diff --git a/cheevos/cheevos.c b/cheevos/cheevos.c
index 9256f37ef2..ac9de0344e 100644
--- a/cheevos/cheevos.c
+++ b/cheevos/cheevos.c
@@ -2214,10 +2214,43 @@ static int rcheevos_iterate(rcheevos_coro_t* coro)
    }
 #endif
 
-#ifdef HAVE_MENU
-      rcheevos_menu_reset_badges();
-#endif
+      /* make sure the directory exists */
+      coro->badge_fullpath[0] = '\0';
+      fill_pathname_application_special(coro->badge_fullpath,
+         sizeof(coro->badge_fullpath),
+         APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_THUMBNAILS_CHEEVOS_BADGES);
 
+      if (!path_is_directory(coro->badge_fullpath))
+         path_mkdir(coro->badge_fullpath);
+
+      /* fetch the placeholder image */
+      strlcpy(coro->badge_name, "00000" FILE_PATH_PNG_EXTENSION,
+            sizeof(coro->badge_name));
+      fill_pathname_join(coro->badge_fullpath, coro->badge_fullpath,
+         coro->badge_name, sizeof(coro->badge_fullpath));
+
+      if (!path_is_valid(coro->badge_fullpath))
+      {
+#ifdef CHEEVOS_LOG_BADGES
+         CHEEVOS_LOG(RCHEEVOS_TAG "downloading badge %s\n",
+            coro->badge_fullpath);
+#endif
+         snprintf(coro->url, sizeof(coro->url),
+            FILE_PATH_RETROACHIEVEMENTS_URL "/Badge/%s", coro->badge_name);
+
+         CORO_GOSUB(RCHEEVOS_HTTP_GET);
+
+         if (coro->json)
+         {
+            if (!filestream_write_file(coro->badge_fullpath, coro->json, coro->k))
+               CHEEVOS_ERR(RCHEEVOS_TAG "Error writing badge %s\n", coro->badge_fullpath);
+
+            CHEEVOS_FREE(coro->json);
+            coro->json = NULL;
+         }
+      }
+
+      /* fetch the game images */
       for (coro->i = 0; coro->i < 2; coro->i++)
       {
          if (coro->i == 0)
@@ -2233,24 +2266,13 @@ static int rcheevos_iterate(rcheevos_coro_t* coro)
 
          for (; coro->cheevo < coro->cheevo_end; coro->cheevo++)
          {
-            if (!coro->cheevo->badge[0])
+            if (!coro->cheevo->badge || !coro->cheevo->badge[0])
                continue;
 
             for (coro->j = 0 ; coro->j < 2; coro->j++)
             {
-               coro->badge_fullpath[0] = '\0';
-               fill_pathname_application_special(
-                     coro->badge_fullpath,
-                     sizeof(coro->badge_fullpath),
-                     APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_THUMBNAILS_CHEEVOS_BADGES);
-
-               if (!path_is_directory(coro->badge_fullpath))
-                  path_mkdir(coro->badge_fullpath);
                CORO_YIELD();
 
-               if (!coro->cheevo->badge || !coro->cheevo->badge[0])
-                  continue;
-
                if (coro->j == 0)
                   snprintf(coro->badge_name,
                         sizeof(coro->badge_name),
@@ -2262,6 +2284,11 @@ static int rcheevos_iterate(rcheevos_coro_t* coro)
                         "%s_lock" FILE_PATH_PNG_EXTENSION,
                         coro->cheevo->badge);
 
+               coro->badge_fullpath[0] = '\0';
+               fill_pathname_application_special(coro->badge_fullpath,
+                     sizeof(coro->badge_fullpath),
+                     APPLICATION_SPECIAL_DIRECTORY_THUMBNAILS_CHEEVOS_BADGES);
+
                fill_pathname_join(
                      coro->badge_fullpath,
                      coro->badge_fullpath,
@@ -2287,11 +2314,9 @@ static int rcheevos_iterate(rcheevos_coro_t* coro)
                      if (!filestream_write_file(coro->badge_fullpath,
                               coro->json, coro->k))
                         CHEEVOS_ERR(RCHEEVOS_TAG "Error writing badge %s\n", coro->badge_fullpath);
-                     else
-                     {
-                        CHEEVOS_FREE(coro->json);
-                        coro->json = NULL;
-                     }
+
+                     CHEEVOS_FREE(coro->json);
+                     coro->json = NULL;
                   }
                }
             }
diff --git a/cheevos/cheevos_locals.h b/cheevos/cheevos_locals.h
index 2ae62ed220..9f3bd08577 100644
--- a/cheevos/cheevos_locals.h
+++ b/cheevos/cheevos_locals.h
@@ -155,4 +155,4 @@ rcheevos_locals_t* get_rcheevos_locals();
 
