diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs
index 79b1001f97..47d977a3bf 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/MainForm.cs
@@ -273,13 +273,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			CloseRomContextMenuItem.Image = Properties.Resources.Close;
 		}
 
-		public MainForm(string[] args)
+		public MainForm(Config config, string[] args)
 		{
 			//do this threaded stuff early so it has plenty of time to run in background
 			Database.InitializeDatabase(Path.Combine(PathUtils.ExeDirectoryPath, "gamedb", "gamedb.txt"));
 			BootGodDb.Initialize(Path.Combine(PathUtils.ExeDirectoryPath, "gamedb"));
 
-			base.Config = Config;
+			_config = config; // skips assignment to GlobalWin.Config as Program already did that
 
 			InputManager.ControllerInputCoalescer = new ControllerInputCoalescer();
 			FirmwareManager = new FirmwareManager();
@@ -850,10 +850,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 
 		private ISoundProvider _currentSoundProvider = new NullSound(44100 / 60); // Reasonable default until we have a core instance
 
+		/// <remarks>don't use this, use <see cref="Config"/></remarks>
+		private Config _config;
+
 		private new Config Config
 		{
-			get => GlobalWin.Config;
-			set => GlobalWin.Config = base.Config = value;
+			get => _config;
+			set => GlobalWin.Config = base.Config = _config = value;
 		}
 
 		public readonly ToolManager Tools;
@@ -2784,6 +2787,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			Config.ResolveDefaults();
 			InitControls(); // rebind hotkeys
 			InputManager.SyncControls(Emulator, MovieSession, Config);
+			Tools.Restart(Config, Emulator, Game);
 			AddOnScreenMessage($"Config file loaded: {iniPath}");
 		}
 
@@ -3742,7 +3746,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 						}
 					}
 
-					Tools.Restart(Emulator, Game);
+					Tools.Restart(Config, Emulator, Game);
 
 					if (Config.Cheats.LoadFileByGame && Emulator.HasMemoryDomains())
 					{
@@ -3906,7 +3910,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				Emulator = new NullEmulator();
 				EmuClient.Game = GlobalWin.Game = GameInfo.NullInstance;
 				CreateRewinder();
-				Tools.Restart(Emulator, Game);
+				Tools.Restart(Config, Emulator, Game);
 				RewireSound();
 				ClearHolds();
 				InputManager.SyncControls(Emulator, MovieSession, Config);
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs
index 8ffbc913a7..354c014524 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					var mf = new MainForm(args);
+					var mf = new MainForm(GlobalWin.Config, args);
 //					var title = mf.Text;
 					mf.Show();
 //					mf.Text = title;
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 
 			protected override void OnCreateMainForm()
 			{
-				MainForm = new MainForm(cmdArgs);
+				MainForm = new MainForm(GlobalWin.Config, cmdArgs);
 				var title = MainForm.Text;
 				MainForm.Show();
 				MainForm.Text = title;
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ToolManager.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ToolManager.cs
index fe0c53a3f0..7386943800 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ToolManager.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ToolManager.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 	public class ToolManager
 	{
 		private readonly MainForm _owner;
-		private readonly Config _config;
+		private Config _config;
 		private readonly DisplayManager _displayManager;
 		private readonly InputManager _inputManager;
 		private IExternalApiProvider _apiProvider;
@@ -83,16 +83,17 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 		// If the form inherits ToolFormBase, it will set base properties such as Tools, Config, etc
 		private void SetBaseProperties(IToolForm form)
 		{
-			if (form is ToolFormBase tool)
-			{
-				tool.Tools = this;
-				tool.Config = _config;
-				tool.DisplayManager = _displayManager;
-				tool.InputManager = _inputManager;
-				tool.MainForm = _owner;
-				tool.MovieSession = _movieSession;
-				tool.Game = _game;
-			}
+			if (!(form is FormBase f)) return;
+
+			f.Config = _config;
+			if (!(form is ToolFormBase tool)) return;
+
+			tool.Tools = this;
+			tool.DisplayManager = _displayManager;
+			tool.InputManager = _inputManager;
+			tool.MainForm = _owner;
+			tool.MovieSession = _movieSession;
+			tool.Game = _game;
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -505,8 +506,9 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			}
 		}
 
-		public void Restart(IEmulator emulator, IGameInfo game)
+		public void Restart(Config config, IEmulator emulator, IGameInfo game)
 		{
+			_config = config;
 			_emulator = emulator;
 			_game = game;
 			ApiProvider = ApiManager.Restart(_emulator.ServiceProvider, _owner, _displayManager, _inputManager, _movieSession, this, _config, _emulator, _game);