diff --git a/runloop.c b/runloop.c
index 8a06ddc37c..1b7bb8a588 100644
--- a/runloop.c
+++ b/runloop.c
@@ -949,19 +949,18 @@ void rarch_main_state_free(void)
 
 void rarch_main_global_free(void)
 {
-   global_t *global = NULL;
-   
    event_command(EVENT_CMD_TEMPORARY_CONTENT_DEINIT);
    event_command(EVENT_CMD_SUBSYSTEM_FULLPATHS_DEINIT);
    event_command(EVENT_CMD_RECORD_DEINIT);
    event_command(EVENT_CMD_LOG_FILE_DEINIT);
 
-   global = global_get_ptr();
+   g_extern = global_get_ptr();
 
-   if (!global)
+   if (!g_extern)
       return;
 
-   free(global);
+   free(g_extern);
+   g_extern = NULL;
 }
 
 bool rarch_main_verbosity(void)