diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 4af5a4c03e0..15367e3cd6b 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -177,6 +177,9 @@ endif
 # uncomment next line to include the internal profiler
 # PROFILER = 1
 
+# uncomment next line to include gprof profiler support
+# GPROF = 1
+
 # uncomment the force the universal DRC to always use the C backend
 # you may need to do this if your target architecture does not have
 # a native backend
@@ -247,6 +250,12 @@ PROFILER = 1
 endif
 endif
 
+# allow gprof profiling as well, which overrides the internal PROFILER
+ifdef GPROF
+CCOMFLAGS += -pg
+PROFILER =
+# LIBS += -lc_p
+endif
 
 
 #-------------------------------------------------
@@ -284,6 +293,7 @@ RM = @rm -f
 PREFIXSDL =
 SUFFIX64 =
 SUFFIXDEBUG =
+SUFFIXGPROF =
 
 # Windows SDL builds get an SDL prefix
 ifeq ($(OSD),sdl)
@@ -302,6 +312,11 @@ ifdef DEBUG
 SUFFIXDEBUG = d
 endif
 
+# gprof builds get an addition 'p' suffix
+ifdef GPROF
+SUFFIXGPROF = p
+endif
+
 # the name is just 'target' if no subtarget; otherwise it is
 # the concatenation of the two (e.g., mametiny)
 ifeq ($(TARGET),$(SUBTARGET))
@@ -311,7 +326,7 @@ NAME = $(TARGET)$(SUBTARGET)
 endif
 
 # fullname is prefix+name+suffix+suffix64+suffixdebug
-FULLNAME = $(PREFIX)$(PREFIXSDL)$(NAME)$(SUFFIX)$(SUFFIX64)$(SUFFIXDEBUG)
+FULLNAME = $(PREFIX)$(PREFIXSDL)$(NAME)$(SUFFIX)$(SUFFIX64)$(SUFFIXDEBUG)$(SUFFIXGPROF)
 
 # add an EXE suffix to get the final emulator name
 EMULATOR = $(FULLNAME)$(EXE)
diff --git a/src/emu/emu.mak b/src/emu/emu.mak
index 5c0f89efe36..b3ad3914137 100644
--- a/src/emu/emu.mak
+++ b/src/emu/emu.mak
@@ -202,7 +202,9 @@ EMUVIDEOOBJS = \
 	$(EMUVIDEO)/vector.o \
 	$(EMUVIDEO)/voodoo.o \
 
-$(LIBEMU): $(EMUOBJS) $(EMUSOUNDOBJS) $(EMUAUDIOOBJS) $(EMUDRIVEROBJS) $(EMUMACHINEOBJS) $(EMUVIDEOOBJS)
+LIBEMUOBJS = $(EMUOBJS) $(EMUSOUNDOBJS) $(EMUAUDIOOBJS) $(EMUDRIVEROBJS) $(EMUMACHINEOBJS) $(EMUVIDEOOBJS)
+
+$(LIBEMU): $(LIBEMUOBJS)
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/emu/mame.c b/src/emu/mame.c
index d6c27f46a12..72382fd3172 100644
--- a/src/emu/mame.c
+++ b/src/emu/mame.c
@@ -261,8 +261,11 @@ int mame_execute(core_options *options)
 		firstgame = FALSE;
 
 		/* parse any INI files as the first thing */
-		options_revert(mame_options(), OPTION_PRIORITY_INI);
-		mame_parse_ini_files(mame_options(), driver);
+		if (options_get_bool(options, OPTION_READCONFIG)) 
+		{
+			options_revert(mame_options(), OPTION_PRIORITY_INI);
+			mame_parse_ini_files(mame_options(), driver);
+		}
 
 		/* create the machine structure and driver */
 		machine = global_alloc(running_machine(driver));
@@ -1327,6 +1330,8 @@ running_machine::running_machine(const game_driver *driver)
 			auto_free(this, driver_data);
 		if (config != NULL)
 			machine_config_free((machine_config *)config);
+		if (basename != NULL)
+			osd_free(basename);
 		if (mame_data != NULL)
 			auto_free(this, mame_data);
 	}
@@ -1343,6 +1348,8 @@ running_machine::~running_machine()
 
 	if (config != NULL)
 		machine_config_free((machine_config *)config);
+	if (basename != NULL)
+		osd_free(basename);
 
 	global_machine = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/src/emu/mame.h b/src/emu/mame.h
index 2ca92c6007b..64cc005b3ea 100644
--- a/src/emu/mame.h
+++ b/src/emu/mame.h
@@ -236,15 +236,15 @@ public:
 	ioport_list				portlist;			/* points to a list of input port configurations */
 
 	/* CPU information */
-	running_device *	firstcpu;			/* first CPU (allows for quick iteration via typenext) */
+	running_device *		firstcpu;			/* first CPU (allows for quick iteration via typenext) */
 
 	/* game-related information */
 	const game_driver *		gamedrv;			/* points to the definition of the game machine */
-	const char *			basename;			/* basename used for game-related paths */
+	char *					basename;			/* basename used for game-related paths */
 
 	/* video-related information */
 	gfx_element *			gfx[MAX_GFX_ELEMENTS];/* array of pointers to graphic sets (chars, sprites) */
-	running_device *	primary_screen;		/* the primary screen device, or NULL if screenless */
+	running_device *		primary_screen;		/* the primary screen device, or NULL if screenless */
 	palette_t *				palette;			/* global palette object */
 
 	/* palette-related information */
diff --git a/src/emu/render.c b/src/emu/render.c
index 17256ab824f..314b7a42598 100644
--- a/src/emu/render.c
+++ b/src/emu/render.c
@@ -618,6 +618,18 @@ static void render_exit(running_machine *machine)
 		while (*texture_ptr != NULL && (*texture_ptr)->base != *texture_ptr)
 			*texture_ptr = (*texture_ptr)->next;
 
+	/* free the targets; this must be done before freeing the texture groups
+       as that will forcefully free everything, and if it goes first, we may
+       end up double-freeing textures of the render targets */
+	while (targetlist != NULL)
+		render_target_free(targetlist);
+
+	/* free the screen overlay; similarly, do this before any of the following
+       calls to avoid double-frees */
+	if (screen_overlay != NULL)
+		bitmap_free(screen_overlay);
+	screen_overlay = NULL;
+
 	/* free the texture groups */
 	while (render_texture_free_list != NULL)
 	{
@@ -649,15 +661,6 @@ static void render_exit(running_machine *machine)
 		container_item_free_list = temp->next;
 		global_free(temp);
 	}
-
-	/* free the targets */
-	while (targetlist != NULL)
-		render_target_free(targetlist);
-
-	/* free the screen overlay */
-	if (screen_overlay != NULL)
-		bitmap_free(screen_overlay);
-	screen_overlay = NULL;
 }
 
 
@@ -1557,6 +1560,7 @@ const render_primitive_list *render_target_get_primitives(render_target *target)
 	root_xform.yscale = (float) visheight;
 	root_xform.color.r = root_xform.color.g = root_xform.color.b = root_xform.color.a = 1.0f;
 	root_xform.orientation = target->orientation;
+    root_xform.no_center = FALSE;
 
 	/* iterate over layers back-to-front, but only if we're running */
 	if (mame_get_phase(target->machine) >= MAME_PHASE_RESET)
@@ -1591,6 +1595,7 @@ const render_primitive_list *render_target_get_primitives(render_target *target)
 					item_xform.color.b = item->color.b * root_xform.color.b;
 					item_xform.color.a = item->color.a * root_xform.color.a;
 					item_xform.orientation = orientation_add(item->orientation, root_xform.orientation);
+                    item_xform.no_center = FALSE;
 
 					/* if there is no associated element, it must be a screen element */
 					if (item->element != NULL)
@@ -1667,6 +1672,7 @@ const render_primitive_list *render_target_get_primitives(render_target *target)
 		ui_xform.yscale = (float) target->height;
 		ui_xform.color.r = ui_xform.color.g = ui_xform.color.b = ui_xform.color.a = 1.0f;
 		ui_xform.orientation = target->orientation;
+        ui_xform.no_center = FALSE;
 
 		/* add UI elements */
 		add_container_primitives(target, &target->primlist[listnum], &ui_xform, ui_container, BLENDMODE_ALPHA);
diff --git a/src/lib/util/corestr.c b/src/lib/util/corestr.c
index cff0eb32f4c..292320a3311 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/corestr.c
+++ b/src/lib/util/corestr.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ int core_strwildcmp(const char *sp1, const char *sp2)
 
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------
-    core_strdup - string duplication via malloc
+    core_strdup - string duplication via osd_malloc
 -------------------------------------------------*/
 
 char *core_strdup(const char *str)
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ char *core_strdup(const char *str)
 	char *cpy = NULL;
 	if (str != NULL)
 	{
-		cpy = (char *)malloc(strlen(str) + 1);
+		cpy = (char *)osd_malloc(strlen(str) + 1);
 		if (cpy != NULL)
 			strcpy(cpy, str);
 	}