diff --git a/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp b/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp
index b35a4a645..8da4a072f 100644
--- a/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp
@@ -872,11 +872,38 @@ void ImportLibraries(XbeImportEntry *pImportDirectory)
 	}
 }
 
+bool CheckLoadArgument(int argc, char* argv[], DWORD *pguiProcessID)
+{
+	bool bHasLoadArgument;
+
+	if (argc >= 2 && std::strcmp(argv[1], "/load") == 0 && std::strlen(argv[2]) > 0) {
+		HWND hWnd = nullptr;
+		bHasLoadArgument = true;
+		// Perform check if command line contain gui's hWnd value.
+		if (argc > 3) {
+			hWnd = (HWND)std::stoi(argv[3], nullptr, 10);
+			hWnd = IsWindow(hWnd) ? hWnd : nullptr;
+			if (hWnd != nullptr) {
+				// We don't need thread ID from window handle.
+				GetWindowThreadProcessId(hWnd, pguiProcessID);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	else {
+		bHasLoadArgument = false;
+		*pguiProcessID = GetCurrentProcessId();
+	}
+
+	g_exec_filepath = argv[0]; // NOTE: Workaround solution until simulated "main" function is made.
+
+	return bHasLoadArgument;
+}
+
 bool CreateSettings()
 {
 	g_Settings = new Settings();
 	if (g_Settings == nullptr) {
-		MessageBox(nullptr, szSettings_alloc_error, "Cxbx-Reloaded", MB_OK);
+		MessageBox(nullptr, szSettings_alloc_error, "Cxbx-Reloaded", MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.h b/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.h
index 1d29a90aa..42180ee91 100644
--- a/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.h
+++ b/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.h
@@ -224,6 +224,8 @@ bool CxbxKrnlVerifyVersion(const char *szVersion);
 
 extern bool g_bIsDebugKernel;
 
+bool CheckLoadArgument(int argc, char* argv[], DWORD *pguiProcessID);
+
 bool CreateSettings();
 
 bool HandleFirstLaunch();
diff --git a/src/emulator/CxbxEmulator.cpp b/src/emulator/CxbxEmulator.cpp
index 9f516576f..1ef3a05d8 100644
--- a/src/emulator/CxbxEmulator.cpp
+++ b/src/emulator/CxbxEmulator.cpp
@@ -133,30 +133,40 @@ DWORD WINAPI Emulate(int system)
 
 	/*! Verify our host executable, CxbxLoader.exe, is loaded to base address 0x00010000 */
 	if (!VerifyBaseAddr()) {
-		MessageBox(NULL, "CxbxLoader.exe was not loaded to base address 0x00010000 (which is a requirement for Xbox emulation)", "Cxbx-Reloaded", MB_OK);
+		MessageBox(NULL, "CxbxLoader.exe was not loaded to base address 0x00010000 (which is a requirement for Xbox emulation)", "Cxbx-Reloaded",
+			MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
 	// Before doing anything else that might cause memory fragmentation,
 	// verify that we still got control over all ranges the loader reserved
 	if (!VerifyAddressRanges(system)) {
-		MessageBox(NULL, "Failed to claim required address ranges (which is a requirement for Xbox emulation)", "Cxbx-Reloaded", MB_OK);
+		MessageBox(NULL, "Failed to claim required address ranges (which is a requirement for Xbox emulation)", "Cxbx-Reloaded",
+			MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	/*! initialize shared memory */
-	if (!EmuShared::Init(0)) {
-		MessageBox(NULL, "Could not map shared memory!", "Cxbx-Reloaded", MB_OK);
-		return EXIT_FAILURE;
-	}
-
-	HandleFirstLaunch();
-
 	LPSTR CommandLine = GetCommandLine();
 	int argc;
 	PCHAR *argv = CommandLineToArgvA(CommandLine, &argc);
 
-	CxbxKrnlMain(argc, argv);
+	DWORD guiProcessID = 0;
+	bool bHasLoadArgument = CheckLoadArgument(argc, argv, &guiProcessID);
+
+	/*! initialize shared memory */
+	if (!EmuShared::Init(guiProcessID)) {
+		MessageBox(NULL, "Could not map shared memory!", "Cxbx-Reloaded", MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
+		LocalFree(argv);
+		return EXIT_FAILURE;
+	}
+
+	HandleFirstLaunch();
+
+	if (bHasLoadArgument) {
+		CxbxKrnlMain(argc, argv);
+	} else {
+		// TODO : Enter "2nd GUI" mode here, as done in Cxbx's WinMain() - but how?
+	}
 
 	LocalFree(argv);
 
diff --git a/src/gui/WinMain.cpp b/src/gui/WinMain.cpp
index 31035f6a1..f0ed1e34f 100644
--- a/src/gui/WinMain.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/WinMain.cpp
@@ -60,28 +60,9 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	bool bHasLoadArgument;
-	HWND hWnd = nullptr;
 	DWORD guiProcessID = 0;
-
 	// TODO: Convert ALL __argc & __argv to use main(int argc, char** argv) method.
-	if (__argc >= 2 && std::strcmp(__argv[1], "/load") == 0 && std::strlen(__argv[2]) > 0) {
-		bHasLoadArgument = true;
-		// Perform check if command line contain gui's hWnd value.
-		if (__argc > 3) {
-			hWnd = (HWND)std::stoi(__argv[3], nullptr, 10);
-			hWnd = IsWindow(hWnd) ? hWnd : nullptr;
-			if (hWnd != nullptr) {
-				// We don't need thread ID from window handle.
-				GetWindowThreadProcessId(hWnd, &guiProcessID);
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		bHasLoadArgument = false;
-		guiProcessID = GetCurrentProcessId();
-	}
-
-	g_exec_filepath = __argv[0]; // NOTE: Workaround solution until simulated "main" function is made.
+	bool bHasLoadArgument = CheckLoadArgument(__argc, __argv, &guiProcessID);
 
 	/*! initialize shared memory */
 	EmuShared::Init(guiProcessID);