diff --git a/configuration.c b/configuration.c
index 13144762ef..9d15b4dca4 100644
--- a/configuration.c
+++ b/configuration.c
@@ -2424,7 +2424,7 @@ static config_file_t *open_default_config_file(void)
       bool saved = false;
 
       /* Try to create a new config file. */
-      conf = config_file_new_null();
+      conf = config_file_new_alloc();
 
       if (conf)
       {
@@ -2463,7 +2463,7 @@ static config_file_t *open_default_config_file(void)
    if (!conf)
    {
       bool saved = false;
-      conf       = config_file_new_null();
+      conf       = config_file_new_alloc();
 
       if (conf)
       {
@@ -2535,7 +2535,7 @@ static config_file_t *open_default_config_file(void)
          if (conf)
             RARCH_WARN("Config: using skeleton config \"%s\" as base for a new config file.\n", skeleton_conf);
          else
-            conf = config_file_new_null();
+            conf = config_file_new_alloc();
 
          free(skeleton_conf);
 
@@ -3639,7 +3639,7 @@ bool config_save_autoconf_profile(const char *path, unsigned user)
 
    if (!conf)
    {
-      conf = config_file_new_null();
+      conf = config_file_new_alloc();
       if (!conf)
       {
          free(autoconf_file);
@@ -3710,7 +3710,7 @@ bool config_save_file(const char *path)
    int path_settings_size                            = sizeof(settings->paths) / sizeof(settings->paths.placeholder);
 
    if (!conf)
-      conf = config_file_new_null();
+      conf = config_file_new_alloc();
 
    if (!conf || rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_OVERRIDES_ACTIVE, NULL))
    {
@@ -3993,7 +3993,7 @@ bool config_save_overrides(int override_type)
          path_size);
 
    if (!conf)
-      conf = config_file_new_null();
+      conf = config_file_new_alloc();
 
    /* Load the original config file in memory */
    config_load_file(path_get(RARCH_PATH_CONFIG), settings);
diff --git a/frontend/frontend_salamander.c b/frontend/frontend_salamander.c
index 782ff5f32b..105f778e44 100644
--- a/frontend/frontend_salamander.c
+++ b/frontend/frontend_salamander.c
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ static void salamander_init(char *s, size_t len)
 
    if (!config_exists)
    {
-      config_file_t *conf = (config_file_t*)config_file_new_null();
+      config_file_t *conf = (config_file_t*)config_file_new_alloc();
 
       if (conf)
       {
diff --git a/input/input_remapping.c b/input/input_remapping.c
index 996703b0d8..25857ba935 100644
--- a/input/input_remapping.c
+++ b/input/input_remapping.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ bool input_remapping_save_file(const char *path)
 
    if (!conf)
    {
-      if (!(conf = config_file_new_null()))
+      if (!(conf = config_file_new_alloc()))
       {
          free(remap_file);
          return false;
diff --git a/libretro-common/file/config_file.c b/libretro-common/file/config_file.c
index 192b2ef857..cb55f363bb 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/config_file.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/config_file.c
@@ -396,17 +396,7 @@ static config_file_t *config_file_new_internal(
       const char *path, unsigned depth, config_file_cb_t *cb)
 {
    RFILE              *file = NULL;
-   struct config_file *conf = (struct config_file*)malloc(sizeof(*conf));
-   if (!conf)
-      return NULL;
-
-   conf->path                     = NULL;
-   conf->entries                  = NULL;
-   conf->tail                     = NULL;
-   conf->last                     = NULL;
-   conf->includes                 = NULL;
-   conf->include_depth            = 0;
-   conf->guaranteed_no_duplicates = false ;
+   struct config_file *conf = config_file_new_alloc();
 
    if (!path || !*path)
       return conf;
@@ -614,7 +604,7 @@ config_file_t *config_file_new(const char *path)
    return config_file_new_internal(path, 0, NULL);
 }
 
