diff --git a/configuration.c b/configuration.c
index 29f85b40a0..16261c133c 100644
--- a/configuration.c
+++ b/configuration.c
@@ -840,7 +840,10 @@ static void config_set_defaults(void)
    settings->config_save_on_exit = config_save_on_exit;
 
    /* Avoid reloading config on every content load */
-   global->block_config_read = default_block_config_read;
+   if (default_block_config_read)
+      rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_SET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ, NULL);
+   else
+      rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ, NULL);
 }
 
 #ifndef GLOBAL_CONFIG_DIR
@@ -2339,7 +2342,7 @@ void config_load(void)
    /* Flush out some states that could have been set by core environment variables */
    global->has_set.input_descriptors = false;
 
-   if (!global->block_config_read)
+   if (!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ, NULL))
    {
       config_set_defaults();
       parse_config_file();
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 3239b96d9b..2d7be8ae62 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ enum
 static char current_savestate_dir[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
 static char current_savefile_dir[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
 
+static bool rarch_block_config_read;
 static bool rarch_force_fullscreen;
 static bool error_on_init;
 static char error_string[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
@@ -1337,6 +1338,15 @@ bool rarch_ctl(enum rarch_ctl_state state, void *data)
          break;
       case RARCH_CTL_IS_FORCE_FULLSCREEN:
          return rarch_force_fullscreen;
+      case RARCH_CTL_SET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ:
+         rarch_block_config_read = true;
+         break;
+      case RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ:
+         rarch_block_config_read = false;
+         break;
+      case RARCH_CTL_IS_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ:
+         return rarch_block_config_read;
+         break;
       case RARCH_CTL_REPLACE_CONFIG:
          {
             char *path = (char*)data;
@@ -1353,7 +1363,9 @@ bool rarch_ctl(enum rarch_ctl_state state, void *data)
                config_save_file(global->path.config);
 
             strlcpy(global->path.config, path, sizeof(global->path.config));
-            global->block_config_read = false;
+
+            rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ, NULL);
+
             *settings->libretro = '\0'; /* Load core in new config. */
          }
          runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_PREPARE_DUMMY, NULL);
diff --git a/retroarch.h b/retroarch.h
index f9299dca63..52914499be 100644
--- a/retroarch.h
+++ b/retroarch.h
@@ -97,7 +97,13 @@ enum rarch_ctl_state
 
    RARCH_CTL_SET_FORCE_FULLSCREEN,
 
-   RARCH_CTL_IS_FORCE_FULLSCREEN
+   RARCH_CTL_IS_FORCE_FULLSCREEN,
+
+   RARCH_CTL_SET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ,
+
+   RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ,
+
+   RARCH_CTL_IS_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ
 };
 
 enum rarch_content_type
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index ed4a8ceb8f..eca92ebd05 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -716,6 +716,7 @@ bool runloop_ctl(enum runloop_ctl_state state, void *data)
          event_command(EVENT_CMD_RECORD_DEINIT);
          event_command(EVENT_CMD_LOG_FILE_DEINIT);
 
+         rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_UNSET_BLOCK_CONFIG_READ, NULL);
          memset(&g_extern, 0, sizeof(g_extern));
          break;
       case RUNLOOP_CTL_CLEAR_STATE:
diff --git a/runloop.h b/runloop.h
index 091ca74717..1c77f3d3fb 100644
--- a/runloop.h
+++ b/runloop.h
@@ -259,8 +259,6 @@ typedef struct global
 
    cheat_manager_t *cheat;
 
-   bool block_config_read;
-
    /* Settings and/or global state that is specific to 
     * a console-style implementation. */
    struct