diff --git a/cheat_manager.c b/cheat_manager.c
index af88351bd2..ee7c3ebe21 100644
--- a/cheat_manager.c
+++ b/cheat_manager.c
@@ -260,12 +260,23 @@ bool cheat_manager_save(
    return ret;
 }
 
+bool cheat_manager_working_code_ensure(void)
+{
+   cheat_manager_t *cheat_st = &cheat_manager_state;
+   if (!cheat_st->working_code)
+      cheat_st->working_code = (char*)calloc(1, CHEAT_CODE_SCRATCH_SIZE);
+   return cheat_st->working_code != NULL;
+}
+
 bool cheat_manager_copy_idx_to_working(unsigned idx)
 {
    cheat_manager_t *cheat_st   = &cheat_manager_state;
    if (!cheat_st->cheats || (cheat_st->size < idx + 1))
       return false;
 
+   if (!cheat_manager_working_code_ensure())
+      return false;
+
    memcpy(&cheat_st->working_cheat,
          &cheat_st->cheats[idx], sizeof(struct item_cheat));
 
@@ -343,7 +354,8 @@ bool cheat_manager_copy_working_to_idx(unsigned idx)
    if (cheat_st->cheats[idx].code)
       free(cheat_st->cheats[idx].code);
 
-   cheat_st->cheats[idx].code = strdup(cheat_st->working_code);
+   cheat_st->cheats[idx].code = strdup(
+         cheat_st->working_code ? cheat_st->working_code : "");
 
    return true;
 }
diff --git a/cheat_manager.h b/cheat_manager.h
index 88177f6ea6..b5afd0a932 100644
--- a/cheat_manager.h
+++ b/cheat_manager.h
@@ -181,7 +181,12 @@ struct cheat_manager
    unsigned num_matches;
    unsigned browse_address;
    char working_desc[CHEAT_DESC_SCRATCH_SIZE];
-   char working_code[CHEAT_CODE_SCRATCH_SIZE];
+   /* Sixteen kilobytes of cheat-editor scratch; allocated on first
+    * use and deliberately never freed: menu rows bind its address
+    * and outlive any one content session, exactly as they did the
+    * old static array. cheat_manager_working_code_ensure() must run
+    * before any use. */
+   char *working_code;
    bool big_endian;
    bool memory_initialized;
    bool memory_search_initialized;
@@ -238,6 +243,8 @@ void cheat_manager_alloc_if_empty(void);
 
 bool cheat_manager_copy_idx_to_working(unsigned idx);
 
+bool cheat_manager_working_code_ensure(void);
+
 bool cheat_manager_copy_working_to_idx(unsigned idx);
 
 void cheat_manager_load_game_specific_cheats(const char *path_cheat_database);
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.c b/menu/menu_setting.c
index 21927bf43f..0fbd846e13 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.c
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.c
@@ -13728,10 +13728,13 @@ static void settings_build_cheat_details(
          SETTINGS_DATA_LIST_CURRENT_ADD_FLAGS(list, list_info, SD_FLAG_ALLOW_INPUT);
          SETTINGS_ACTION_SET(start, &(*list)[list_info->index - 1], setting_generic_action_start_default)
 
+         /* The editor scratch is heap-allocated on demand; the rows
+          * below bind its address, so it must exist before they build. */
+         cheat_manager_working_code_ensure();
          CONFIG_STRING(
                list, list_info,
                cheat_manager_state.working_code,
-               sizeof(cheat_manager_state.working_code),
+               CHEAT_CODE_SCRATCH_SIZE,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_CHEAT_CODE,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_CHEAT_CODE,
                "",
@@ -13753,7 +13756,7 @@ static void settings_build_cheat_details(
          CONFIG_STRING(
                list, list_info,
                cheat_manager_state.working_code,
-               sizeof(cheat_manager_state.working_code),
+               CHEAT_CODE_SCRATCH_SIZE,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_CHEAT_CODE,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_CHEAT_CODE,
                "",