diff --git a/audio/audio_driver.c b/audio/audio_driver.c
index ae9c1bbe29..b7ff161681 100644
--- a/audio/audio_driver.c
+++ b/audio/audio_driver.c
@@ -171,7 +171,6 @@ static bool audio_driver_mixer_mute_enable               = false;
 static bool audio_driver_mute_enable                     = false;
 static bool audio_driver_use_float                       = false;
 static bool audio_driver_active                          = false;
-static bool audio_driver_data_own                        = false;
 static bool audio_mixer_active                           = false;
 
 static float audio_driver_rate_control_delta             = 0.0f;
@@ -1710,21 +1709,6 @@ void audio_driver_destroy_data(void)
    audio_driver_context_audio_data = NULL;
 }
 
-void audio_driver_set_own_driver(void)
-{
-   audio_driver_data_own = true;
-}
-
-void audio_driver_unset_own_driver(void)
-{
-   audio_driver_data_own = false;
-}
-
-bool audio_driver_owns_driver(void)
-{
-   return audio_driver_data_own;
-}
-
 void audio_driver_suspend(void)
 {
    audio_suspended = true;
@@ -1753,7 +1737,6 @@ bool audio_driver_is_active(void)
 void audio_driver_destroy(void)
 {
    audio_driver_active   = false;
-   audio_driver_data_own = false;
    current_audio         = NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/audio/audio_driver.h b/audio/audio_driver.h
index cc882af3b4..277350125e 100644
--- a/audio/audio_driver.h
+++ b/audio/audio_driver.h
@@ -142,10 +142,6 @@ typedef struct audio_driver
 
 void audio_driver_destroy_data(void);
 
-void audio_driver_set_own_driver(void);
-
-void audio_driver_unset_own_driver(void);
-
 void audio_driver_suspend(void);
 
 bool audio_driver_is_suspended(void);
@@ -236,8 +232,6 @@ bool audio_driver_start(bool is_shutdown);
 
 bool audio_driver_stop(void);
 
-bool audio_driver_owns_driver(void);
-
 void audio_driver_unset_callback(void);
 
 void audio_driver_frame_is_reverse(void);
diff --git a/gfx/video_driver.c b/gfx/video_driver.c
index 1926e2ac03..11a682ee98 100644
--- a/gfx/video_driver.c
+++ b/gfx/video_driver.c
@@ -191,7 +191,6 @@ hw_render_context_negotiation                            = NULL;
  * used for GLES.
  * TODO: Refactor this better. */
 static bool video_driver_use_rgba                        = false;
-static bool video_driver_data_own                        = false;
 static bool video_driver_active                          = false;
 
 static video_driver_frame_t frame_bak                    = NULL;
@@ -850,14 +849,10 @@ static void video_driver_free_internal(void)
       )
       input_driver_deinit();
 
-   if (
-         !video_driver_data_own
-         && video_driver_data
+   if (video_driver_data
          && current_video && current_video->free
       )
-      {
          current_video->free(video_driver_data);
-      }
 
    video_driver_pixel_converter_free();
    video_driver_filter_free();
@@ -1566,7 +1561,6 @@ void video_driver_destroy(void)
 
    video_driver_cb_has_focus      = null_driver_has_focus;
    video_driver_use_rgba          = false;
-   video_driver_data_own          = false;
    video_driver_active            = false;
    video_driver_cache_context     = false;
    video_driver_cache_context_ack = false;
@@ -2093,21 +2087,6 @@ void video_driver_reinit(void)
    video_driver_cache_context = false;
 }
 
-void video_driver_set_own_driver(void)
-{
-   video_driver_data_own = true;
-}
-
-void video_driver_unset_own_driver(void)
-{
-   video_driver_data_own = false;
-}
-
-bool video_driver_owns_driver(void)
-{
-   return video_driver_data_own;
-}
-
 bool video_driver_is_hw_context(void)
 {
    bool is_hw_context = false;
diff --git a/gfx/video_driver.h b/gfx/video_driver.h
index fcdc17c5e3..5589709df8 100644
--- a/gfx/video_driver.h
+++ b/gfx/video_driver.h
@@ -857,9 +857,6 @@ bool video_driver_frame_filter_is_32bit(void);
 void video_driver_default_settings(void);
 void video_driver_load_settings(config_file_t *conf);
 void video_driver_save_settings(config_file_t *conf);
-void video_driver_set_own_driver(void);
-void video_driver_unset_own_driver(void);
-bool video_driver_owns_driver(void);
 bool video_driver_is_hw_context(void);
 struct retro_hw_render_callback *video_driver_get_hw_context(void);
 const struct retro_hw_render_context_negotiation_interface
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 6abcc73e78..860d588bd9 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -569,10 +569,6 @@ void drivers_init(int flags)
 {
    bool video_is_threaded = false;
 
-   if (flags & DRIVER_VIDEO_MASK)
-      video_driver_unset_own_driver();
-   if (flags & DRIVER_AUDIO_MASK)
-      audio_driver_unset_own_driver();
    if (flags & DRIVER_INPUT_MASK)
       input_driver_unset_own_driver();
 
@@ -716,13 +712,13 @@ void driver_uninit(int flags)
    if (flags & DRIVER_AUDIO_MASK)
       audio_driver_deinit();
 
-   if ((flags & DRIVER_VIDEO_MASK) && !video_driver_owns_driver())
+   if ((flags & DRIVER_VIDEO_MASK))
       video_driver_destroy_data();
 
    if ((flags & DRIVER_INPUT_MASK) && !input_driver_owns_driver())
       input_driver_destroy_data();
 
-   if ((flags & DRIVER_AUDIO_MASK) && !audio_driver_owns_driver())
+   if ((flags & DRIVER_AUDIO_MASK))
       audio_driver_destroy_data();
 
    if (flags & DRIVER_MIDI_MASK)