 RETRO_END_DECLS
 
-#endif
+#endif /* __RARCH_CHEEVOS_LOCALS_H */
diff --git a/cheevos/cheevos_menu.c b/cheevos/cheevos_menu.c
index 68f9f3a8da..6ab695ba02 100644
--- a/cheevos/cheevos_menu.c
+++ b/cheevos/cheevos_menu.c
@@ -15,12 +15,15 @@
 
 #include "cheevos_locals.h"
 
+#include "../gfx/gfx_display.h"
+
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
 
 #include "cheevos.h"
 
 #include "../deps/rcheevos/include/rc_runtime_types.h"
 
+#include "../file_path_special.h"
 #include "../menu/menu_driver.h"
 #include "../menu/menu_entries.h"
 
@@ -203,7 +206,7 @@ static rcheevos_menuitem_t* rcheevos_menu_allocate(
          else
          {
             /* realloc failed */
-            CHEEVOS_ERR(RCHEEVOS_TAG " could not allocate space for %u menu items",
+            CHEEVOS_ERR(RCHEEVOS_TAG " could not allocate space for %u menu items\n",
                   rcheevos_locals->menuitem_capacity);
             rcheevos_locals->menuitem_capacity -= 32;
             return NULL;
@@ -218,7 +221,7 @@ static rcheevos_menuitem_t* rcheevos_menu_allocate(
          if (!rcheevos_locals->menuitems)
          {
             /* malloc failed */
-            CHEEVOS_ERR(RCHEEVOS_TAG " could not allocate space for %u menu items",
+            CHEEVOS_ERR(RCHEEVOS_TAG " could not allocate space for %u menu items\n",
                   rcheevos_locals->menuitem_capacity);
             rcheevos_locals->menuitem_capacity = 0;
             return NULL;
@@ -240,6 +243,53 @@ static void rcheevos_menu_append_header(rcheevos_locals_t* rcheevos_locals,
       menuitem->state_label_idx = label;
 }
 
+static void rcheevos_menu_update_badge(rcheevos_racheevo_t* cheevo)
+{
+   bool badge_grayscale = false;
+   switch (cheevo->menu_bucket)
+   {
+      case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_LOCKED:
+      case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_UNSUPPORTED:
+      case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_ALMOST_THERE:
+      case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_ACTIVE_CHALLENGE:
+         badge_grayscale = true;
+         break;
+
+      default:
+         badge_grayscale = false;
+         break;
+   }
+
+   if (!cheevo->menu_badge_texture || cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale != badge_grayscale)
+   {
+      uintptr_t new_badge_texture =
+         rcheevos_get_badge_texture(cheevo->badge, badge_grayscale);
+
+      if (new_badge_texture)
+      {
+         if (cheevo->menu_badge_texture)
+            video_driver_texture_unload(&cheevo->menu_badge_texture);
+
+         cheevo->menu_badge_texture = new_badge_texture;
+         cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale = badge_grayscale;
+      }
+      /* menu_badge_grayscale is overloaded such that any value greater than 1 indicates
+       * the server default image is being used */
+      else if (cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale < 2)
+      {
+         if (cheevo->menu_badge_texture)
+            video_driver_texture_unload(&cheevo->menu_badge_texture);
+
+         /* requested badge is not available, check for server default */
+         cheevo->menu_badge_texture =
+            rcheevos_get_badge_texture("00000", false);
+
+         if (cheevo->menu_badge_texture)
+            cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale = 2;
+      }
+   }
+}
+
 static void rcheevos_menu_append_items(rcheevos_locals_t* rcheevos_locals,
       bool cheevos_test_unofficial, enum rcheevos_menuitem_bucket bucket)
 {
@@ -314,30 +364,7 @@ static void rcheevos_menu_append_items(rcheevos_locals_t* rcheevos_locals,
          if (cheevo->badge && cheevo->badge[0] && settings &&
                settings->bools.cheevos_badges_enable)
          {
-            bool badge_grayscale = false;
-            switch (bucket)
-            {
-               case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_LOCKED:
-               case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_UNSUPPORTED:
-               case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_ALMOST_THERE:
-               case RCHEEVOS_MENUITEM_BUCKET_ACTIVE_CHALLENGE:
-                  badge_grayscale = true;
-                  break;
-
-               default:
-                  badge_grayscale = false;
-                  break;
-            }
-
-            if (!cheevo->menu_badge_texture || cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale != badge_grayscale)
-            {
-               if (cheevo->menu_badge_texture)
-                  video_driver_texture_unload(&cheevo->menu_badge_texture);
-
-               cheevo->menu_badge_texture = 
-                     rcheevos_get_badge_texture(cheevo->badge, badge_grayscale);
-               cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale = badge_grayscale;
-            }
+            rcheevos_menu_update_badge(cheevo);
          }
       }
 