-config_file_t *config_file_new_null(void)
+config_file_t *config_file_new_alloc(void)
 {
    struct config_file *conf = (struct config_file*)malloc(sizeof(*conf));
    if (!conf)
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/file/config_file.h b/libretro-common/include/file/config_file.h
index 9e682cfaa2..ed3124265a 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/file/config_file.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/file/config_file.h
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ typedef struct config_file_cb config_file_cb_t ;
  * NULL path will create an empty config file. */
 config_file_t *config_file_new(const char *path);
 
-config_file_t *config_file_new_null(void);
+config_file_t *config_file_new_alloc(void);
 
 /* Loads a config file. Returns NULL if file doesn't exist.
  * NULL path will create an empty config file.
diff --git a/managers/cheat_manager.c b/managers/cheat_manager.c
index 9c92e3d661..731a70c0da 100644
--- a/managers/cheat_manager.c
+++ b/managers/cheat_manager.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ bool cheat_manager_save(const char *path, const char *cheat_database, bool overw
       conf = config_file_new(cheats_file);
 
    if (!conf)
-      if (!(conf = config_file_new_null()))
+      if (!(conf = config_file_new_alloc()))
          return false;
 
    conf->guaranteed_no_duplicates = true;
diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
index 044897dad3..db13b7c906 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
@@ -4037,7 +4037,7 @@ static int action_ok_option_create(const char *path,
    conf = config_file_new(game_path);
 
    if (!conf)
-      if (!(conf = config_file_new_null()))
+      if (!(conf = config_file_new_alloc()))
          return false;
 
    if (config_file_write(conf, game_path, true))
diff --git a/menu/menu_shader.c b/menu/menu_shader.c
index 8358358e95..ae4df7e23c 100644
--- a/menu/menu_shader.c
+++ b/menu/menu_shader.c
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ bool menu_shader_manager_save_preset(
       dirs[2]              = config_directory;
    }
 
-   if (!(conf = (config_file_t*)config_file_new_null()))
+   if (!(conf = (config_file_t*)config_file_new_alloc()))
       return false;
 
    if (fullpath)
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 07103fd273..3ba5294b40 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -2086,13 +2086,11 @@ static core_option_manager_t *core_option_manager_new_vars(const char *conf_path
    }
 
    if (!opt->conf)
-      opt->conf                     = config_file_new_null();
+      if (!(opt->conf = config_file_new_alloc()))
+         goto error;
 
    strlcpy(opt->conf_path, conf_path, sizeof(opt->conf_path));
 
-   if (!opt->conf)
-      goto error;
-
    for (var = vars; var->key && var->value; var++)
       size++;
 
@@ -2154,13 +2152,11 @@ static core_option_manager_t *core_option_manager_new(const char *conf_path,
    }
 
    if (!opt->conf)
-      opt->conf                     = config_file_new_null();
+      if (!(opt->conf = config_file_new_alloc()))
+         goto error;
 
    strlcpy(opt->conf_path, conf_path, sizeof(opt->conf_path));
 
-   if (!opt->conf)
-      goto error;
-
    /* Note: 'option_def->info == NULL' is valid */
    for (option_def = option_defs;
         option_def->key && option_def->desc && option_def->values[0].value;
diff --git a/ui/drivers/qt/coreoptionsdialog.cpp b/ui/drivers/qt/coreoptionsdialog.cpp
index ee61bd2700..e7dce9e8eb 100644
--- a/ui/drivers/qt/coreoptionsdialog.cpp
+++ b/ui/drivers/qt/coreoptionsdialog.cpp
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ void CoreOptionsDialog::onSaveGameSpecificOptions()
 
    if (!conf)
    {
-      if (!(conf = config_file_new_null()))
+      if (!(conf = config_file_new_alloc()))
       {
          QMessageBox::critical(this, msg_hash_to_str(MSG_ERROR), msg_hash_to_str(MSG_ERROR_SAVING_CORE_OPTIONS_FILE));
          return;