diff --git a/src/cheat.c b/src/cheat.c
index f92e8d4..2602bf5 100644
--- a/src/cheat.c
+++ b/src/cheat.c
@@ -332,27 +332,33 @@ int FCEUI_DecodeGG(const char *str, uint16 *a, uint8 *v, int *c) {
 	if (s != 6 && s != 8) return(0);
 
 	t = GGtobin(*str++);
+	if (!t) return (0);
 	V |= (t & 0x07);
 	V |= (t & 0x08) << 4;
 
 	t = GGtobin(*str++);
+	if (!t) return (0);
 	V |= (t & 0x07) << 4;
 	A |= (t & 0x08) << 4;
 
 	t = GGtobin(*str++);
+	if (!t) return (0);
 	A |= (t & 0x07) << 4;
 	/* if(t&0x08) return(0); */  /* 8-character code?! */
 
 	t = GGtobin(*str++);
+	if (!t) return (0);
 	A |= (t & 0x07) << 12;
 	A |= (t & 0x08);
 
 	t = GGtobin(*str++);
+	if (!t) return (0);
 	A |= (t & 0x07);
 	A |= (t & 0x08) << 8;
 
 	if (s == 6) {
 		t = GGtobin(*str++);
+		if (!t) return (0);
 		A |= (t & 0x07) << 8;
 		V |= (t & 0x08);
 
@@ -362,14 +368,17 @@ int FCEUI_DecodeGG(const char *str, uint16 *a, uint8 *v, int *c) {
 		return(1);
 	} else {
 		t = GGtobin(*str++);
+		if (!t) return (0);
 		A |= (t & 0x07) << 8;
 		C |= (t & 0x08);
 
 		t = GGtobin(*str++);
+		if (!t) return (0);
 		C |= (t & 0x07);
 		C |= (t & 0x08) << 4;
 
 		t = GGtobin(*str++);
+		if (!t) return (0);
 		C |= (t & 0x07) << 4;
 		V |= (t & 0x08);
 		*a = A;
@@ -388,13 +397,21 @@ int FCEUI_DecodePAR(const char *str, uint16 *a, uint8 *v, int *c, int *type) {
 
 	*c = -1;
 
-	if (1) {
+	/* 2020-08-31 - negativeExponent
+	 * Why is the top code set as default on non-debug runtime when
+	 * bottom code is what works for PAR?
+	 */
+	/* if (1) {
 		*a = (boo[3] << 8) | (boo[2] + 0x7F);
 		*v = 0;
 	} else {
 		*v = boo[3];
 		*a = boo[2] | (boo[1] << 8);
-	}
+	} */
+
+	*v = boo[3];
+	*a = boo[2] | (boo[1] << 8);
+
 	/* Zero-page addressing modes don't go through the normal read/write handlers in FCEU, so
 		we must do the old hacky method of RAM cheats.
 	*/
diff --git a/src/drivers/libretro/libretro.c b/src/drivers/libretro/libretro.c
index 2bef7bb..153e746 100644
--- a/src/drivers/libretro/libretro.c
+++ b/src/drivers/libretro/libretro.c
@@ -1985,13 +1985,24 @@ void retro_cheat_set(unsigned index, bool enabled, const char *code)
    {
       if ((strlen(codepart) == 7) && (codepart[4]==':'))
       {
-         /* raw code format */
-         c = -1;
+         /* raw code in xxxx:xx format */
+         log_cb.log(RETRO_LOG_DEBUG, "Cheat code added: '%s' (Raw)\n", codepart);
          codepart[4] = '\0';
          a = strtoul(codepart, NULL, 16);
          v = strtoul(codepart + 5, NULL, 16);
+         c = -1;
          FCEUI_AddCheat(name, a, v, c, type);
+      }
+      else if ((strlen(codepart) == 10) && (codepart[4] == '?') && (codepart[7] == ':'))
+      {
+         /* raw code in xxxx?xx:xx */
          log_cb.log(RETRO_LOG_DEBUG, "Cheat code added: '%s' (Raw)\n", codepart);
+         codepart[4] = '\0';
+         codepart[7] = '\0';
+         a = strtoul(codepart, NULL, 16);
+         v = strtoul(codepart + 8, NULL, 16);
+         c = strtoul(codepart + 5, NULL, 16);
+         FCEUI_AddCheat(name, a, v, c, type);
       }
       else if (FCEUI_DecodeGG(codepart, &a, &v, &c))
       {