diff --git a/input/input_overlay.c b/input/input_overlay.c
index 6784d9d665..df7cb81c2e 100644
--- a/input/input_overlay.c
+++ b/input/input_overlay.c
@@ -542,33 +542,11 @@ error:
    return false;
 }
 
+
 bool input_overlay_load_overlays(input_overlay_t *ol)
 {
    unsigned i;
 
-   if (!ol)
-      return false;
-   if (!ol->conf)
-      return false;
-   
-   if (!config_get_uint(ol->conf, "overlays", &ol->config.overlays.size))
-   {
-      RARCH_ERR("overlays variable not defined in config.\n");
-      goto error;
-   }
-
-   if (!ol->config.overlays.size)
-      goto error;
-
-   ol->overlays = (struct overlay*)calloc(
-         ol->config.overlays.size, sizeof(*ol->overlays));
-   if (!ol->overlays)
-      goto error;
-
-   ol->size          = ol->config.overlays.size;
-   ol->pos           = 0;
-   ol->resolve_pos   = 0;
-
    for (i = 0; i < ol->size; i++)
    {
       char conf_key[64];
@@ -721,6 +699,34 @@ bool input_overlay_new_done(input_overlay_t *ol)
    return true;
 }
 
+static bool input_overlay_load_overlays_init(input_overlay_t *ol)
+{
+   if (!config_get_uint(ol->conf, "overlays", &ol->config.overlays.size))
+   {
+      RARCH_ERR("overlays variable not defined in config.\n");
+      goto error;
+   }
+
+   if (!ol->config.overlays.size)
+      goto error;
+
+   ol->overlays = (struct overlay*)calloc(
+         ol->config.overlays.size, sizeof(*ol->overlays));
+   if (!ol->overlays)
+      goto error;
+
+   ol->size          = ol->config.overlays.size;
+   ol->pos           = 0;
+   ol->resolve_pos   = 0;
+
+   return true;
+
+error:
+   ol->state = OVERLAY_STATUS_DEFERRED_ERROR;
+
+   return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * input_overlay_new:
  * @path                  : Path to overlay file.
@@ -768,6 +774,8 @@ input_overlay_t *input_overlay_new(const char *path, bool enable,
    ol->deferred.opacity      = opacity;
    ol->deferred.scale_factor = scale_factor;
 
+   input_overlay_load_overlays_init(ol);
+
    return ol;
 
 error: