diff --git a/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9900.cpp b/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9900.cpp
index 8c94a0662f8..6f9ef5f7926 100644
--- a/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9900.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9900.cpp
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ void tms99xx_device::state_import(const device_state_entry &entry)
 			break;
 		default:
 			// Workspace registers
-			if (index <= TMS9900_R15 && started())
+			if (index <= TMS9900_R15)
 				write_workspace_register_debug(index-TMS9900_R0, (uint16_t)m_state_any);
 			break;
 	}
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ void tms99xx_device::state_export(const device_state_entry &entry)
 		default:
 			// Workspace registers
 			if (index <= TMS9900_R15)
-				m_state_any = started() ? read_workspace_register_debug(index-TMS9900_R0) : 0;
+				m_state_any = read_workspace_register_debug(index-TMS9900_R0);
 			break;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9995.cpp b/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9995.cpp
index 6cbb64a350c..c1b07bcbc70 100644
--- a/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9995.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/cpu/tms9900/tms9995.cpp
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ void tms9995_device::state_import(const device_state_entry &entry)
 			break;
 		default:
 			// Workspace registers
-			if (index <= TMS9995_R15 && started())
+			if (index <= TMS9995_R15)
 				write_workspace_register_debug(index-TMS9995_R0, (uint16_t)m_state_any);
 			break;
 	}
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ void tms9995_device::state_export(const device_state_entry &entry)
 		default:
 			// Workspace registers
 			if (index <= TMS9995_R15)
-				m_state_any = started() ? read_workspace_register_debug(index-TMS9995_R0) : 0;
+				m_state_any = read_workspace_register_debug(index-TMS9995_R0);
 			break;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/emu/distate.cpp b/src/emu/distate.cpp
index d0ade8edc4b..d234cd4a69b 100644
--- a/src/emu/distate.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/distate.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ device_state_entry &device_state_entry::formatstr(const char *_format)
 
 	// set the DSF_CUSTOM_STRING flag by formatting with a nullptr string
 	m_flags &= ~DSF_CUSTOM_STRING;
-	format(nullptr);
+	format(nullptr, 0);
 
 	return *this;
 }
@@ -201,12 +201,10 @@ double device_state_entry::entry_dvalue() const
 //  pieces of indexed state as a string
 //-------------------------------------------------
 
-std::string device_state_entry::format(const char *string, bool maxout) const
+std::string device_state_entry::format(const char *string, u64 result, bool maxout) const
 {
-	std::string dest;
-	u64 result = value();
-
 	// parse the format
+	std::string dest;
 	bool leadzero = false;
 	bool percent = false;
 	bool explicitsign = false;
@@ -400,7 +398,7 @@ std::string device_state_entry::to_string() const
 		custom = string_format("%-12G", entry_dvalue());
 
 	// ask the entry to format itself
-	return format(custom.c_str());
+	return format(custom.c_str(), value());
 }
 
 
@@ -412,7 +410,7 @@ std::string device_state_entry::to_string() const
 int device_state_entry::max_length() const
 {
 	// ask the entry to format itself maximally
-	return format("", true).length();
+	return format("", value(), true).length();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/emu/distate.h b/src/emu/distate.h
index f0cf04eadeb..182010c8142 100644
--- a/src/emu/distate.h
+++ b/src/emu/distate.h
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ protected:
 private:
 	// helpers
 	void format_from_mask();
-	std::string format(const char *string, bool maxout = false) const;
+	std::string format(const char *string, u64 result, bool maxout = false) const;
 
 	// statics
-	static const u64 k_decimal_divisor[20];      // divisors for outputting decimal values
+	static const u64 k_decimal_divisor[20];         // divisors for outputting decimal values
 
 	// public state description
 	device_state_interface *m_device_state;         // link to parent device state
@@ -357,13 +357,12 @@ protected:
 	virtual void interface_post_start() override;
 
 	// constants
-	static constexpr int FAST_STATE_MIN = -4;                           // range for fast state
-	static constexpr int FAST_STATE_MAX = 256;                          // lookups
+	static constexpr int FAST_STATE_MIN = -4;       // range for fast state
+	static constexpr int FAST_STATE_MAX = 256;      // lookups
 
 	// state
-	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<device_state_entry>>       m_state_list;           // head of state list
-	device_state_entry *                    m_fast_state[FAST_STATE_MAX + 1 - FAST_STATE_MIN];
-																	// fast access to common entries
+	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<device_state_entry>> m_state_list; // head of state list
+	device_state_entry *m_fast_state[FAST_STATE_MAX + 1 - FAST_STATE_MIN]; // fast access to common entries
 };
 
 // iterator