diff --git a/src/engine/engine.cpp b/src/engine/engine.cpp
index 3a5b3b7e5..56c0bd2ae 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/engine.cpp
@@ -884,10 +884,17 @@ bool DivEngine::load(unsigned char* f, size_t slen) {
       }
     }
 
+    if (active) quitDispatch();
+    isBusy.lock();
     song.unload();
     song=ds;
     chans=getChannelCount(song.system);
     renderSamples();
+    isBusy.unlock();
+    if (active) {
+      initDispatch();
+      syncReset();
+    }
   } catch (EndOfFileException e) {
     logE("premature end of file!\n");
     delete[] file;
@@ -1867,6 +1874,7 @@ bool DivEngine::init(String outName) {
 
   initDispatch();
   reset();
+  active=true;
 
   if (outName!="") {
     short* ilBuffer=new short[got.bufsize*2];
@@ -1911,5 +1919,6 @@ bool DivEngine::quit() {
   quitDispatch();
   logI("saving config.\n");
   saveConf();
+  active=false;
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/engine/engine.h b/src/engine/engine.h
index 77778aec6..96e31db50 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine.h
+++ b/src/engine/engine.h
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class DivEngine {
   TAAudio* output;
   TAAudioDesc want, got;
   int chans;
+  bool active;
   bool playing;
   bool speedAB;
   bool endOfSong;
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ class DivEngine {
 
     DivEngine():
       chans(0),
+      active(false),
       playing(false),
       speedAB(false),
       endOfSong(false),
diff --git a/src/gui/gui.cpp b/src/gui/gui.cpp
index 9a314df3d..b5a92b037 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/gui.cpp
@@ -1821,15 +1821,10 @@ int FurnaceGUI::load(String path) {
       return 1;
     }
     fclose(f);
-    e->quitDispatch();
     if (!e->load(file,(size_t)len)) {
       logE("could not open file!\n");
-      e->initDispatch();
-      e->syncReset();
       return 1;
     }
-    e->initDispatch();
-    e->syncReset();
   }
   updateWindowTitle();
   return 0;