diff --git a/Core/RetroAchievements.cpp b/Core/RetroAchievements.cpp
index 2c30cef1a4..c5737b5eef 100644
--- a/Core/RetroAchievements.cpp
+++ b/Core/RetroAchievements.cpp
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ bool ChallengeModeActive() {
 	return IsLoggedIn() && rc_client_get_hardcore_enabled(g_rcClient);
 }
 
-bool WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(const char *message) {
-	if (!ChallengeModeActive()) {
+bool WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(bool isSaveStateAction, const char *message) {
+	if (!ChallengeModeActive() || (isSaveStateAction && g_Config.bAchievementsSaveStateInChallengeMode)) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/Core/RetroAchievements.h b/Core/RetroAchievements.h
index afd7833fed..ed92938b04 100644
--- a/Core/RetroAchievements.h
+++ b/Core/RetroAchievements.h
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ bool ChallengeModeActive();
 // only for shortcut keys and commands. You should look up the message in I18NCat::ACHIEVEMENTS.
 // If no message is specified, a standard "This feature is not available in Challenge Mode" message will be shown.
 // Also returns true if challenge mode is active.
-bool WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(const char *message = nullptr);
+// Specify isSaveAction so we can still permit saves (but not loads) in challenge mode if that option is enabled.
+bool WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(bool isSaveStateAction, const char *message = nullptr);
 
 // The new API is so much nicer that we can use it directly instead of wrapping it. So let's expose the client.
 // Will of course return nullptr if not active.
diff --git a/UI/EmuScreen.cpp b/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
index a0462d1731..8a6f02c397 100644
--- a/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
+++ b/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ void EmuScreen::onVKey(int virtualKeyCode, bool down) {
 		break;
 
 	case VIRTKEY_FRAME_ADVANCE:
-		if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+		if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(false)) {
 			if (down) {
 				// If game is running, pause emulation immediately. Otherwise, advance a single frame.
 				if (Core_IsStepping()) {
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ void EmuScreen::onVKey(int virtualKeyCode, bool down) {
 #endif
 
 	case VIRTKEY_REWIND:
-		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(false)) {
 			if (SaveState::CanRewind()) {
 				SaveState::Rewind(&AfterSaveStateAction);
 			} else {
@@ -722,21 +722,23 @@ void EmuScreen::onVKey(int virtualKeyCode, bool down) {
 		}
 		break;
 	case VIRTKEY_SAVE_STATE:
-		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive())
+		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 			SaveState::SaveSlot(gamePath_, g_Config.iCurrentStateSlot, &AfterSaveStateAction);
+		}
 		break;
 	case VIRTKEY_LOAD_STATE:
-		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive())
+		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(false)) {
 			SaveState::LoadSlot(gamePath_, g_Config.iCurrentStateSlot, &AfterSaveStateAction);
+		}
 		break;
 	case VIRTKEY_PREVIOUS_SLOT:
-		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 			SaveState::PrevSlot();
 			System_PostUIMessage(UIMessage::SAVESTATE_DISPLAY_SLOT);
 		}
 		break;
 	case VIRTKEY_NEXT_SLOT:
-		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+		if (down && !Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 			SaveState::NextSlot();
 			System_PostUIMessage(UIMessage::SAVESTATE_DISPLAY_SLOT);
 		}
diff --git a/Windows/MainWindowMenu.cpp b/Windows/MainWindowMenu.cpp
index 9f5b89253f..fa6c7a8bc7 100644
--- a/Windows/MainWindowMenu.cpp
+++ b/Windows/MainWindowMenu.cpp
@@ -72,21 +72,26 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 	void SetIngameMenuItemStates(HMENU menu, const GlobalUIState state) {
 		bool menuEnableBool = state == UISTATE_INGAME || state == UISTATE_EXCEPTION;
 
+		bool loadStateEnableBool = menuEnableBool;
 		bool saveStateEnableBool = menuEnableBool;
 		if (Achievements::ChallengeModeActive()) {
-			saveStateEnableBool = false;
+			loadStateEnableBool = false;
+			if (!g_Config.bAchievementsSaveStateInChallengeMode) {
+				saveStateEnableBool = false;
+			}
 		}
 
 		UINT menuEnable = menuEnableBool ? MF_ENABLED : MF_GRAYED;
+		UINT loadStateEnable = loadStateEnableBool ? MF_ENABLED : MF_GRAYED;
 		UINT saveStateEnable = saveStateEnableBool ? MF_ENABLED : MF_GRAYED;
 		UINT menuInGameEnable = state == UISTATE_INGAME ? MF_ENABLED : MF_GRAYED;
 		UINT umdSwitchEnable = state == UISTATE_INGAME && getUMDReplacePermit() ? MF_ENABLED : MF_GRAYED;
 
 		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_FILE_SAVESTATE_SLOT_MENU, saveStateEnable);
 		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_FILE_SAVESTATEFILE, saveStateEnable);
-		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_FILE_LOADSTATEFILE, saveStateEnable);
+		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_FILE_LOADSTATEFILE, loadStateEnable);
 		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_FILE_QUICKSAVESTATE, saveStateEnable);
-		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_FILE_QUICKLOADSTATE, saveStateEnable);
+		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_FILE_QUICKLOADSTATE, loadStateEnable);
 		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_EMULATION_PAUSE, menuEnable);
 		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_EMULATION_STOP, menuEnable);
 		EnableMenuItem(menu, ID_EMULATION_RESET, menuEnable);
@@ -513,7 +518,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 			}
 			break;
 		case ID_FILE_LOADSTATEFILE:
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(false)) {
 				if (W32Util::BrowseForFileName(true, hWnd, L"Load state", 0, L"Save States (*.ppst)\0*.ppst\0All files\0*.*\0\0", L"ppst", fn)) {
 					SetCursor(LoadCursor(0, IDC_WAIT));
 					SaveState::Load(Path(fn), -1, SaveStateActionFinished);
@@ -521,7 +526,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 			}
 			break;
 		case ID_FILE_SAVESTATEFILE:
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 				if (W32Util::BrowseForFileName(false, hWnd, L"Save state", 0, L"Save States (*.ppst)\0*.ppst\0All files\0*.*\0\0", L"ppst", fn)) {
 					SetCursor(LoadCursor(0, IDC_WAIT));
 					SaveState::Save(Path(fn), -1, SaveStateActionFinished);
@@ -531,7 +536,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 
 		case ID_FILE_SAVESTATE_NEXT_SLOT:
 		{
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 				SaveState::NextSlot();
 				System_PostUIMessage(UIMessage::SAVESTATE_DISPLAY_SLOT);
 			}
@@ -540,7 +545,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 
 		case ID_FILE_SAVESTATE_NEXT_SLOT_HC:
 		{
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 				if (!KeyMap::PspButtonHasMappings(VIRTKEY_NEXT_SLOT)) {
 					SaveState::NextSlot();
 					System_PostUIMessage(UIMessage::SAVESTATE_DISPLAY_SLOT);
@@ -554,13 +559,13 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 		case ID_FILE_SAVESTATE_SLOT_3:
 		case ID_FILE_SAVESTATE_SLOT_4:
 		case ID_FILE_SAVESTATE_SLOT_5:
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 				g_Config.iCurrentStateSlot = wmId - ID_FILE_SAVESTATE_SLOT_1;
 			}
 			break;
 
 		case ID_FILE_QUICKLOADSTATE:
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(false)) {
 				SetCursor(LoadCursor(0, IDC_WAIT));
 				SaveState::LoadSlot(PSP_CoreParameter().fileToStart, g_Config.iCurrentStateSlot, SaveStateActionFinished);
 			}
@@ -568,7 +573,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 
 		case ID_FILE_QUICKLOADSTATE_HC:
 		{
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(false)) {
 				if (!KeyMap::PspButtonHasMappings(VIRTKEY_LOAD_STATE)) {
 					SetCursor(LoadCursor(0, IDC_WAIT));
 					SaveState::LoadSlot(PSP_CoreParameter().fileToStart, g_Config.iCurrentStateSlot, SaveStateActionFinished);
@@ -578,7 +583,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 		}
 		case ID_FILE_QUICKSAVESTATE:
 		{
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 				SetCursor(LoadCursor(0, IDC_WAIT));
 				SaveState::SaveSlot(PSP_CoreParameter().fileToStart, g_Config.iCurrentStateSlot, SaveStateActionFinished);
 			}
@@ -587,7 +592,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 
 		case ID_FILE_QUICKSAVESTATE_HC:
 		{
-			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive()) {
+			if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfChallengeModeActive(true)) {
 				if (!KeyMap::PspButtonHasMappings(VIRTKEY_SAVE_STATE))
 				{
 					SetCursor(LoadCursor(0, IDC_WAIT));