@@ -350,9 +377,22 @@ uintptr_t rcheevos_menu_get_badge_texture(unsigned menu_offset)
    const rcheevos_locals_t* rcheevos_locals = get_rcheevos_locals();
    if (menu_offset < rcheevos_locals->menuitem_count)
    {
-      const rcheevos_racheevo_t* cheevo = rcheevos_locals->menuitems[menu_offset].cheevo;
+      rcheevos_racheevo_t* cheevo = rcheevos_locals->menuitems[menu_offset].cheevo;
       if (cheevo)
+      {
+         /* if we're using the placeholder badge, check to see if the real badge
+          * has become available (do this roughly once a second) */
+         if (cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale >= 2)
+         {
+            if (++cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale == 64)
+            {
+               cheevo->menu_badge_grayscale = 2;
+               rcheevos_menu_update_badge(cheevo);
+            }
+         }
+
          return cheevo->menu_badge_texture;
+      }
    }
 
    return 0;
diff --git a/cheevos/cheevos_menu.h b/cheevos/cheevos_menu.h
index fc6a774e25..73a764b383 100644
--- a/cheevos/cheevos_menu.h
+++ b/cheevos/cheevos_menu.h
@@ -45,4 +45,4 @@ RETRO_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* HAVE_MENU */
 
-#endif /* __RARCH_CHEEVOS_CHEEVOS_H */
+#endif /* __RARCH_CHEEVOS_MENU_H */
diff --git a/menu/drivers/ozone/ozone_texture.c b/menu/drivers/ozone/ozone_texture.c
index 376b9291a2..425d04351d 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/ozone/ozone_texture.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/ozone/ozone_texture.c
@@ -464,11 +464,17 @@ uintptr_t ozone_entries_icon_get_texture(ozone_handle_t *ozone,
          (type < MENU_SETTINGS_NETPLAY_ROOMS_START)
       )
    {
+      char buffer[64];
       int               index = type - MENU_SETTINGS_CHEEVOS_START;
       uintptr_t badge_texture = rcheevos_menu_get_badge_texture(index);
       if (badge_texture)
          return badge_texture;
-      /* Should be replaced with placeholder badge icon. */
+
+      /* no state means its a header - show the info icon */
+      if (!rcheevos_menu_get_state(index, buffer, sizeof(buffer)))
+         return ozone->icons_textures[OZONE_ENTRIES_ICONS_TEXTURE_INFO];
+
+      /* placeholder badge image was not found, show generic menu icon */
       return ozone->icons_textures[OZONE_ENTRIES_ICONS_TEXTURE_ACHIEVEMENTS];
    }
 #endif
diff --git a/menu/drivers/xmb.c b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
index 7385de29f0..94d14143af 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/xmb.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
@@ -2905,11 +2905,17 @@ static uintptr_t xmb_icon_get_id(xmb_handle_t *xmb,
          (type < MENU_SETTINGS_NETPLAY_ROOMS_START)
       )
    {
+      char buffer[64];
       int index = type - MENU_SETTINGS_CHEEVOS_START;
       uintptr_t badge_texture = rcheevos_menu_get_badge_texture(index);
       if (badge_texture)
          return badge_texture;
-      /* Should be replaced with placeholder badge icon. */
+
+      /* no state means its a header - show the info icon */
+      if (!rcheevos_menu_get_state(index, buffer, sizeof(buffer)))
+         return xmb->textures.list[XMB_TEXTURE_INFO];
+
+      /* placeholder badge image was not found, show generic menu icon */
       return xmb->textures.list[XMB_TEXTURE_ACHIEVEMENTS];
    }
 #endif