diff --git a/file_path_special.c b/file_path_special.c
index 7f67fd7682..c6902bd622 100644
--- a/file_path_special.c
+++ b/file_path_special.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "configuration.h"
 #include "file_path_special.h"
 
+#include "runloop.h"
 #include "verbosity.h"
 
 void fill_pathname_expand_special(char *out_path,
@@ -279,6 +280,18 @@ void fill_pathname_application_special(char *s, size_t len, enum application_spe
                   len);
          }
          break;
+      case APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_CONFIG:
+         {
+            settings_t *settings     = config_get_ptr();
+            global_t *global         = global_get_ptr();
+            /* Try config directory setting first,
+             * fallback to the location of the current configuration file. */
+            if (!string_is_empty(settings->directory.menu_config))
+               strlcpy(s, settings->directory.menu_config, len);
+            else if (!string_is_empty(global->path.config))
+               fill_pathname_basedir(s, global->path.config, len);
+         }
+         break;
       case APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_ASSETS_ZARCH_ICONS:
 #ifdef HAVE_ZARCH
          {
diff --git a/file_path_special.h b/file_path_special.h
index b35c2b6529..3db5fe7feb 100644
--- a/file_path_special.h
+++ b/file_path_special.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ enum application_special_type
 {
    APPLICATION_SPECIAL_NONE = 0,
    APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_AUTOCONFIG,
+   APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_CONFIG,
    APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_ASSETS_MATERIALUI,
    APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_ASSETS_MATERIALUI_FONT,
    APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_ASSETS_MATERIALUI_ICONS,
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 209c0d96e2..4018d10da1 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 #include "dynamic.h"
 #include "msg_hash.h"
 #include "movie.h"
+#include "file_path_special.h"
 #include "verbosity.h"
 
 #include "frontend/frontend_driver.h"
@@ -1195,17 +1196,8 @@ bool retroarch_validate_game_options(char *s, size_t len, bool mkdir)
    if (string_is_empty(core_name) || string_is_empty(game_name))
       return false;
 
-   /* Config directory: config_directory.
-   * Try config directory setting first,
-   * fallback to the location of the current configuration file. */
-   if (!string_is_empty(settings->directory.menu_config))
-      strlcpy(config_directory,
-            settings->directory.menu_config, sizeof(config_directory));
-   else if (!string_is_empty(global->path.config))
-      fill_pathname_basedir(config_directory,
-            global->path.config, sizeof(config_directory));
-   else
-      return false;
+   fill_pathname_application_special(config_directory, sizeof(config_directory),
+         APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_CONFIG);
 
    /* Concatenate strings into full paths for game_path */
    fill_pathname_join(s,