diff --git a/libretro-build/Makefile.common b/libretro-build/Makefile.common
index 8007d01371c..a1dff7a427f 100644
--- a/libretro-build/Makefile.common
+++ b/libretro-build/Makefile.common
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #plain 'make' doesn't include the file that sets this. force it set anyways.
 RETRODEFS ?= -D__LIBRETRO__
-RETRODEFS += -DMINIMAL_CORE=2 -DM_CORE_GBA -DM_CORE_GB
+RETRODEFS += -DMINIMAL_CORE=2 -DM_CORE_GBA -DM_CORE_GB -DENABLE_VFS
 
 INCLUDES  += -I$(CORE_DIR)/src -I$(CORE_DIR)/src/arm -I$(CORE_DIR)/include -I$(CORE_DIR)/src/platform/libretro
 RETRODEFS += -DHAVE_STDINT_H -DHAVE_INTTYPES_H -DINLINE=inline -DCOLOR_16_BIT -DRESAMPLE_LIBRARY=2 -DM_PI=3.14159265358979323846 -DMGBA_STANDALONE
diff --git a/src/core/cheats.c b/src/core/cheats.c
index 2fc97c3ac52..abd0ce28d42 100644
--- a/src/core/cheats.c
+++ b/src/core/cheats.c
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ bool mCheatSaveFile(struct mCheatDevice* device, struct VFile* vf) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 void mCheatAutosave(struct mCheatDevice* device) {
 	if (!device->autosave) {
 		return;
diff --git a/src/core/config.c b/src/core/config.c
index 4fa27ba55af..736db7ee4fb 100644
--- a/src/core/config.c
+++ b/src/core/config.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ void mCoreConfigDeinit(struct mCoreConfig* config) {
 	free(config->port);
 }
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 bool mCoreConfigLoad(struct mCoreConfig* config) {
 	char path[PATH_MAX + 1];
 	mCoreConfigDirectory(path, PATH_MAX);
diff --git a/src/core/core.c b/src/core/core.c
index ba7ef914c25..f8c821f7f8e 100644
--- a/src/core/core.c
+++ b/src/core/core.c
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ struct mCore* mCoreFind(const char* path) {
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+#if !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 bool mCoreLoadFile(struct mCore* core, const char* path) {
 	core->unloadROM(core);
 #ifdef FIXED_ROM_BUFFER
@@ -153,6 +154,7 @@ bool mCorePreloadVF(struct mCore* core, struct VFile* vf) {
 bool mCorePreloadFile(struct mCore* core, const char* path) {
 	return mCorePreloadFileCB(core, path, NULL, NULL);
 }
+#endif
 
 bool mCorePreloadVFCB(struct mCore* core, struct VFile* vf, void (cb)(size_t, size_t, void*), void* context) {
 	struct VFile* vfm;
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@ bool mCorePreloadVFCB(struct mCore* core, struct VFile* vf, void (cb)(size_t, si
 	return ret;
 }
 
+#if !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 bool mCorePreloadFileCB(struct mCore* core, const char* path, void (cb)(size_t, size_t, void*), void* context) {
 	struct VFile* rom = mDirectorySetOpenPath(&core->dirs, path, core->isROM);
 	if (!rom) {
@@ -276,6 +279,7 @@ bool mCoreAutoloadCheats(struct mCore* core) {
 	}
 	return success;
 }
+#endif
 
 bool mCoreLoadSaveFile(struct mCore* core, const char* path, bool temporary) {
 	struct VFile* vf = VFileOpen(path, O_CREAT | O_RDWR);
@@ -398,7 +402,7 @@ void mCoreInitConfig(struct mCore* core, const char* port) {
 }
 
 void mCoreLoadConfig(struct mCore* core) {
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 	mCoreConfigLoad(&core->config);
 #endif
 	mCoreLoadForeignConfig(core, &core->config);
@@ -406,7 +410,7 @@ void mCoreLoadConfig(struct mCore* core) {
 
 void mCoreLoadForeignConfig(struct mCore* core, const struct mCoreConfig* config) {
 	mCoreConfigMap(config, &core->opts);
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 	mDirectorySetMapOptions(&core->dirs, &core->opts);
 #endif
 	if (core->opts.audioBuffers) {
diff --git a/src/gb/core.c b/src/gb/core.c
index f71b570e0e9..8a75f788982 100644
--- a/src/gb/core.c
+++ b/src/gb/core.c
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ static bool _GBCoreInit(struct mCore* core) {
 	gbcore->keys = 0;
 	gb->keySource = &gbcore->keys;
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 	mDirectorySetInit(&core->dirs);
 #endif
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ static void _GBCoreDeinit(struct mCore* core) {
 	GBDestroy(core->board);
 	mappedMemoryFree(core->cpu, sizeof(struct SM83Core));
 	mappedMemoryFree(core->board, sizeof(struct GB));
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 	mDirectorySetDeinit(&core->dirs);
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_DEBUGGERS
@@ -651,6 +651,7 @@ static void _GBCoreReset(struct mCore* core) {
 				bios = NULL;
 			}
 		}
+#ifndef __LIBRETRO__
 		if (!found) {
 			char path[PATH_MAX];
 			mCoreConfigDirectory(path, PATH_MAX);
@@ -679,6 +680,7 @@ static void _GBCoreReset(struct mCore* core) {
 				bios = NULL;
 			}
 		}
+#endif
 		if (found && bios) {
 			GBLoadBIOS(gb, bios);
 		}
diff --git a/src/gba/core.c b/src/gba/core.c
index da782d06cfb..4b8861f437d 100644
--- a/src/gba/core.c
+++ b/src/gba/core.c
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static bool _GBACoreInit(struct mCore* core) {
 	gbacore->proxyRenderer.logger = NULL;
 #endif
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 	mDirectorySetInit(&core->dirs);
 #endif
 
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ static void _GBACoreDeinit(struct mCore* core) {
 	GBADestroy(core->board);
 	mappedMemoryFree(core->cpu, sizeof(struct ARMCore));
 	mappedMemoryFree(core->board, sizeof(struct GBA));
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 	mDirectorySetDeinit(&core->dirs);
 #endif
 #ifdef ENABLE_DEBUGGERS
@@ -782,6 +782,7 @@ static void _GBACoreReset(struct mCore* core) {
 				bios = NULL;
 			}
 		}
+#ifndef __LIBRETRO__
 		if (!found) {
 			char path[PATH_MAX];
 			mCoreConfigDirectory(path, PATH_MAX);
@@ -794,6 +795,7 @@ static void _GBACoreReset(struct mCore* core) {
 				bios = NULL;
 			}
 		}
+#endif
 		if (found && bios) {
 			GBALoadBIOS(gba, bios);
 		}
diff --git a/src/util/vfs.c b/src/util/vfs.c
index f9ddd7048f7..f6342ec06c9 100644
--- a/src/util/vfs.c
+++ b/src/util/vfs.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ void separatePath(const char* path, char* dirname, char* basename, char* extensi
 	}
 }
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_VFS
+#if defined(ENABLE_VFS) && !defined(__LIBRETRO__)
 bool isAbsolute(const char* path) {
 	// XXX: Is this robust?
 #ifdef _WIN32