diff --git a/Common/GPU/Vulkan/VulkanRenderManager.cpp b/Common/GPU/Vulkan/VulkanRenderManager.cpp
index 9a33896d0f..4f580d5f26 100644
--- a/Common/GPU/Vulkan/VulkanRenderManager.cpp
+++ b/Common/GPU/Vulkan/VulkanRenderManager.cpp
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ void VulkanRenderManager::StopThreads() {
 	// Not sure this is a sensible check - should be ok even if not.
 	// _dbg_assert_(steps_.empty());
 
-	_dbg_assert_(renderThread_.joinable());
+	_dbg_assert_(!useRenderThread_ || renderThread_.joinable());
 	if (useRenderThread_ && renderThread_.joinable()) {
 		// Tell the render thread to quit when it's done.
 		VKRRenderThreadTask *task = new VKRRenderThreadTask(VKRRunType::EXIT);
diff --git a/Windows/EmuThread.cpp b/Windows/EmuThread.cpp
index fcbe2c42ba..edebbd644f 100644
--- a/Windows/EmuThread.cpp
+++ b/Windows/EmuThread.cpp
@@ -11,15 +11,12 @@
 #include "Common/Log.h"
 #include "Common/StringUtils.h"
 #include "Common/GraphicsContext.h"
-#include "Common/TimeUtil.h"
 #include "Common/Thread/ThreadUtil.h"
 
 #include "Windows/EmuThread.h"
 #include "Windows/W32Util/Misc.h"
 #include "Windows/MainWindow.h"
-#include "Windows/resource.h"
 #include "Core/Reporting.h"
-#include "Core/MemMap.h"
 #include "Core/Core.h"
 #include "Core/System.h"
 #include "Core/Config.h"
@@ -166,7 +163,6 @@ void MainThreadFunc(int argc, const char *argv[]) {
 	const bool performingRestart = NativeIsRestarting();
 	NativeInit(argc, argv, "", "", nullptr);
 
-
 	if (g_Config.sFailedGPUBackends.find("ALL") != std::string::npos) {
 		Reporting::ReportMessage("Graphics init error: %s", "ALL");
 
diff --git a/headless/Headless.cpp b/headless/Headless.cpp
index f2e984c67e..a70910d47a 100644
--- a/headless/Headless.cpp
+++ b/headless/Headless.cpp
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ bool RunAutoTest(HeadlessHost *headlessHost, CoreParameter &coreParameter, const
 	}
 
 	if (draw) {
-		draw->BindFramebufferAsRenderTarget(nullptr, { Draw::RPAction::CLEAR, Draw::RPAction::DONT_CARE, Draw::RPAction::DONT_CARE }, "Backbuffer");
+		draw->BindFramebufferAsRenderTarget(nullptr, { Draw::RPAction::CLEAR, Draw::RPAction::DONT_CARE, Draw::RPAction::DONT_CARE }, "BackBuffer");
 		// Vulkan may get angry if we don't do a final present.
 		if (gpu) {
 			gpu->SetCurFramebufferDirty(true);
diff --git a/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.cpp b/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.cpp
index 76f1d1ceca..b58dad31bd 100644
--- a/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.cpp
+++ b/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "Common/Log.h"
 #include "Common/File/FileUtil.h"
 #include "Common/TimeUtil.h"
+#include "Common/Thread/ThreadUtil.h"
 
 #include "Core/CoreParameter.h"
 #include "Core/System.h"
@@ -81,13 +82,11 @@ bool WindowsHeadlessHost::InitGraphics(std::string *error_message, GraphicsConte
 	}
 
 	WindowsGraphicsContext *graphicsContext = nullptr;
-	bool needRenderThread = false;
 	switch (gpuCore_) {
 	case GPUCORE_GLES:
 #if PPSSPP_API(ANY_GL)
 	case GPUCORE_SOFTWARE:
 		graphicsContext = new WindowsGLContext();
-		needRenderThread = true;
 		break;
 #endif
 	case GPUCORE_DIRECTX11:
@@ -112,8 +111,11 @@ bool WindowsHeadlessHost::InitGraphics(std::string *error_message, GraphicsConte
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	bool needRenderThread = gpuCore_ == GPUCORE_GLES;
+
 	if (needRenderThread) {
-		std::thread th([&]{
+		renderThread_ = std::thread([this]{
+			SetCurrentThreadName("RenderThread");
 			while (threadState_ == RenderThreadState::IDLE)
 				sleep_ms(1, "render-thread-idle-poll");
 			threadState_ = RenderThreadState::STARTING;
@@ -127,7 +129,7 @@ bool WindowsHeadlessHost::InitGraphics(std::string *error_message, GraphicsConte
 			threadState_ = RenderThreadState::STARTED;
 
 			while (threadState_ != RenderThreadState::STOP_REQUESTED) {
-				if (!gfx_->ThreadFrame(true)) {
+				if (!gfx_->ThreadFrame(false)) {
 					break;
 				}
 			}
@@ -137,7 +139,6 @@ bool WindowsHeadlessHost::InitGraphics(std::string *error_message, GraphicsConte
 			gfx_->ShutdownFromRenderThread();
 			threadState_ = RenderThreadState::STOPPED;
 		});
-		th.detach();
 	}
 
 	if (needRenderThread) {
@@ -155,6 +156,10 @@ void WindowsHeadlessHost::ShutdownGraphics() {
 	while (threadState_ != RenderThreadState::STOPPED && threadState_ != RenderThreadState::IDLE)
 		sleep_ms(1, "render-thread-stop-poll");
 
+	if (renderThread_.joinable()) {
+		renderThread_.join();
+	}
+
 	gfx_->Shutdown();
 	delete gfx_;
 	gfx_ = nullptr;
diff --git a/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.h b/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.h
index 5d5bd0d956..8282cea874 100644
--- a/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.h
+++ b/headless/WindowsHeadlessHost.h
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "Common/CommonWindows.h"
 
-class WindowsHeadlessHost : public HeadlessHost
-{
+class WindowsHeadlessHost : public HeadlessHost {
 public:
 	bool InitGraphics(std::string *error_message, GraphicsContext **ctx, GPUCore core) override;
 	void ShutdownGraphics() override;
@@ -51,4 +50,5 @@ protected:
 	HDC hDC;
 	HGLRC hRC;
 	volatile RenderThreadState threadState_ = RenderThreadState::IDLE;
+	std::thread renderThread_;
 };