diff --git a/menu/drivers/glui.c b/menu/drivers/glui.c
index 9ee6c4ccb3..541e88e8d3 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/glui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/glui.c
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ static void glui_render_menu_list(glui_handle_t *glui,
    uint64_t *frame_count   = video_driver_get_frame_count();
    size_t          end     = menu_entries_get_end();
    menu_display_t *disp    = menu_display_get_ptr();
-   menu_entries_t *entries = menu_entries_get_ptr();
+   menu_navigation_t *nav  = menu_navigation_get_ptr();
 
    if (!menu_display_update_pending())
       return;
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ static void glui_render_menu_list(glui_handle_t *glui,
 
       menu_entries_get(i, &entry);
 
-      entry_selected = entries->navigation.selection_ptr == i;
+      entry_selected = nav->selection_ptr == i;
 
       glui_render_label_value(glui, y, width, *frame_count / 40,
          entry_selected ? hover_color : normal_color, entry_selected,
diff --git a/menu/drivers/xmb.c b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
index c85a9dba49..704e13ac69 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/xmb.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
@@ -260,8 +260,7 @@ static size_t xmb_list_get_size(void *data, menu_list_type_t type)
 {
    size_t list_size        = 0;
    menu_handle_t *menu     = (menu_handle_t*)data;
-   menu_entries_t *entries = menu    ? &menu->entries : NULL;
-   menu_list_t *menu_list  = entries ? entries->menu_list : NULL;
+   menu_list_t *menu_list  = menu_list_get_ptr();
    xmb_handle_t *xmb       = menu    ? (xmb_handle_t*)menu->userdata : NULL;
 
    switch (type)
diff --git a/menu/menu.c b/menu/menu.c
index 078ca5f5c5..49c1e26491 100644
--- a/menu/menu.c
+++ b/menu/menu.c
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ void menu_free(menu_handle_t *menu)
 {
    global_t        *global    = global_get_ptr();
    menu_display_t    *disp    = menu_display_get_ptr();
-   menu_entries_t *entries    = menu ? &menu->entries : NULL;
    if (!menu || !disp)
       return;
 
@@ -208,14 +207,7 @@ void menu_free(menu_handle_t *menu)
 
    menu_display_free(menu);
 
-   if (entries)
-   {
-      menu_setting_free(entries->list_settings);
-      entries->list_settings = NULL;
-
-      menu_list_free(entries->menu_list);
-      entries->menu_list     = NULL;
-   }
+   menu_entries_free();
 
    event_command(EVENT_CMD_HISTORY_DEINIT);
 
@@ -243,7 +235,6 @@ void *menu_init(const void *data)
 {
    menu_handle_t *menu         = NULL;
    menu_display_t *disp        = NULL;
-   menu_entries_t *entries     = NULL;
    menu_ctx_driver_t *menu_ctx = (menu_ctx_driver_t*)data;
    global_t  *global           = global_get_ptr();
    settings_t *settings        = config_get_ptr();
@@ -254,12 +245,10 @@ void *menu_init(const void *data)
    if (!(menu = (menu_handle_t*)menu_ctx->init()))
       return NULL;
 
-   entries = &menu->entries;
-
    strlcpy(settings->menu.driver, menu_ctx->ident,
          sizeof(settings->menu.driver));
 
-   if (!(entries->menu_list = (menu_list_t*)menu_list_new()))
+   if (!menu_entries_init(menu))
       goto error;
 
    global->core_info.current = (core_info_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(core_info_t));
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index 5f1166bc3a..8f27db7e0d 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -2824,9 +2824,9 @@ int menu_displaylist_push(file_list_t *list, file_list_t *menu_list)
    uint32_t          hash_label = 0;
    unsigned type                = 0;
    menu_displaylist_info_t info = {0};
-   menu_entries_t *entries      = menu_entries_get_ptr();
+   menu_list_t *_menu_list      = menu_list_get_ptr();
 
-   menu_list_get_last_stack(entries->menu_list, &path, &label, &type, NULL);
+   menu_list_get_last_stack(_menu_list, &path, &label, &type, NULL);
 
    info.list      = list;
    info.menu_list = menu_list;
@@ -2849,7 +2849,7 @@ int menu_displaylist_push(file_list_t *list, file_list_t *menu_list)
    }
 
    cbs = (menu_file_list_cbs_t*)
-      menu_list_get_last_stack_actiondata(entries->menu_list);
+      menu_list_get_last_stack_actiondata(_menu_list);
 
    if (cbs->action_deferred_push)
       return cbs->action_deferred_push(&info);
diff --git a/menu/menu_entries.c b/menu/menu_entries.c
index bb1b7947af..8df3ad7b1e 100644
--- a/menu/menu_entries.c
+++ b/menu/menu_entries.c
@@ -16,17 +16,13 @@
 #include "menu.h"
 #include "menu_hash.h"
 #include "menu_display.h"
-#include "menu_entry.h"
-#include "menu_navigation.h"
-#include "menu_setting.h"
-#include "menu_input.h"
 
 #include "menu_entries.h"
 
 #include "../general.h"
 #include "../system.h"
 
