diff --git a/command_event.c b/command_event.c
index 785f185724..d0a8ce03bd 100644
--- a/command_event.c
+++ b/command_event.c
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ static bool event_init_content(void)
 
    /* No content to be loaded for dummy core,
     * just successfully exit. */
-   if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
+   if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
       return true;
 
    if (!content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL))
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ static bool event_save_auto_state(void)
 
    if (!settings->savestate_auto_save)
       return false;
-   if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
+   if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
       return false;
    if (content_ctl(CONTENT_CTL_DOES_NOT_NEED_CONTENT, NULL))
       return false;
diff --git a/configuration.c b/configuration.c
index 583b0d24de..031edd0d35 100644
--- a/configuration.c
+++ b/configuration.c
@@ -1850,7 +1850,7 @@ static void config_load_core_specific(void)
    if (!*settings->libretro)
       return;
 #ifdef HAVE_DYNAMIC
-   if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
+   if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
       return;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/frontend/frontend.c b/frontend/frontend.c
index f3eb676894..4f57fa4fb2 100644
--- a/frontend/frontend.c
+++ b/frontend/frontend.c
@@ -150,13 +150,12 @@ static void history_playlist_push(content_playlist_t *playlist,
       const char *path, const char *core_path,
       struct retro_system_info *info)
 {
-   char tmp[PATH_MAX_LENGTH]             = {0};
-   global_t                    *global   = global_get_ptr();
+   char tmp[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    rarch_system_info_t *system           = NULL;
    
    runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_SYSTEM_INFO_GET, &system);
 
-   if (!playlist || (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY) || !info)
+   if (!playlist || rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL) || !info)
       return;
 
    /* Path can be relative here.
diff --git a/menu/drivers/materialui.c b/menu/drivers/materialui.c
index 3b87c7dc8b..f4380ce031 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/materialui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/materialui.c
@@ -1325,7 +1325,7 @@ static int mui_list_push(void *data, void *userdata,
       case DISPLAYLIST_MAIN_MENU:
          menu_entries_clear(info->list);
 
-         if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+         if (!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
             menu_displaylist_parse_settings(menu, info,
                   menu_hash_to_str(MENU_LABEL_CONTENT_SETTINGS), PARSE_ACTION, false);
 
diff --git a/menu/drivers/xmb.c b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
index f5afc91d14..053e31765d 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/xmb.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
@@ -2568,7 +2568,7 @@ static int xmb_list_push(void *data, void *userdata, menu_displaylist_info_t *in
       case DISPLAYLIST_MAIN_MENU:
          menu_entries_clear(info->list);
 
-         if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+         if (!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
             menu_displaylist_parse_settings(menu, info,
                   menu_hash_to_str(MENU_LABEL_CONTENT_SETTINGS), PARSE_ACTION, false);
 
diff --git a/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_d3d.cpp b/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_d3d.cpp
index f9992bce15..8223bd6ea8 100644
--- a/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_d3d.cpp
+++ b/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_d3d.cpp
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ static void menu_display_d3d_draw_bg(
    menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_VIEWPORT, NULL);
 
    if ((settings->menu.pause_libretro
-      || !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) || (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+      || !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) || rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
       && !force_transparency
       && texture)
       coords.color = (const float*)coord_color2;
diff --git a/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_gl.c b/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_gl.c
index 36fcfb41c7..6310270eff 100644
--- a/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_gl.c
+++ b/menu/drivers_display/menu_display_gl.c
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ static void menu_display_gl_draw_bg(
    struct gfx_coords coords;
    const GLfloat *new_vertex    = NULL;
    const GLfloat *new_tex_coord = NULL;
-   global_t     *global = global_get_ptr();
    settings_t *settings = config_get_ptr();
    gl_t             *gl = gl_get_ptr();
 
@@ -166,7 +165,7 @@ static void menu_display_gl_draw_bg(
    menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_VIEWPORT, NULL);
 
    if ((settings->menu.pause_libretro
-      || !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) || (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+      || !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) || rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
       && !force_transparency
       && texture)
       coords.color = (const float*)coord_color2;
diff --git a/menu/menu_display.c b/menu/menu_display.c
index 4a9e70857c..4eaa76d250 100644
--- a/menu/menu_display.c
+++ b/menu/menu_display.c
@@ -306,12 +306,9 @@ bool menu_display_ctl(enum menu_display_ctl_state state, void *data)
          }
          return true;
       case MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_LIBRETRO_RUNNING:
-         {
-            global_t *global     = global_get_ptr();
-            if (!settings->menu.pause_libretro)
-               if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
-                  return true;
-         }
+         if (!settings->menu.pause_libretro)
+            if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
+               return true;
          break;
       case MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_LIBRETRO:
          video_driver_set_texture_enable(true, false);
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index e48b698208..eec39d500f 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -1721,7 +1721,7 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_load_content_settings(menu_displaylist_info_t
    if (!menu)
       return -1;
 
