diff --git a/src/emu/clifront.c b/src/emu/clifront.c
index 3334d5181e8..ec613f40dcd 100644
--- a/src/emu/clifront.c
+++ b/src/emu/clifront.c
@@ -1419,7 +1419,7 @@ void cli_frontend::getsoftlist(const char *gamename)
 	{
 		software_list_device_iterator iter(drivlist.config().root_device());
 		for (software_list_device *swlistdev = iter.first(); swlistdev != NULL; swlistdev = iter.next())
-			if (core_strwildcmp(swlistdev->list_name(), gamename) == 0 && list_map.add(swlistdev->list_name(), 0, false) != TMERR_DUPLICATE)
+			if (core_strwildcmp(gamename, swlistdev->list_name()) == 0 && list_map.add(swlistdev->list_name(), 0, false) != TMERR_DUPLICATE)
 				if (swlistdev->first_software_info() != NULL)
 				{
 					if (isfirst) { fprintf( out, SOFTLIST_XML_BEGIN); isfirst = FALSE; }
@@ -1452,7 +1452,7 @@ void cli_frontend::verifysoftlist(const char *gamename)
 	{
 		software_list_device_iterator iter(drivlist.config().root_device());
 		for (software_list_device *swlistdev = iter.first(); swlistdev != NULL; swlistdev = iter.next())
-			if (core_strwildcmp(swlistdev->list_name(), gamename) == 0 && list_map.add(swlistdev->list_name(), 0, false) != TMERR_DUPLICATE)
+			if (core_strwildcmp(gamename, swlistdev->list_name()) == 0 && list_map.add(swlistdev->list_name(), 0, false) != TMERR_DUPLICATE)
 				if (swlistdev->first_software_info() != NULL)
 				{
 					matched++;
diff --git a/src/lib/util/corestr.h b/src/lib/util/corestr.h
index ad3af2c34ff..dad4880b268 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/corestr.h
+++ b/src/lib/util/corestr.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ char *core_strdup(const char *str);
 #define strdup !MUST_USE_CORE_STRDUP_INSTEAD!
 
 
-/* additional string compare helper */
+/* additional string compare helper (up to 16 characters at the moment) */
 int core_strwildcmp(const char *sp1, const char *sp2);