diff --git a/camera/drivers/video4linux2.c b/camera/drivers/video4linux2.c
index 4dca67ee90..07e142e76d 100644
--- a/camera/drivers/video4linux2.c
+++ b/camera/drivers/video4linux2.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <memmap.h>
 #include <retro_miscellaneous.h>
 #include <gfx/scaler/scaler.h>
+#include <retro_stat.h>
 
 #include <compat/strl.h>
 
@@ -300,7 +300,6 @@ static void v4l_free(void *data)
 static void *v4l_init(const char *device, uint64_t caps,
       unsigned width, unsigned height)
 {
-   struct stat st;
    video4linux_t *v4l = NULL;
 
    if ((caps & (UINT64_C(1) << RETRO_CAMERA_BUFFER_RAW_FRAMEBUFFER)) == 0)
@@ -320,14 +319,7 @@ static void *v4l_init(const char *device, uint64_t caps,
    v4l->height = height;
    v4l->ready  = false;
 
-   if (stat(v4l->dev_name, &st) == -1)
-   {
-      RARCH_ERR("Cannot identify '%s' : %d, %s\n", v4l->dev_name,
-            errno, strerror(errno));
-      goto error;
-   }
-
-   if (!S_ISCHR(st.st_mode))
+   if (!path_is_character_special(v4l->dev_name))
    {
       RARCH_ERR("%s is no device.\n", v4l->dev_name);
       goto error;
diff --git a/libretro-common/file/retro_stat.c b/libretro-common/file/retro_stat.c
index 49ac1e86bb..e92e0e1b19 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/retro_stat.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/retro_stat.c
@@ -72,6 +72,53 @@
 #include <retro_miscellaneous.h>
 #include <boolean.h>
 
+enum stat_mode
+{
+   IS_DIRECTORY = 0,
+   IS_CHARACTER_SPECIAL
+};
+
+static bool path_stat(const char *path, enum stat_mode mode)
+{
+#if defined(VITA) || defined(PSP)
+   SceIoStat buf;
+   if (sceIoGetstat(path, &buf) < 0)
+      return false;
+#elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
+    CellFsStat buf;
+    if (cellFsStat(path, &buf) < 0)
+       return false;
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+   DWORD ret = GetFileAttributes(path);
+#else
+   struct stat buf;
+   if (stat(path, &buf) < 0)
+      return false;
+#endif
+
+   switch (mode)
+   {
+      case IS_DIRECTORY:
+#if defined(VITA) || defined(PSP)
+         return FIO_SO_ISDIR(buf.st_mode);
+#elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
+         return ((buf.st_mode & S_IFMT) == S_IFDIR);
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+         return (ret & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) && (ret != INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES);
+#else
+         return S_ISDIR(buf.st_mode);
+#endif
+      case IS_CHARACTER_SPECIAL:
+#if defined(VITA) || defined(PSP) || defined(__CELLOS_LV2__) || defined(_WIN32)
+         return false;
+#else
+         return S_ISCHR(buf.st_mode);
+#endif
+   }
+
+   return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * path_is_directory:
  * @path               : path
@@ -82,26 +129,12 @@
  */
 bool path_is_directory(const char *path)
 {
-#if defined(VITA) || defined(PSP)
-   SceIoStat buf;
-   if (sceIoGetstat(path, &buf) < 0)
-      return false;
-   return FIO_SO_ISDIR(buf.st_mode);
-#elif defined(__CELLOS_LV2__)
-    CellFsStat buf;
-    if (cellFsStat(path, &buf) < 0)
-       return false;
-    return ((buf.st_mode & S_IFMT) == S_IFDIR);
-#elif defined(_WIN32)
-   DWORD ret = GetFileAttributes(path);
-   return (ret & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) && (ret != INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES);
-#else
-   struct stat buf;
-   if (stat(path, &buf) < 0)
-      return false;
+   return path_stat(path, IS_DIRECTORY);
+}
 
-   return S_ISDIR(buf.st_mode);
-#endif
+bool path_is_character_special(const char *path)
+{
+   return path_stat(path, IS_CHARACTER_SPECIAL);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/libretro-common/include/retro_stat.h b/libretro-common/include/retro_stat.h
index 1682c1ad44..eaec86889f 100644
--- a/libretro-common/include/retro_stat.h
+++ b/libretro-common/include/retro_stat.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
  */
 bool path_is_directory(const char *path);
 
+bool path_is_character_special(const char *path);
+
 bool path_is_valid(const char *path);
 
 /**