diff --git a/Windows/EmuThread.cpp b/Windows/EmuThread.cpp
index b88f8eb75f..fcbe2c42ba 100644
--- a/Windows/EmuThread.cpp
+++ b/Windows/EmuThread.cpp
@@ -46,15 +46,25 @@ static std::thread mainThread;
 static std::string g_error_message;
 static bool g_inLoop;
 
+static const char** g_argv;
+static int g_argc;
+
 extern std::vector<std::wstring> GetWideCmdLine();
 
 class GraphicsContext;
 static GraphicsContext *g_graphicsContext;
 
-void MainThreadFunc();
+void MainThreadFunc(int argc, const char *argv[]);
 
-void MainThread_Start() {
-	mainThread = std::thread(&MainThreadFunc);
+void MainThread_Start(int argc, const char *argv[]) {
+	// This is just to survive WM_USER_RESTART_EMUTHREAD.
+	if (g_argc == 0) {
+		g_argc = argc;
+		g_argv = argv;
+	}
+	mainThread = std::thread([]() {
+		MainThreadFunc(g_argc, g_argv);
+	});
 }
 
 void MainThread_Stop() {
@@ -65,6 +75,9 @@ void MainThread_Stop() {
 }
 
 bool MainThread_Ready() {
+	if (g_inLoop) {
+		_dbg_assert_(mainThread.joinable());
+	}
 	return g_inLoop;
 }
 
@@ -143,26 +156,15 @@ bool CreateGraphicsBackend(std::string *error_message, GraphicsContext **ctx) {
 	}
 }
 
-void MainThreadFunc() {
+void MainThreadFunc(int argc, const char *argv[]) {
 	const bool useEmuThread = g_Config.iGPUBackend == (int)GPUBackend::OPENGL;
 
 	SetCurrentThreadName(useEmuThread ? "RenderThread" : "EmuThread");
 
 	System_SetWindowTitle("");
 
-	// We convert command line arguments to UTF-8 immediately.
-	std::vector<std::wstring> wideArgs = GetWideCmdLine();
-	std::vector<std::string> argsUTF8;
-	for (const auto &string : wideArgs) {
-		argsUTF8.push_back(ConvertWStringToUTF8(string));
-	}
-	std::vector<const char *> args;
-	for (const auto &string : argsUTF8) {
-		args.push_back(string.c_str());
-	}
-
 	const bool performingRestart = NativeIsRestarting();
-	NativeInit(static_cast<int>(args.size()), &args[0], "", "", nullptr);
+	NativeInit(argc, argv, "", "", nullptr);
 
 
 	if (g_Config.sFailedGPUBackends.find("ALL") != std::string::npos) {
diff --git a/Windows/EmuThread.h b/Windows/EmuThread.h
index f630b50763..34dc544fe7 100644
--- a/Windows/EmuThread.h
+++ b/Windows/EmuThread.h
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-void MainThread_Start();
+void MainThread_Start(int argc, const char *argv[]);
 void MainThread_Stop();
 bool MainThread_Ready();
+
+void MainThreadFunc(int argc, const char *argv[]);
diff --git a/Windows/MainWindow.cpp b/Windows/MainWindow.cpp
index ed93c6e13d..eb60d4fcc1 100644
--- a/Windows/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/Windows/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ namespace MainWindow {
 			g_InputManager.StopPolling();
 			MainThread_Stop();
 			UpdateUIState(UISTATE_MENU);
-			MainThread_Start();
+			MainThread_Start(0, nullptr);
 			g_InputManager.BeginPolling();
 			break;
 
diff --git a/Windows/main.cpp b/Windows/main.cpp
index a123f367bd..fe7610d58c 100644
--- a/Windows/main.cpp
+++ b/Windows/main.cpp
@@ -908,7 +908,6 @@ static bool DetectVulkanInExternalProcess() {
 std::vector<std::wstring> GetWideCmdLine() {
 	wchar_t **wargv;
 	int wargc = -1;
-	// This is used for the WM_USER_RESTART_EMUTHREAD path.
 	if (!restartArgs.empty()) {
 		std::wstring wargs = ConvertUTF8ToWString("PPSSPP " + restartArgs);
 		wargv = CommandLineToArgvW(wargs.c_str(), &wargc);
@@ -919,7 +918,6 @@ std::vector<std::wstring> GetWideCmdLine() {
 
 	std::vector<std::wstring> wideArgs(wargv, wargv + wargc);
 	LocalFree(wargv);
-
 	return wideArgs;
 }
 
@@ -1023,7 +1021,7 @@ static void WinMainCleanup() {
 }
 
 int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE _hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR szCmdLine, int iCmdShow) {
-	std::vector<std::wstring> wideArgs = GetWideCmdLine();
+	const std::vector<std::wstring> wideArgs = GetWideCmdLine();
 
 	// Check for the Vulkan workaround before any serious init.
 	for (size_t i = 1; i < wideArgs.size(); ++i) {
@@ -1044,7 +1042,6 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE _hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR szCmdLin
 	SetCurrentThreadName("Main");
 
 	TimeInit();
-
 	WinMainInit();
 
 #ifndef _DEBUG
@@ -1230,7 +1227,18 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE _hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR szCmdLin
 	// Emu thread (and render thread, if any) is always running!
 	// Only OpenGL uses an externally managed render thread (due to GL's single-threaded context design). Vulkan
 	// manages its own render thread.
-	MainThread_Start();
+
+	// We convert command line arguments to UTF-8.
+	std::vector<std::string> argsUTF8;
+	for (const auto &string : wideArgs) {
+		argsUTF8.push_back(ConvertWStringToUTF8(string));
+	}
+	std::vector<const char *> args;
+	for (const auto &string : argsUTF8) {
+		args.push_back(string.c_str());
+	}
+
+	MainThread_Start((int)args.size(), args.data());
 
 	g_InputManager.BeginPolling();