diff --git a/file_path.c b/file_path.c
index 2c2f61a11e..245be4b23c 100644
--- a/file_path.c
+++ b/file_path.c
@@ -80,6 +80,17 @@ bool write_file(const char *path, const void *data, size_t size)
    return ret;
 }
 
+bool write_empty_file(const char *path)
+{
+   FILE *file = fopen(path, "w");
+   if (!file)
+      return false;
+
+   fclose(file);
+
+   return true;
+}
+
 /* Generic compressed file loader. */
 #ifdef HAVE_COMPRESSION
 long read_compressed_file(const char * path, void **buf)
diff --git a/file_path.h b/file_path.h
index bb10e4c6bc..cd5f9123a7 100644
--- a/file_path.h
+++ b/file_path.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ long read_compressed_file(const char * path, void **buf);
 long read_file(const char *path, void **buf);
 bool read_file_string(const char *path, char **buf);
 bool write_file(const char *path, const void *buf, size_t size);
+bool write_empty_file(const char *path);
 
 union string_list_elem_attr
 {
diff --git a/playlist.c b/playlist.c
index e89dd0a1ac..b953399bca 100644
--- a/playlist.c
+++ b/playlist.c
@@ -235,13 +235,6 @@ end:
    return true;
 }
 
-static void playlist_create_new(const char *path)
-{
-   FILE *file = fopen(path, "w");
-   if (file)
-      fclose(file);
-}
-
 content_playlist_t *content_playlist_init(const char *path, size_t size)
 {
    RARCH_LOG("Opening playlist: %s.\n", path);
@@ -260,9 +253,6 @@ content_playlist_t *content_playlist_init(const char *path, size_t size)
 
    playlist->cap = size;
 
-   if (!path_file_exists(path))
-      playlist_create_new(path);
-
    if (!content_playlist_read_file(playlist, path))
       goto error;
 
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 5217ff7c0c..a2d2d86674 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -3479,9 +3479,18 @@ void rarch_main_command(unsigned cmd)
          break;
       case RARCH_CMD_HISTORY_INIT:
          if (!g_extern.history)
-            g_extern.history = content_playlist_init(
-                  g_settings.content_history_path,
-                  g_settings.content_history_size);
+         {
+            bool init_history = true;
+
+            if (!path_file_exists(g_settings.content_history_path))
+               init_history = write_empty_file(
+                     g_settings.content_history_path);
+
+            if (init_history)
+               g_extern.history = content_playlist_init(
+                     g_settings.content_history_path,
+                     g_settings.content_history_size);
+         }
          break;
       case RARCH_CMD_HISTORY_DEINIT:
          if (g_extern.history)