-   if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+   if (!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
    {
       rarch_system_info_t *system = NULL;
       
@@ -1774,7 +1774,7 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_load_content_settings(menu_displaylist_info_t
             menu_hash_to_str(MENU_LABEL_VALUE_CORE_CHEAT_OPTIONS),
             menu_hash_to_str(MENU_LABEL_CORE_CHEAT_OPTIONS),
             MENU_SETTING_ACTION, 0, 0);
-      if ((global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY) && system && system->disk_control.get_num_images)
+      if ((!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL)) && system && system->disk_control.get_num_images)
          menu_entries_push(info->list,
                menu_hash_to_str(MENU_LABEL_VALUE_DISK_OPTIONS),
                menu_hash_to_str(MENU_LABEL_DISK_OPTIONS),
@@ -1819,8 +1819,8 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_horizontal_content_actions(menu_displaylist_in
 
    runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_GET_CONTENT_PATH, &fullpath);
 
-   if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
-      && !strcmp(menu->deferred_path, fullpath))
+   if (!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL)
+         && !strcmp(menu->deferred_path, fullpath))
       menu_displaylist_parse_load_content_settings(info);
    else
       menu_entries_push(info->list, "Run", "collection",
@@ -2599,7 +2599,7 @@ int menu_displaylist_push_list(menu_displaylist_info_t *info, unsigned type)
          info->need_push    = true;
          break;
       case DISPLAYLIST_MAIN_MENU:
-         if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+         if (!rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
             menu_displaylist_parse_settings(menu, info,
                   menu_hash_to_str(MENU_LABEL_CONTENT_SETTINGS), PARSE_ACTION, false);
 
diff --git a/record/record_driver.c b/record/record_driver.c
index 7cfbdadff6..429055a53d 100644
--- a/record/record_driver.c
+++ b/record/record_driver.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "../command_event.h"
 #include "../general.h"
+#include "../retroarch.h"
 #include "../verbosity.h"
 #include "../msg_hash.h"
 #include "../string_list_special.h"
@@ -293,7 +294,7 @@ bool recording_init(void)
    if (!*recording_enabled)
       return false;
 
-   if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
+   if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
    {
       RARCH_WARN("%s\n", msg_hash_to_str(MSG_USING_LIBRETRO_DUMMY_CORE_RECORDING_SKIPPED));
       return false;
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 759c159f04..4f15e23355 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ static void parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
       }
    }
 
-   if (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY)
+   if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
    {
       if (optind < argc)
       {
@@ -1293,6 +1293,8 @@ bool rarch_ctl(enum rarch_ctl_state state, void *data)
 
    switch(state)
    {
+      case RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE:
+         return (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY);
       case RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED:
          return rarch_is_inited;
       case RARCH_CTL_UNSET_INITED:
diff --git a/retroarch.h b/retroarch.h
index e55d95ee0b..456ea7201f 100644
--- a/retroarch.h
+++ b/retroarch.h
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ enum rarch_ctl_state
 
    RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED,
 
+   RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE,
+
    RARCH_CTL_PREINIT,
 
    RARCH_CTL_DESTROY,
diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 32ddb1f209..da2bc851df 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -1236,7 +1236,6 @@ int runloop_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
    static retro_time_t frame_limit_last_time    = 0.0;
    static retro_input_t last_input              = 0;
    settings_t *settings                         = config_get_ptr();
-   global_t   *global                           = global_get_ptr();
    rarch_system_info_t *system                  = NULL;
 
    cmd.state[1]                                 = last_input;
@@ -1327,11 +1326,11 @@ int runloop_iterate(unsigned *sleep_ms)
       event_command(EVENT_CMD_GRAB_MOUSE_TOGGLE);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
-   if (runloop_cmd_menu_press(cmd_ptr) || (global->inited.core.type == CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+   if (runloop_cmd_menu_press(cmd_ptr) || rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
    {
       if (menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_IS_ALIVE, NULL))
       {
-         if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && (global->inited.core.type != CORE_TYPE_DUMMY))
+         if (rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_INITED, NULL) && !rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_IS_DUMMY_CORE, NULL))
             rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_MENU_RUNNING_FINISHED, NULL);
       }
       else