diff --git a/libopera/opera_3do.c b/libopera/opera_3do.c
index 8a50d55..bb139a5 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_3do.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_3do.c
@@ -324,6 +324,9 @@ opera_3do_runtime_state_load(void const     *data_,
   if((field_state != 0) && (field_state != 1))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   field = field_state;
   g_FRAME_CYCLE_REMAINDER = remainder_state;
 
@@ -375,6 +378,9 @@ opera_3do_prng_state_load(void const     *data_,
      !opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   prng16_state_set(prng16_state);
   prng32_state_set(prng32_state);
 
@@ -637,7 +643,8 @@ opera_3do_state_load_chunked(const void     *data_,
                                 &data,
                                 end))
     return 0;
-  opera_arm_sync_memory_map();
+  if(!opera_state_validating())
+    opera_arm_sync_memory_map();
   if(!opera_3do_state_load_step(opera_sport_state_load,
                                 0,
                                 &data,
@@ -664,6 +671,9 @@ opera_3do_state_load_chunked(const void     *data_,
   if(data != end)
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return (uint32_t)(data - start);
+
   opera_pbus_reset();
   opera_xbus_set_legacy_no_device_abort(0);
 
@@ -692,6 +702,24 @@ opera_3do_state_load_v3(const void   *data_,
                                       true);
 }
 
+bool
+opera_3do_state_validate(void const *data_,
+                         size_t      size_)
+{
+  uint32_t rv;
+
+  /* Only the current format: the older loaders reset parts of the
+   * emulator before they read, so they cannot be dry-run. */
+  if(opera_state_get_version(data_,size_) != OPERA_STATE_VERSION_V3)
+    return false;
+
+  opera_state_set_validating(true);
+  rv = opera_3do_state_load_v3(data_,size_);
+  opera_state_set_validating(false);
+
+  return ((rv != 0) && (rv == size_));
+}
+
 uint32_t
 opera_3do_state_load(void const *data_,
                      size_t      size_)
diff --git a/libopera/opera_3do.h b/libopera/opera_3do.h
index a94e3ff..cb078b6 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_3do.h
+++ b/libopera/opera_3do.h
@@ -4,12 +4,16 @@
 #include "opera_core.h"
 #include "opera_vdlp.h"
 
+#include <boolean.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 uint32_t opera_3do_state_size(void);
 uint32_t opera_3do_state_save(void *buf, size_t size);
 uint32_t opera_3do_state_load(void const *buf, size_t size);
+/* True when @buf is a current-format state opera_3do_state_load() will
+ * accept in full. Checks without changing any emulator state. */
+bool     opera_3do_state_validate(void const *buf, size_t size);
 
 int      opera_3do_init(opera_ext_interface_t callback);
 void     opera_3do_destroy(void);
diff --git a/libopera/opera_arm.c b/libopera/opera_arm.c
index fe07aae..a0dbc3a 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_arm.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_arm.c
@@ -347,6 +347,9 @@ opera_arm_state_load(void const     *data_,
      !opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   CPU = state;
   g_SOFT_RESET_PENDING = soft_reset_pending;
   set_rom_overlay(rom_overlay);
diff --git a/libopera/opera_cdrom.c b/libopera/opera_cdrom.c
index 03c85ed..f3e87ab 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_cdrom.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_cdrom.c
@@ -2579,6 +2579,14 @@ opera_cdrom_state_load_v2(cdrom_device_t *cd_,
     return 0;
   rv = opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    {
+      /* The device checks run against a scratch copy. */
+      static cdrom_device_t scratch;
+
+      return cdrom_state_v2_device_load(&scratch,&device_state) ? rv : 0;
+    }
+
   launch = g_CDROM_STATE.ode.launch;
   ode_state_str_restore(root,
                         g_CDROM_STATE.ode.root,
@@ -2628,6 +2636,11 @@ opera_cdrom_state_load(cdrom_device_t *cd_,
         return rv;
     }
 
+  /* The older chunk layouts are not validated; a state carrying one
+   * is loaded the slow way, with a backup. */
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return 0;
+
   if(data_size == sizeof(*cd_))
     return opera_cdrom_state_load_v1(cd_,data_,chunk_size);
 
diff --git a/libopera/opera_clio.c b/libopera/opera_clio.c
index 10292d3..176594a 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_clio.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_clio.c
@@ -296,6 +296,9 @@ opera_clio_state_load(const void     *buf_,
      !opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   CLIO = state;
   flagtime = flagtime_state;
   TIMER_VAL = timer_val_state;
diff --git a/libopera/opera_clock.c b/libopera/opera_clock.c
index 3a180e5..bea9346 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_clock.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_clock.c
@@ -235,6 +235,9 @@ opera_clock_state_load(void const     *buf_,
      (state.field_rate == 0))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   g_CLOCK = state;
   recalculate_cycles_per();
 
diff --git a/libopera/opera_dsp.c b/libopera/opera_dsp.c
index e679bb8..ed7f70c 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_dsp.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_dsp.c
@@ -653,6 +653,9 @@ opera_dsp_state_load(const void     *buf_,
      !opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   DSP = state;
 
   return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
diff --git a/libopera/opera_madam.c b/libopera/opera_madam.c
index 86382a9..8c51f1e 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_madam.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_madam.c
@@ -701,6 +701,9 @@ opera_madam_state_load(const void     *buf_,
   if(!opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   MADAM = state;
   g_CEL_DRAW_PENDING = (pending != 0);
   // The clock chunk restores the same absolute CPU-cycle timebase.
diff --git a/libopera/opera_mem.c b/libopera/opera_mem.c
index ff4308d..00e5f1d 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_mem.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_mem.c
@@ -371,6 +371,16 @@ opera_mem_state_load(void const     *data_,
                                                  NVRAM_SIZE)))
     return 0;
 
