diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/selgame.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/selgame.cpp
index 3ae7903b514..10a510aa571 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/selgame.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/selgame.cpp
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ void menu_select_game::populate(float &customtop, float &custombottom)
 				[this, &have_prev_selected, &old_item_selected, curitem = 0] (ui_software_info const &info) mutable
 				{
 					have_prev_selected = have_prev_selected || (&info == m_prev_selected);
-					ui_system_info const &elem = m_persistent_data.systems()[driver_list::find(info.driver->name)];
 					if (info.startempty)
 					{
 						if (old_item_selected == -1 && info.shortname == reselect_last::driver())
@@ -423,13 +422,14 @@ void menu_select_game::populate(float &customtop, float &custombottom)
 								cloneof = false;
 						}
 
-						item_append(elem.description, cloneof ? FLAG_INVERT : 0, (void *)&info);
+						ui_system_info const &sysinfo = m_persistent_data.systems()[driver_list::find(info.driver->name)];
+						item_append(sysinfo.description, cloneof ? FLAG_INVERT : 0, (void *)&info);
 					}
 					else
 					{
 						if (old_item_selected == -1 && info.shortname == reselect_last::driver())
 							old_item_selected = curitem;
-						item_append(elem.description, info.devicetype, info.parentname.empty() ? 0 : FLAG_INVERT, (void *)&info);
+						item_append(info.longname, info.devicetype, info.parentname.empty() ? 0 : FLAG_INVERT, (void *)&info);
 					}
 					curitem++;
 				});
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ void menu_select_game::build_available_list()
 	// now check and include NONE_NEEDED
 	if (!ui().options().hide_romless())
 	{
-		// FIXME: can't use the convenience macros tiny ROM entries
+		// FIXME: can't use the convenience macros with tiny ROM entries
 		auto const is_required_rom =
 				[] (tiny_rom_entry const &rom) { return ROMENTRY_ISFILE(rom) && !ROM_ISOPTIONAL(rom) && !std::strchr(rom.hashdata, '!'); };
 		for (std::size_t x = 0; total > x; ++x)
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ void menu_select_game::inkey_select_favorite(const event *menu_event)
 		}
 		return;
 	}
-	else if (ui_swinfo->startempty == 1)
+	else if (ui_swinfo->startempty)
 	{
 		driver_enumerator enumerator(machine().options(), *ui_swinfo->driver);
 		enumerator.next();