diff --git a/frontend/frontend.c b/frontend/frontend.c
index 7efe2d0043..19c9a05c75 100644
--- a/frontend/frontend.c
+++ b/frontend/frontend.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ void main_exit(args_type() args)
       driver.frontend_ctx->exitspawn(g_settings.libretro,
             sizeof(g_settings.libretro));
 
-   rarch_main_clear_state();
+   rarch_main_state_free();
 
    if (driver.frontend_ctx && driver.frontend_ctx->shutdown)
       driver.frontend_ctx->shutdown(false);
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ returntype main_entry(signature())
    if (driver.frontend_ctx && driver.frontend_ctx->init)
       driver.frontend_ctx->init(args);
 
-   rarch_main_clear_state();
+   rarch_main_state_new();
 
    if (driver.frontend_ctx)
    {
diff --git a/general.h b/general.h
index 7369239141..2f5c1175f3 100644
--- a/general.h
+++ b/general.h
@@ -800,7 +800,10 @@ bool config_read_keybinds(const char *path);
 
 void rarch_deinit_recording(void);
 bool rarch_audio_flush(const int16_t *data, size_t samples);
-void rarch_main_clear_state(void);
+
+void rarch_main_state_new(void);
+void rarch_main_state_free(void);
+
 int rarch_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 bool rarch_replace_config(const char *path);
 void rarch_main_init_wrap(const struct rarch_main_wrap *args,
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 2be2ee9355..e58d758bf9 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -2525,15 +2525,12 @@ static void deinit_log_file(void)
    g_extern.log_file = NULL;
 }
 
-void rarch_main_clear_state(void)
+static void main_clear_state(bool inited)
 {
-   static bool inited = false;
    unsigned i;
 
    memset(&g_settings, 0, sizeof(g_settings));
 
-   deinit_log_file();
-
    if (inited)
       uninit_drivers();
 
@@ -2555,11 +2552,28 @@ void rarch_main_clear_state(void)
    for (i = 0; i < MAX_PLAYERS; i++)
       g_settings.input.libretro_device[i] = RETRO_DEVICE_JOYPAD;
 
+}
+
+void rarch_main_state_new(void)
+{
+   static bool inited = false;
+
+   main_clear_state(inited);
+
    init_msg_queue();
 
    inited = true;
 }
 
+void rarch_main_state_free(void)
+{
+   deinit_log_file();
+
+   main_clear_state(false);
+
+   rarch_deinit_msg_queue();
+}
+
 #ifdef HAVE_ZLIB
 #define DEFAULT_EXT "zip"
 #else