diff --git a/src/core/cpu_core_private.h b/src/core/cpu_core_private.h
index 2b7da61ef..7e8ecd15f 100644
--- a/src/core/cpu_core_private.h
+++ b/src/core/cpu_core_private.h
@@ -64,7 +64,41 @@ TickCount GetICacheFillTicks(VirtualMemoryAddress address);
 u32 FillICache(VirtualMemoryAddress address);
 void CheckAndUpdateICacheTags(u32 line_count, TickCount uncached_ticks);
 
-// defined in cpu_memory.cpp - memory access functions which return false if an exception was thrown.
+ALWAYS_INLINE Segment GetSegmentForAddress(VirtualMemoryAddress address)
+{
+  switch ((address >> 29))
+  {
+    case 0x00: // KUSEG 0M-512M
+    case 0x01: // KUSEG 512M-1024M
+    case 0x02: // KUSEG 1024M-1536M
+    case 0x03: // KUSEG 1536M-2048M
+      return Segment::KUSEG;
+
+    case 0x04: // KSEG0 - physical memory cached
+      return Segment::KSEG0;
+
+    case 0x05: // KSEG1 - physical memory uncached
+      return Segment::KSEG1;
+
+    case 0x06: // KSEG2
+    case 0x07: // KSEG2
+    default:
+      return Segment::KSEG2;
+  }
+}
+
+ALWAYS_INLINE PhysicalMemoryAddress VirtualAddressToPhysical(VirtualMemoryAddress address)
+{
+  return (address & PHYSICAL_MEMORY_ADDRESS_MASK);
+}
+
+ALWAYS_INLINE VirtualMemoryAddress PhysicalAddressToVirtual(PhysicalMemoryAddress address, Segment segment)
+{
+  static constexpr std::array<VirtualMemoryAddress, 4> bases = {{0x00000000, 0x80000000, 0xA0000000, 0xE0000000}};
+  return bases[static_cast<u32>(segment)] | address;
+}
+
+// defined in bus.cpp - memory access functions which return false if an exception was thrown.
 bool FetchInstruction();
 bool SafeReadInstruction(VirtualMemoryAddress addr, u32* value);
 bool ReadMemoryByte(VirtualMemoryAddress addr, u8* value);
diff --git a/src/core/cpu_types.cpp b/src/core/cpu_types.cpp
index 1d4436686..db9960e45 100644
--- a/src/core/cpu_types.cpp
+++ b/src/core/cpu_types.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,24 @@ u32 GetBranchInstructionTarget(const Instruction& instruction, u32 instruction_p
   }
 }
 
+bool IsCallInstruction(const Instruction& instruction)
+{
+  return (instruction.op == InstructionOp::funct && instruction.r.funct == InstructionFunct::jalr) ||
+         (instruction.op == InstructionOp::jal);
+}
+
+bool IsReturnInstruction(const Instruction& instruction)
+{
+  if (instruction.op != InstructionOp::funct)
+    return false;
+
+  // j(al)r ra
+  if (instruction.r.funct == InstructionFunct::jr || instruction.r.funct == InstructionFunct::jalr)
+    return (instruction.r.rs == Reg::ra);
+
+  return false;
+}
+
 bool IsMemoryLoadInstruction(const Instruction& instruction)
 {
   switch (instruction.op)
@@ -159,6 +177,33 @@ bool IsMemoryStoreInstruction(const Instruction& instruction)
   }
 }
 
+std::optional<VirtualMemoryAddress> GetLoadStoreEffectiveAddress(const Instruction& instruction, const Registers* regs)
+{
+  switch (instruction.op)
+  {
+    case InstructionOp::lb:
+    case InstructionOp::lh:
+    case InstructionOp::lw:
+    case InstructionOp::lbu:
+    case InstructionOp::lhu:
+    case InstructionOp::lwc2:
+    case InstructionOp::sb:
+    case InstructionOp::sh:
+    case InstructionOp::sw:
+    case InstructionOp::swc2:
+      return (regs->r[static_cast<u32>(instruction.i.rs.GetValue())] + instruction.i.imm_sext32());
+
+    case InstructionOp::lwl:
+    case InstructionOp::lwr:
+    case InstructionOp::swl:
+    case InstructionOp::swr:
+      return (regs->r[static_cast<u32>(instruction.i.rs.GetValue())] + instruction.i.imm_sext32()) & ~UINT32_C(3);
+
+    default:
+      return std::nullopt;
+  }
+}
+
 bool InstructionHasLoadDelay(const Instruction& instruction)
 {
   switch (instruction.op)
diff --git a/src/core/cpu_types.h b/src/core/cpu_types.h
index 874bb6f91..9fbb0b12c 100644
--- a/src/core/cpu_types.h
+++ b/src/core/cpu_types.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 #include "common/bitfield.h"
 #include "types.h"
+#include <optional>
 
 namespace CPU {
 
@@ -14,6 +15,14 @@ enum : u32
   INSTRUCTION_SIZE = sizeof(u32)
 };
 
+enum class Segment
+{
+  KUSEG, // virtual memory
+  KSEG0, // physical memory cached
+  KSEG1, // physical memory uncached
+  KSEG2
+};
+
 enum class Reg : u8
 {
   zero,
@@ -215,6 +224,8 @@ bool IsBranchInstruction(const Instruction& instruction);
 bool IsUnconditionalBranchInstruction(const Instruction& instruction);
 bool IsDirectBranchInstruction(const Instruction& instruction);
 u32 GetBranchInstructionTarget(const Instruction& instruction, u32 instruction_pc);
+bool IsCallInstruction(const Instruction& instruction);
+bool IsReturnInstruction(const Instruction& instruction);
 bool IsMemoryLoadInstruction(const Instruction& instruction);
 bool IsMemoryStoreInstruction(const Instruction& instruction);
 bool InstructionHasLoadDelay(const Instruction& instruction);
@@ -272,6 +283,9 @@ struct Registers
   };
 };
 
+std::optional<VirtualMemoryAddress> GetLoadStoreEffectiveAddress(const Instruction& instruction,
+                                                                         const Registers* regs);
+
 enum class Cop0Reg : u8
 {
   BPC = 3,