diff --git a/joymapping.cpp b/joymapping.cpp
index 859df6e..65e1ec4 100644
--- a/joymapping.cpp
+++ b/joymapping.cpp
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ static void get_buttons()
 	joy_bcount = 0;
 	defaults = 0;
 
+	user_io_read_confstr();
 	while(1)
 	{
-		p = user_io_8bit_get_string(i);
+		p = user_io_get_confstr(i);
 		if (!p) break;
 
 		// this option used as default name map (unless jn/jp is supplied)
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 0461836..01bc569 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include "input.h"
 #include "fpga_io.h"
 #include "scheduler.h"
+#include "osd.h"
 
 const char *version = "$VER:" VDATE;
 
diff --git a/menu.cpp b/menu.cpp
index f062285..f2cb2a7 100644
--- a/menu.cpp
+++ b/menu.cpp
@@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@ void HandleUI(void)
 		spi_uio_cmd_cont(UIO_GET_OSDMASK);
 		hdmask = spi_w(0);
 		DisableIO();
-
+		user_io_read_confstr();
 		int entry = 0;
 		while(1)
 		{
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ void HandleUI(void)
 			{
 				char* pos;
 
-				p = user_io_8bit_get_string(i++);
+				p = user_io_get_confstr(i++);
 				//printf("Option %d: %s\n", i-1, p);
 
 				if (p)
@@ -1476,14 +1476,14 @@ void HandleUI(void)
 			else
 			{
 				static char ext[256];
-				p = user_io_8bit_get_string(1);
+				p = user_io_get_confstr(1);
 
 				int h = 0, d = 0;
 				uint32_t entry = 0;
 				int i = 1;
 				while (1)
 				{
-					p = user_io_8bit_get_string(i++);
+					p = user_io_get_confstr(i++);
 					if (!p) continue;
 
 					h = 0;
@@ -2475,7 +2475,7 @@ void HandleUI(void)
 		if (menu | select | left)
 		{
 			menustate = MENU_8BIT_SYSTEM1;
-			menusub = 7 - m;
+			menusub = 12;
 		}
 		break;
 
diff --git a/osd.cpp b/osd.cpp
index 426e738..a70ea4d 100644
--- a/osd.cpp
+++ b/osd.cpp
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ void StarsUpdate()
 		}
 		framebuffer_plot(stars[i].x >> 4, stars[i].y >> 4);
 	}
+	osdset = -1;
 }
 
 
@@ -702,6 +703,7 @@ void OsdUpdate()
 			spi_osd_cmd_cont(OSD_CMD_WRITE | i);
 			spi_write(osdbuf + i * 256, 256, 0);
 			DisableOsd();
+			if (is_megacd_core()) mcd_poll();
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/user_io.cpp b/user_io.cpp
index b982e3b..9dd4131 100644
--- a/user_io.cpp
+++ b/user_io.cpp
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ static void user_io_read_core_name()
 	core_name[0] = 0;
 
 	// get core name
-	char *p = user_io_8bit_get_string(0);
+	char *p = user_io_get_confstr(0);
 	if (p && p[0]) strcpy(core_name, p);
 
 	strncpy(core_dir, !strcasecmp(p, "minimig") ? "Amiga" : core_name, 1024);
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ static void parse_config()
 	joy_force = 0;
 
 	do {
-		p = user_io_8bit_get_string(i);
+		p = user_io_get_confstr(i);
 		printf("get cfgstring %d = %s\n", i, p);
 		if (!i && p && p[0])
 		{
@@ -725,6 +725,7 @@ void user_io_init(const char *path)
 	spi_init(core_type != CORE_TYPE_UNKNOWN);
 	OsdSetSize(8);
 
+	user_io_read_confstr();
 	if (core_type == CORE_TYPE_8BIT)
 	{
 		puts("Identified 8BIT core");
@@ -1690,53 +1691,52 @@ int user_io_file_tx(const char* name, unsigned char index, char opensave, char m
 	return 1;
 }
 
-// 8 bit cores have a config string telling the firmware how
-// to treat it
-char *user_io_8bit_get_string(char index)
+static char cfgstr[1024 * 10] = {};
+void user_io_read_confstr()
+{
+	spi_uio_cmd_cont(UIO_GET_STRING);
+
+	uint32_t j = 0;
+	while (j < sizeof(cfgstr) - 1)
+	{
+		char i = spi_in();
+		if (!i) break;
+		cfgstr[j++] = i;
+	}
+
+	cfgstr[j++] = 0;
+}
+
+char *user_io_get_confstr(int index)
 {
 	unsigned char i, lidx = 0, j = 0;
 	static char buffer[128 + 1];  // max 128 bytes per config item
-
 								  // clear buffer
 	buffer[0] = 0;
+	int pos = 0;
 
-	spi_uio_cmd_cont(UIO_GET_STRING);
-	i = spi_in();
-	// the first char returned will be 0xff if the core doesn't support
-	// config strings. atari 800 returns 0xa4 which is the status byte
-	if ((i == 0xff) || (i == 0xa4))
+	i = cfgstr[pos++];
+	while (i && (j < sizeof(buffer)))
 	{
-		DisableIO();
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	//  printf("String: ");
-	while ((i != 0) && (i != 0xff) && (j<sizeof(buffer)))
-	{
-		if (i == ';') {
+		if (i == ';')
+		{
 			if (lidx == index) buffer[j++] = 0;
 			lidx++;
 		}
-		else {
-			if (lidx == index)
-				buffer[j++] = i;
+		else
+		{
+			if (lidx == index) buffer[j++] = i;
 		}
 
-		//  printf("%c", i);
-		i = spi_in();
+		i = cfgstr[pos++];
 	}
 
-	DisableIO();
-	//  printf("\n");
-
 	// if this was the last string in the config string list, then it still
 	// needs to be terminated
 	if (lidx == index) buffer[j] = 0;
 
 	// also return NULL for empty strings
-	if (!buffer[0]) return NULL;
-
-	return buffer;
+	return buffer[0] ? buffer : NULL;
 }
 
 uint32_t user_io_8bit_set_status(uint32_t new_status, uint32_t mask, int ex)
diff --git a/user_io.h b/user_io.h
index fecab1b..8be3102 100644
--- a/user_io.h
+++ b/user_io.h
@@ -206,7 +206,8 @@ char user_io_menu_button();
 char user_io_user_button();
 void user_io_osd_key_enable(char);
 void user_io_serial_tx(char *, uint16_t);
-char *user_io_8bit_get_string(char);
+void user_io_read_confstr();
+char *user_io_get_confstr(int index);
 uint32_t user_io_8bit_set_status(uint32_t, uint32_t, int ex = 0);
 int user_io_file_tx(const char* name, unsigned char index = 0, char opensave = 0, char mute = 0, char composite = 0);
 uint32_t user_io_get_file_crc();
@@ -216,7 +217,6 @@ char *user_io_make_filepath(const char *path, const char *filename);
 char *user_io_get_core_name();
 char *user_io_get_core_path();
 const char *user_io_get_core_name_ex();
-char is_megacd_core();
 char has_menu();
 
 const char *get_image_name(int i);
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ char is_menu_core();
 char is_x86_core();
 char is_snes_core();
 char is_neogeo_core();
+char is_megacd_core();
 
 #define HomeDir (is_menu_core() ? "Scripts" : user_io_get_core_path())
 #define CoreName (is_menu_core() ? "Scripts" : user_io_get_core_name())