diff --git a/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.cpp b/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.cpp
index 5e7eb07e62..8e4808c771 100644
--- a/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.cpp
+++ b/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.cpp
@@ -104,12 +104,11 @@ void RamCachingFileLoader::ShutdownCache() {
 
 	// We can't delete while the thread is running, so have to wait.
 	// This should only happen from the menu.
-	while (aheadThreadRunning_) {
-		sleep_ms(1, "shutdown-ram-cache-poll");
-	}
 	if (aheadThread_.joinable())
 		aheadThread_.join();
 
+	_dbg_assert_(!aheadThreadRunning_);
+
 	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(blocksMutex_);
 	blocks_.clear();
 	if (cache_ != nullptr) {
diff --git a/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.h b/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.h
index dde5e74ecb..37d1ec7a85 100644
--- a/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.h
+++ b/Core/FileLoaders/RamCachingFileLoader.h
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ private:
 
 	std::vector<u8> blocks_;
 	std::mutex blocksMutex_;
-	u32 aheadRemaining_;
-	s64 aheadPos_;
+	u32 aheadRemaining_ = 0;
+	s64 aheadPos_ = 0;
 	std::thread aheadThread_;
 	bool aheadThreadRunning_ = false;
 	bool aheadCancel_ = false;