diff --git a/configuration.c b/configuration.c
index 3cfaa68d00..36d0de252b 100644
--- a/configuration.c
+++ b/configuration.c
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@
 #include "switch_performance_profiles.h"
 #endif
 
+#if TARGET_OS_TV
+#include "ui/drivers/cocoa/apple_platform.h"
+#endif
+
 enum video_driver_enum
 {
    VIDEO_GL                 = 0,
@@ -3355,6 +3359,16 @@ static bool config_load_file(global_t *global,
 
    conf = (path) ? config_file_new_from_path_to_string(path) : open_default_config_file();
 
+#if TARGET_OS_TV
+   if (!conf && path && string_is_equal(path, path_get(RARCH_PATH_CONFIG)))
+   {
+      /* Sometimes the OS decides it needs to reclaim disk space
+       * by emptying the cache, which is the only disk space we
+       * have access to, other than NSUserDefaults. */
+      conf = open_userdefaults_config_file();
+   }
+#endif
+
    if (!conf)
    {
       first_load = false;
@@ -5074,6 +5088,11 @@ bool config_save_file(const char *path)
    ret = config_file_write(conf, path, true);
    config_file_free(conf);
 
+#if TARGET_OS_TV
+   if (ret && string_is_equal(path, path_get(RARCH_PATH_CONFIG)))
+       write_userdefaults_config_file();
+#endif
+
    return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/drivers/cocoa/apple_platform.h b/ui/drivers/cocoa/apple_platform.h
index 224fb113b0..237badb6cc 100644
--- a/ui/drivers/cocoa/apple_platform.h
+++ b/ui/drivers/cocoa/apple_platform.h
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef COCOA_APPLE_PLATFORM_H
 #define COCOA_APPLE_PLATFORM_H
 
+#if TARGET_OS_TV
+#include "config_file.h"
+extern config_file_t *open_userdefaults_config_file(void);
+extern void write_userdefaults_config_file(void);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __OBJC__
+
 #ifdef HAVE_METAL
 #import <Metal/Metal.h>
 #import <MetalKit/MetalKit.h>
@@ -95,3 +103,5 @@ UINavigationControllerDelegate> {
 #endif
 
 #endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/ui/drivers/cocoa/cocoa_common.m b/ui/drivers/cocoa/cocoa_common.m
index 3ec4084864..0ca5b6765d 100644
--- a/ui/drivers/cocoa/cocoa_common.m
+++ b/ui/drivers/cocoa/cocoa_common.m
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "../../../configuration.h"
+#include "../../../paths.h"
 #include "../../../retroarch.h"
 #include "../../../verbosity.h"
 
@@ -836,3 +837,21 @@ bool cocoa_get_metrics(
    return true;
 }
 #endif
+
+config_file_t *open_userdefaults_config_file()
+{
+   config_file_t *conf = NULL;
+   NSString *backup = [NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults stringForKey:@FILE_PATH_MAIN_CONFIG];
+   if ([backup length] >= 0)
+      conf = config_file_new_from_string([backup cStringUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding], path_get(RARCH_PATH_CONFIG));
+   return conf;
+}
+
+void write_userdefaults_config_file()
+{
+   NSString *conf = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:[NSString stringWithUTF8String:path_get(RARCH_PATH_CONFIG)]
+                                              encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding
+                                                 error:nil];
+   if (conf)
+      [NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults setObject:conf forKey:@FILE_PATH_MAIN_CONFIG];
+}