diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/CustomControls/Win32.cs b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/CustomControls/Win32.cs
index 40b0923a19..d1ebb963b5 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/CustomControls/Win32.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/CustomControls/Win32.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				[Out] out bool wow64Process
 		);
 
+		[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
+		public static extern IntPtr LoadLibrary(string dllToLoad);
+		[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
+		public static extern IntPtr GetProcAddress(IntPtr hModule, string procedureName);
+		[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
+		public static extern bool FreeLibrary(IntPtr hModule);
+
+
 		static bool InternalCheckIsWow64()
 		{
 			if ((Environment.OSVersion.Version.Major == 5 && Environment.OSVersion.Version.Minor >= 1) ||
diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Input/GamePad360.cs b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Input/GamePad360.cs
index f926703771..1abbe0d5f1 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Input/GamePad360.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Input/GamePad360.cs
@@ -17,9 +17,17 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			IsAvailable = false;
 			try
 			{
-				//don't remove this code. it's important to catch errors on systems with broken xinput installs.
-				var test = new SlimDX.XInput.Controller(UserIndex.One).IsConnected;
-				IsAvailable = true;
+				//some users wont even have xinput installed. in order to avoid spurious exceptions and possible instability, check for the library first
+				IntPtr lib = Win32.LoadLibrary("xinput1_3.dll");
+				if (lib != IntPtr.Zero)
+				{
+					Win32.FreeLibrary(lib);
+					
+					//don't remove this code. it's important to catch errors on systems with broken xinput installs.
+					//(probably, checking for the library was adequate, but lets not get rid of this anyway)
+					var test = new SlimDX.XInput.Controller(UserIndex.One).IsConnected;
+					IsAvailable = true;
+				}
 			}
 			catch { }