+  /* Validating: the sizes were checked above, so the bulk payload is
+   * only stepped over, not copied. */
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    {
+      if(!opera_state_skip_bytes(&payload,opera_state_reader_remaining(&payload)) ||
+         !opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
+        return 0;
+      return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+    }
+
   if(!opera_state_read_bytes(&payload,DRAM,MAX_HIRES_RAM_SIZE) ||
      !opera_state_read_bytes(&payload,ROM1,ROM1_SIZE) ||
      !opera_state_read_bytes(&payload,ROM2,ROM2_SIZE) ||
diff --git a/libopera/opera_sport.c b/libopera/opera_sport.c
index d2a5cfd..fa3d1c6 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_sport.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_sport.c
@@ -261,6 +261,9 @@ opera_sport_state_load(const void     *buf_,
      !opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   SPORT = state;
 
   return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
diff --git a/libopera/opera_state.c b/libopera/opera_state.c
index 6748e12..44e80bd 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_state.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_state.c
@@ -347,6 +347,37 @@ opera_state_reader_ok(opera_state_reader_t const *reader_)
   return !reader_->failed;
 }
 
+static bool g_STATE_VALIDATING = false;
+
+void
+opera_state_set_validating(bool validating_)
+{
+  g_STATE_VALIDATING = validating_;
+}
+
+bool
+opera_state_validating(void)
+{
+  return g_STATE_VALIDATING;
+}
+
+bool
+opera_state_skip_bytes(opera_state_reader_t *reader_,
+                       uint32_t              size_)
+{
+  if(reader_->failed)
+    return false;
+  if(size_ > opera_state_reader_remaining(reader_))
+    {
+      opera_state_reader_fail(reader_);
+      return false;
+    }
+
+  reader_->offset += size_;
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 bool
 opera_state_read_bytes(opera_state_reader_t *reader_,
                        void                 *dst_,
diff --git a/libopera/opera_state.h b/libopera/opera_state.h
index 9e3035c..31a7cc6 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_state.h
+++ b/libopera/opera_state.h
@@ -113,6 +113,18 @@ bool     opera_state_read_chunk(opera_state_reader_t *reader,
 bool     opera_state_read_bytes(opera_state_reader_t *reader,
                                 void                 *dst,
                                 uint32_t              size);
+bool     opera_state_skip_bytes(opera_state_reader_t *reader,
+                                uint32_t              size);
+
+/*
+ * Validation pass. While set, every current-format state loader parses
+ * and checks its chunk exactly as it would for a real load but stops
+ * short of changing any emulator state, so a state that validates is
+ * one the real load accepts. Lets a load skip taking a full backup of
+ * the running state to roll back to.
+ */
+void     opera_state_set_validating(bool validating);
+bool     opera_state_validating(void);
 bool     opera_state_read_u8(opera_state_reader_t *reader, uint8_t *value);
 bool     opera_state_read_i8(opera_state_reader_t *reader, int8_t *value);
 bool     opera_state_read_u16(opera_state_reader_t *reader, uint16_t *value);
diff --git a/libopera/opera_vdlp.c b/libopera/opera_vdlp.c
index 781bfbd..e059d41 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_vdlp.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_vdlp.c
@@ -1044,6 +1044,9 @@ opera_vdlp_state_load(const void     *buf_,
      !opera_state_reader_finished(&payload))
     return 0;
 
+  if(opera_state_validating())
+    return opera_state_reader_used(&reader);
+
   _migrate_vdlp_state(&state);
   g_VDLP = state;
 
diff --git a/libopera/opera_xbus.c b/libopera/opera_xbus.c
index 55278e6..6009c6b 100644
--- a/libopera/opera_xbus.c
+++ b/libopera/opera_xbus.c
@@ -611,7 +611,8 @@ opera_xbus_state_load(void const     *data_,
      (device_count > 15))
     return 0;
 
-  XBUS = state;
+  if(!opera_state_validating())
+    XBUS = state;
 
   for(i = 0; i < device_count; i++)
     {
@@ -624,7 +625,8 @@ opera_xbus_state_load(void const     *data_,
          (xdev[slot] == NULL))
         return 0;
 
-      xdev[slot](XBP_RESET,NULL);
+      if(!opera_state_validating())
+        xdev[slot](XBP_RESET,NULL);
       remaining = opera_state_reader_remaining(&payload);
       savedata.data = &payload.data[payload.offset];
       savedata.size = remaining;
diff --git a/libretro.c b/libretro.c
index 97faed1..57c2455 100644
--- a/libretro.c
+++ b/libretro.c
@@ -261,6 +261,25 @@ retro_unserialize(void const *data_,
   uint32_t restore_size;
   void *backup_state;
 
+  /*
+   * A current-format state is checked first and then loaded: a state
+   * that validates is one the load accepts in full, so there is
+   * nothing to roll back and no need to save the running state first.
+   * That backup was a full serialize into a fresh allocation the size
+   * of a state on every load -- twice the work for run-ahead and
+   * rewind, which load every frame. Anything else (an older format,
+   * a state that does not validate) takes the backup path below, which
+   * leaves the running state as it was if the load fails.
+   */
+  if(opera_3do_state_validate(data_,size_))
+    {
+      size = opera_3do_state_load(data_,size_);
+      if(size != size_)
+        opera_log_printf(OPERA_LOG_ERROR,
+                         "[Opera]: state validated but failed to load\n");
+      return (size == size_);
+    }
+
   backup_state = malloc(retro_serialize_size());
   if(backup_state == NULL)
     return false;