diff --git a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
index f276aa6088..a64f668c87 100644
--- a/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
+++ b/menu/cbs/menu_cbs_ok.c
@@ -501,16 +501,17 @@ static int generic_action_ok(const char *path,
       const char *label, unsigned type, size_t idx, size_t entry_idx,
       unsigned id, unsigned flush_id)
 {
+   bool msg_force;
    char action_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
    unsigned flush_type               = 0;
    int ret                           = 0;
    const char             *menu_path = NULL;
    const char *flush_char            = NULL;
    global_t                  *global = global_get_ptr();
-   menu_display_t              *disp = menu_display_get_ptr();
    menu_handle_t               *menu = menu_driver_get_ptr();
    settings_t              *settings = config_get_ptr();
    menu_list_t       *menu_list      = menu_list_get_ptr();
+
    if (!menu || !menu_list)
       goto error;
 
@@ -558,10 +559,10 @@ static int generic_action_ok(const char *path,
          break;
 
       case ACTION_OK_LOAD_CONFIG_FILE:
-         flush_char = NULL;
-         flush_type = MENU_SETTINGS;
-
-         disp->msg_force = true;
+         flush_char      = NULL;
+         flush_type      = MENU_SETTINGS;
+         msg_force       = true;
+         menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
 
          if (rarch_replace_config(action_path))
          {
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rgui.c b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
index ec7539c708..19b9844939 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rgui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
@@ -413,7 +413,6 @@ static void rgui_render(void)
    uint16_t *fb_data              = NULL;
    rgui_t *rgui                   = NULL;
    menu_handle_t *menu            = menu_driver_get_ptr();
-   menu_display_t *disp           = menu_display_get_ptr();
    driver_t *driver               = driver_get_ptr();
    settings_t *settings           = config_get_ptr();
    uint64_t *frame_count          = video_driver_get_frame_count();
@@ -433,8 +432,11 @@ static void rgui_render(void)
 
    if (!rgui->force_redraw)
    {
-      bool is_idle;
-      if (menu_entries_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_alive() && !disp->msg_force)
+      bool is_idle, msg_force;
+
+      menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
+
+      if (menu_entries_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_alive() && !msg_force)
          return;
 
       rarch_main_ctl(RARCH_MAIN_CTL_IS_IDLE, &is_idle);
@@ -605,10 +607,12 @@ static void rgui_render(void)
 #ifdef GEKKO
    const char *message_queue;
 
-   if (disp->msg_force)
+   if (msg_force)
    {
+      msg_force     = false;
       message_queue = rarch_main_msg_queue_pull();
-      disp->msg_force = false;
+
+      menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
    }
    else
       message_queue = driver->current_msg;
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rmenu.c b/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
index ae4f13916c..e6a2a4540c 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rmenu.c
@@ -123,13 +123,13 @@ end:
 
 static void rmenu_render(void)
 {
+   bool msg_force;
    size_t begin, end, i, j, selection;
    struct font_params font_parms = {0};
    char title[256]               = {0};
    char title_buf[256]           = {0};
    char title_msg[64]            = {0};
    menu_handle_t *menu           = menu_driver_get_ptr();
-   menu_display_t *disp          = menu_display_get_ptr();
    menu_list_t *menu_list        = menu_list_get_ptr();
    uint64_t *frame_count         = video_driver_get_frame_count();
    size_t  entries_end           = menu_entries_get_end();
@@ -146,8 +146,10 @@ static void rmenu_render(void)
       return;
    }
 
+   menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
+
    if (menu_entries_needs_refresh() && menu_driver_alive() 
-         && !disp->msg_force)
+         && !msg_force)
       return;
 
    menu_display_fb_unset_dirty();
diff --git a/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp b/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
index 98a0088f52..d1a744878c 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
+++ b/menu/drivers/rmenu_xui.cpp
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ static void rmenu_xui_set_list_text(int index, const wchar_t* leftText,
 
 static void rmenu_xui_render(void)
 {
-   bool display_kb;
+   bool display_kb, msg_force;
    unsigned fb_width;
 	size_t end, i, selection;
 	char title[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
@@ -538,17 +538,17 @@ static void rmenu_xui_render(void)
    const char *label           = NULL;
 	unsigned menu_type          = 0;
    menu_handle_t *menu         = menu_driver_get_ptr();
-   menu_display_t *disp        = menu_display_get_ptr();
    uint64_t frame_count        = video_driver_get_frame_count();
 
-   menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_WIDTH, &fb_width);
+   menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_WIDTH,     &fb_width);
+   menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
 
    if (!menu)
       return;
    if (
          menu_entries_needs_refresh() && 
          menu_driver_alive() &&
-         !disp->msg_force
+         !msg_force
       )
 		return;
 
diff --git a/menu/menu.c b/menu/menu.c
index f80816a6c2..5c2c0d30b3 100644
--- a/menu/menu.c
+++ b/menu/menu.c
@@ -87,14 +87,13 @@ static void menu_push_to_history_playlist(void)
  **/
 bool menu_load_content(enum rarch_core_type type)
 {
+   bool msg_force       = true;
    menu_handle_t *menu  = menu_driver_get_ptr();
-   menu_display_t *disp = menu_display_get_ptr();
    driver_t *driver     = driver_get_ptr();
    global_t *global     = global_get_ptr();
 
    /* redraw menu frame */
-   if (disp)
-      disp->msg_force = true;
+   menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
 
    menu_iterate(true, MENU_ACTION_NOOP);
    menu_iterate_render();
@@ -109,9 +108,6 @@ bool menu_load_content(enum rarch_core_type type)
       snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "Failed to load %s.\n", name);
       menu_display_msg_queue_push(msg, 1, 90, false);
 
-      if (disp)
-         disp->msg_force = true;
-
       return false;
    }
 
@@ -132,9 +128,9 @@ int menu_common_load_content(
       const char *core_path, const char *fullpath,
       bool persist, enum rarch_core_type type)
 {
+   bool msg_force               = true;
    settings_t *settings         = config_get_ptr();
    global_t *global             = global_get_ptr();
-   menu_display_t *disp         = menu_display_get_ptr();
    menu_list_t *menu_list       = menu_list_get_ptr();
    enum event_command cmd       = EVENT_CMD_NONE;
 
@@ -171,7 +167,7 @@ int menu_common_load_content(
       event_command(cmd);
 
    menu_list_flush_stack(menu_list, NULL, MENU_SETTINGS);
-   disp->msg_force = true;
+   menu_display_ctl(MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_MSG_FORCE, &msg_force);
 
    generic_action_ok_displaylist_push("",
          "", 0, 0, 0, ACTION_OK_DL_CONTENT_SETTINGS);
diff --git a/menu/menu_display.c b/menu/menu_display.c
index 2373ac7731..a077d2872f 100644
--- a/menu/menu_display.c
+++ b/menu/menu_display.c
@@ -310,6 +310,22 @@ bool menu_display_ctl(enum menu_display_ctl_state state, void *data)
             frame_buf->pitch = *ptr;
          }
          return true;
+      case MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_MSG_FORCE:
+         {
+            bool *ptr = (bool*)data;
+            if (!ptr)
+               return false;
+            *ptr = disp->msg_force;
+         }
+         return true;
+      case MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_MSG_FORCE:
+         {
+            bool *ptr = (bool*)data;
+            if (!ptr)
+               return false;
+            disp->msg_force = *ptr;
+         }
+         return true;
       case MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_FONT_DATA_INIT:
          {
             bool *ptr = (bool*)data;
diff --git a/menu/menu_display.h b/menu/menu_display.h
index c9f45fbd1b..9580570fe7 100644
--- a/menu/menu_display.h
+++ b/menu/menu_display.h
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ enum menu_display_ctl_state
    MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_FONT_DATA_INIT,
    MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_FONT_DATA_INIT,
    MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_FONT_SIZE,
-   MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_FONT_SIZE
+   MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_FONT_SIZE,
+   MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_MSG_FORCE,
+   MENU_DISPLAY_CTL_SET_MSG_FORCE
 };
 
 typedef struct menu_display