dir  = input_dir;
          exts = "lpl";
          break;
       case DIR_LIST_DATABASES:
-         dir  = settings->path.content_database;
+         dir  = input_dir;
          exts = "rdb";
          break;
       case DIR_LIST_PLAIN:
diff --git a/tasks/task_database.c b/tasks/task_database.c
index 5b2cc16758..198d26ef76 100644
--- a/tasks/task_database.c
+++ b/tasks/task_database.c
@@ -564,6 +564,7 @@ static void task_database_cleanup_state(
 
 static void task_database_handler(retro_task_t *task)
 {
+   settings_t *settings             = config_get_ptr();
    db_handle_t *db                  = (db_handle_t*)task->state;
    database_info_handle_t  *dbinfo  = db->handle;
    database_state_handle_t *dbstate = &db->state;
@@ -578,7 +579,8 @@ static void task_database_handler(retro_task_t *task)
       case DATABASE_STATUS_ITERATE_BEGIN:
          if (dbstate && !dbstate->list)
             dbstate->list = dir_list_new_special(
-                  NULL, DIR_LIST_DATABASES, NULL);
+                  settings->path.content_database,
+                  DIR_LIST_DATABASES, NULL);
          dbinfo->status = DATABASE_STATUS_ITERATE_START;
          break;
       case DATABASE_STATUS_ITERATE_START: