diff --git a/UI/CustomButtonMappingScreen.cpp b/UI/CustomButtonMappingScreen.cpp
index 0fc971c36b..f402e03f25 100644
--- a/UI/CustomButtonMappingScreen.cpp
+++ b/UI/CustomButtonMappingScreen.cpp
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ void CustomButtonMappingScreen::CreateDialogViews(UI::ViewGroup *parent) {
 	bool *show = nullptr;
 	memset(array, 0, sizeof(array));
 	cfg = &g_Config.CustomButton[id_];
+	// This screen is reachable from the main menu, so neither GamepadEmu nor the layout screen
+	// need have sanitized these yet - and everything below indexes the tables with them.
+	CustomKeyData::Sanitize(*cfg);
 	show = &touch.touchCustom[id_].show;
 	for (int i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(g_customKeyList); i++)
 		array[i] = (0x01 == ((g_Config.CustomButton[id_].key >> i) & 0x01));
diff --git a/UI/GamepadEmu.cpp b/UI/GamepadEmu.cpp
index 2ff6505b40..d49edbfdf3 100644
--- a/UI/GamepadEmu.cpp
+++ b/UI/GamepadEmu.cpp
@@ -1106,12 +1106,7 @@ GamepadEmuView::GamepadEmuView(const TouchControlConfig &config, float xres, flo
 
 	// Sanitize custom button images, while adding them.
 	for (int i = 0; i < TouchControlConfig::CUSTOM_BUTTON_COUNT; i++) {
-		if (g_Config.CustomButton[i].shape >= ARRAY_SIZE(CustomKeyData::customKeyShapes)) {
-			g_Config.CustomButton[i].shape = 0;
-		}
-		if (g_Config.CustomButton[i].image >= ARRAY_SIZE(CustomKeyData::customKeyImages)) {
-			g_Config.CustomButton[i].image = 0;
-		}
+		CustomKeyData::Sanitize(g_Config.CustomButton[i]);
 
 		char temp[64];
 		snprintf(temp, sizeof(temp), "Custom %d button", i + 1);
diff --git a/UI/GamepadEmu.h b/UI/GamepadEmu.h
index 6b106f6dae..ce8463c100 100644
--- a/UI/GamepadEmu.h
+++ b/UI/GamepadEmu.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "Common/UI/View.h"
 #include "Common/UI/ViewGroup.h"
+#include "Core/ConfigValues.h"
 #include "Core/CoreParameter.h"
 #include "Core/HLE/sceCtrl.h"
 #include "UI/EmuScreen.h"
@@ -366,6 +367,17 @@ namespace CustomKeyData {
 		// IMPORTANT: Only add at the end!
 	};
 	static_assert(ARRAY_SIZE(g_customKeyList) <= 64, "Too many key for a uint64_t bit mask");
+
+	// image and shape come straight from the ini and index the tables above, so anything that
+	// reads them has to run this first.
+	inline void Sanitize(ConfigCustomButton &cfg) {
+		if (cfg.image < 0 || cfg.image >= (int)ARRAY_SIZE(customKeyImages)) {
+			cfg.image = 0;
+		}
+		if (cfg.shape < 0 || cfg.shape >= (int)ARRAY_SIZE(customKeyShapes)) {
+			cfg.shape = 0;
+		}
+	}
 };
 
 // Gesture key only have virtual button that can work without constant press
diff --git a/UI/TouchControlLayoutScreen.cpp b/UI/TouchControlLayoutScreen.cpp
index edf7481d05..b50ad96733 100644
--- a/UI/TouchControlLayoutScreen.cpp
+++ b/UI/TouchControlLayoutScreen.cpp
@@ -537,12 +537,7 @@ void ControlLayoutView::CreateViews() {
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < TouchControlConfig::CUSTOM_BUTTON_COUNT; i++) {
 		// Similar to GamepadEmu, we sanitize the images for valid values.
-		if (g_Config.CustomButton[i].shape >= ARRAY_SIZE(CustomKeyData::customKeyShapes)) {
-			g_Config.CustomButton[i].shape = 0;
-		}
-		if (g_Config.CustomButton[i].image >= ARRAY_SIZE(CustomKeyData::customKeyImages)) {
-			g_Config.CustomButton[i].image = 0;
-		}
+		CustomKeyData::Sanitize(g_Config.CustomButton[i]);
 
 		char temp[64];
 		snprintf(temp, sizeof(temp), "Custom %d button", i);