diff --git a/command.c b/command.c
index 21a902bb51..d587d05b36 100644
--- a/command.c
+++ b/command.c
@@ -1863,6 +1863,7 @@ bool command_event(enum event_command cmd, void *data)
       case CMD_EVENT_OVERLAY_INIT:
          command_event(CMD_EVENT_OVERLAY_DEINIT, NULL);
 #ifdef HAVE_OVERLAY
+         input_overlay_free();
          input_overlay_init();
 #endif
          break;
diff --git a/input/input_overlay.c b/input/input_overlay.c
index 6a2e9282ec..ddf485d503 100644
--- a/input/input_overlay.c
+++ b/input/input_overlay.c
@@ -575,10 +575,10 @@ abort_load:
 
 void input_overlay_init(void)
 {
-   input_overlay_free();
-
-   if (config_get_ptr()->input.overlay_enable)
-      rarch_task_push_overlay_load_default(input_overlay_loaded, NULL);
+   settings_t *settings = config_get_ptr();
+   if (!settings->input.overlay_enable)
+      return;
+   rarch_task_push_overlay_load_default(input_overlay_loaded, NULL);
 }
 
 /**