diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
index dc19987328..747f06c612 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ static int rarch_defer_core_wrapper(size_t idx, size_t entry_idx,
          menu_path_new, path, menu_label, menu->deferred_path,
          sizeof(menu->deferred_path));
 
-   if (!is_carchive)
+   if (!is_carchive && !string_is_empty(path) && !string_is_empty(menu_path_new))
       fill_pathname_join(detect_content_path, menu_path_new, path,
             sizeof(detect_content_path));
 
diff --git a/menu/menu_content.c b/menu/menu_content.c
index a3c92be1a7..8b426bcf42 100644
--- a/menu/menu_content.c
+++ b/menu/menu_content.c
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ int menu_content_defer_core(void *data, const char *dir,
    core_info_list_t *core_info         = (core_info_list_t*)data;
    uint32_t menu_label_hash            = menu_hash_calculate(menu_label);
 
-   fill_pathname_join(s, dir, path, len);
+   if (!string_is_empty(dir) && !string_is_empty(path))
+      fill_pathname_join(s, dir, path, len);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_COMPRESSION
    if (path_is_compressed_file(dir))