-menu_entries_t *menu_entries_get_ptr(void)
+static menu_entries_t *menu_entries_get_ptr(void)
 {
    menu_handle_t *menu = menu_driver_get_ptr();
    if (!menu)
@@ -35,6 +31,31 @@ menu_entries_t *menu_entries_get_ptr(void)
    return &menu->entries;
 }
 
+rarch_setting_t *menu_setting_get_ptr(void)
+{
+   menu_entries_t *entries = menu_entries_get_ptr();
+
+   if (!entries)
+      return NULL;
+   return entries->list_settings;
+}
+
+menu_list_t *menu_list_get_ptr(void)
+{
+   menu_entries_t *entries       = menu_entries_get_ptr();
+   if (!entries)
+      return NULL;
+   return entries->menu_list;
+}
+
+menu_navigation_t *menu_navigation_get_ptr(void)
+{
+   menu_entries_t *entries = menu_entries_get_ptr();
+   if (!entries)
+      return NULL;
+   return &entries->navigation;
+}
+
 /* Sets the starting index of the menu entry list. */
 void menu_entries_set_start(size_t i)
 {
@@ -198,3 +219,32 @@ void menu_entries_unset_refresh(bool nonblocking)
          entries->need_refresh        = false;
    }
 }
+
+bool menu_entries_init(void *data)
+{
+   menu_entries_t *entries = NULL;
+   menu_handle_t *menu     = (menu_handle_t*)data;
+   if (!menu)
+      return false;
+
+   entries = &menu->entries;
+
+   if (!(entries->menu_list = (menu_list_t*)menu_list_new()))
+      return false;
+
+   return true;
+}
+
+void menu_entries_free(void)
+{
+   menu_entries_t *entries = menu_entries_get_ptr();
+
+   if (!entries)
+      return;
+
+   menu_setting_free(entries->list_settings);
+   entries->list_settings = NULL;
+
+   menu_list_free(entries->menu_list);
+   entries->menu_list     = NULL;
+}
diff --git a/menu/menu_entries.h b/menu/menu_entries.h
index bf66b12d8f..9a241047a2 100644
--- a/menu/menu_entries.h
+++ b/menu/menu_entries.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 
+#include <boolean.h>
+
 #include "menu_navigation.h"
 #include "menu_list.h"
 #include "menu_setting.h"
@@ -54,7 +56,9 @@ bool menu_entries_show_back(void);
 
 int menu_entries_get_core_title(char *title_msg, size_t title_msg_len);
 
-menu_entries_t *menu_entries_get_ptr(void);
+rarch_setting_t *menu_setting_get_ptr(void);
+
+menu_navigation_t *menu_navigation_get_ptr(void);
 
 bool menu_entries_needs_refresh(void);
 
@@ -62,6 +66,10 @@ void menu_entries_set_refresh(bool nonblocking);
 
 void menu_entries_unset_refresh(bool nonblocking);
 
+bool menu_entries_init(void *data);
+
+void menu_entries_free(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/menu/menu_list.c b/menu/menu_list.c
index 24ef5fc660..344a7708d3 100644
--- a/menu/menu_list.c
+++ b/menu/menu_list.c
@@ -48,14 +48,6 @@ static void  menu_driver_list_insert(file_list_t *list, const char *path,
    menu_cbs_init(list, path, label, type, idx);
 }
 
-menu_list_t *menu_list_get_ptr(void)
-{
-   menu_entries_t *entries       = menu_entries_get_ptr();
-   if (!entries)
-      return NULL;
-   return entries->menu_list;
-}
-
 size_t menu_list_get_size(menu_list_t *list)
 {
    if (!list)
diff --git a/menu/menu_navigation.c b/menu/menu_navigation.c
index 69f6da0255..b3ff0dbafa 100644
--- a/menu/menu_navigation.c
+++ b/menu/menu_navigation.c
@@ -85,13 +85,6 @@ static void menu_driver_navigation_ascend_alphabet(size_t *ptr_out)
       driver->navigation_ascend_alphabet(ptr_out);
 }
 
-menu_navigation_t *menu_navigation_get_ptr(void)
-{
-   menu_entries_t *entries = menu_entries_get_ptr();
-   if (!entries)
-      return NULL;
-   return &entries->navigation;
-}
 /**
  * menu_navigation_clear:
  * @pending_push          : pending push ?
diff --git a/menu/menu_navigation.h b/menu/menu_navigation.h
index af5a103992..a60497eaa5 100644
--- a/menu/menu_navigation.h
+++ b/menu/menu_navigation.h
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ typedef struct menu_navigation
    size_t selection_ptr;
 } menu_navigation_t;
 
-menu_navigation_t *menu_navigation_get_ptr(void);
-
 /**
  * menu_navigation_clear:
  * @pending_push          : pending push ?
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.c b/menu/menu_setting.c
index 7a61041b98..406473bd93 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.c
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.c
@@ -225,15 +225,6 @@ int menu_action_handle_setting(rarch_setting_t *setting,
    return -1;
 }
 
-static rarch_setting_t *menu_setting_get_ptr(void)
-{
-   menu_entries_t *entries = menu_entries_get_ptr();
-
-   if (!entries)
-      return NULL;
-   return entries->list_settings;
-}
-
 /**
  * menu_setting_find:
  * @settings           : pointer to settings