diff --git a/src/emu/state.c b/src/emu/state.c
index 01f6ca18de6..cdcdd23add9 100644
--- a/src/emu/state.c
+++ b/src/emu/state.c
@@ -163,8 +163,42 @@ INLINE void flip_data(state_entry *entry)
     all registrations
 -------------------------------------------------*/
 
+enum test_enum_type { test_val };
+
+class test_class_type { public: int dummy; };
+
 void state_init(running_machine *machine)
 {
+	bool test_bool;
+	INT8 test_INT8;
+	UINT8 test_UINT8;
+	INT16 test_INT16;
+	UINT16 test_UINT16;
+	INT32 test_INT32;
+	UINT32 test_UINT32;
+	INT64 test_INT64;
+	UINT64 test_UINT64;
+	float test_float;
+	double test_double;
+	test_enum_type test_enum;
+	test_class_type test_class;
+	
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_bool), "bool is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_INT8), "INT8 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_UINT8), "UINT8 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_INT16), "INT16 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_UINT16), "UINT16 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_INT32), "INT32 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_UINT32), "UINT32 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_INT64), "INT64 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_UINT64), "UINT64 is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_float), "float is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_double), "double is not a valid type for save");
+	assert_always(IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_enum), "enums are not a valid type for save");
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+	assert_always(!IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(test_class), "classes are a valid type for save");
+#endif
+
 	machine->state_data = auto_alloc_clear(machine, state_private);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/emu/state.h b/src/emu/state.h
index 31de65ee824..4512503b645 100644
--- a/src/emu/state.h
+++ b/src/emu/state.h
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
 #ifndef __STATE_H__
 #define __STATE_H__
 
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#include <tr1/type_traits>
+#endif
 
 
 /***************************************************************************
@@ -53,16 +56,13 @@ typedef enum _state_save_error state_save_error;
 #define STATE_POSTLOAD(name) void name(running_machine *machine, void *param)
 
 
-#define IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, _checktype)										\
-	(sizeof(_valtype) == sizeof(_checktype) && TYPES_COMPATIBLE(_valtype, _checktype))
-
-#define IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(_valtype)													\
-	(IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, double) || IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, float)  ||	\
-	 IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, INT64)  || IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, UINT64) ||	\
-	 IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, INT32)  || IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, UINT32) ||	\
-	 IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, INT16)  || IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, UINT16) ||	\
-	 IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, INT8)   || IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, UINT8) ||		\
-	 IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, PAIR)   || IS_COMPATIBLE_TYPE(_valtype, PAIR64))
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#define IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(_var) \
+	(std::tr1::is_arithmetic<typeof(_var)>::value || std::tr1::is_enum<typeof(_var)>::value)
+#else
+#define IS_VALID_SAVE_TYPE(_var) \
+	(sizeof(_var) == 1 || sizeof(_var) == 2 || sizeof(_var) == 4 || sizeof(_var) == 8)
+#endif
 
 
 /* generic registration; all further registrations are based on this */
diff --git a/src/emu/validity.c b/src/emu/validity.c
index 5d1b88c737c..9c8a7aa5fcc 100644
--- a/src/emu/validity.c
+++ b/src/emu/validity.c
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ static int validate_roms(int drivnum, const machine_config *config, region_info
 					for (rgnnum = 0; rgnnum < ARRAY_LENGTH(rgninfo->entries); rgnnum++)
 					{
 						/* stop when we hit an empty */
-						if (rgninfo->entries[rgnnum].tag.len() == NULL)
+						if (rgninfo->entries[rgnnum].tag.len() == 0)
 						{
 							currgn = &rgninfo->entries[rgnnum];
 							currgn->tag.cpy(fulltag);