diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp
index 528ed351f5..0cf6bbfc38 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp
@@ -98,9 +98,18 @@ CEXIIPL::CEXIIPL() : m_uPosition(0), m_uAddress(0), m_uRWOffset(0), m_FontsLoade
   // Create the IPL
   m_pIPL = static_cast<u8*>(Common::AllocateMemoryPages(ROM_SIZE));
 
-  // The Wii doesn't have a copy of the IPL, only fonts.
-  if (SConfig::GetInstance().bWii || SConfig::GetInstance().bHLE_BS2)
+  // Load whole ROM dump
+  // Note: The Wii doesn't have a copy of the IPL, only fonts.
+  if (!SConfig::GetInstance().bWii && LoadFileToIPL(SConfig::GetInstance().m_strBootROM, 0))
   {
+    // Descramble the encrypted section (contains BS1 and BS2)
+    Descrambler(m_pIPL + 0x100, 0x1afe00);
+    INFO_LOG(BOOT, "Loaded bootrom: %s", m_pIPL);  // yay for null-terminated strings ;p
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    // If we are in Wii mode or if loading the GC IPL fails, we should still try to load fonts.
+
     // Copy header
     if (DiscIO::IsNTSC(SConfig::GetInstance().m_region))
       memcpy(m_pIPL, iplverNTSC, sizeof(iplverNTSC));
@@ -111,14 +120,6 @@ CEXIIPL::CEXIIPL() : m_uPosition(0), m_uAddress(0), m_uRWOffset(0), m_FontsLoade
     LoadFontFile((File::GetSysDirectory() + GC_SYS_DIR + DIR_SEP + FONT_SHIFT_JIS), 0x1aff00);
     LoadFontFile((File::GetSysDirectory() + GC_SYS_DIR + DIR_SEP + FONT_WINDOWS_1252), 0x1fcf00);
   }
-  else
-  {
-    // Load whole ROM dump
-    LoadFileToIPL(SConfig::GetInstance().m_strBootROM, 0);
-    // Descramble the encrypted section (contains BS1 and BS2)
-    Descrambler(m_pIPL + 0x100, 0x1afe00);
-    INFO_LOG(BOOT, "Loaded bootrom: %s", m_pIPL);  // yay for null-terminated strings ;p
-  }
 
   // Clear RTC
   memset(m_RTC, 0, sizeof(m_RTC));
@@ -158,17 +159,19 @@ void CEXIIPL::DoState(PointerWrap& p)
   p.Do(m_FontsLoaded);
 }
 
-void CEXIIPL::LoadFileToIPL(const std::string& filename, u32 offset)
+bool CEXIIPL::LoadFileToIPL(const std::string& filename, u32 offset)
 {
   File::IOFile stream(filename, "rb");
   if (!stream)
-    return;
+    return false;
 
   u64 filesize = stream.GetSize();
 
-  stream.ReadBytes(m_pIPL + offset, filesize);
+  if (!stream.ReadBytes(m_pIPL + offset, filesize))
+    return false;
 
   m_FontsLoaded = true;
+  return true;
 }
 
 std::string CEXIIPL::FindIPLDump(const std::string& path_prefix)
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.h b/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.h
index 031001e6f6..ea2d7093e2 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.h
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ private:
   void TransferByte(u8& _uByte) override;
   bool IsWriteCommand() const { return !!(m_uAddress & (1 << 31)); }
   u32 CommandRegion() const { return (m_uAddress & ~(1 << 31)) >> 8; }
-  void LoadFileToIPL(const std::string& filename, u32 offset);
+  bool LoadFileToIPL(const std::string& filename, u32 offset);
   void LoadFontFile(const std::string& filename, u32 offset);
   std::string FindIPLDump(const std::string& path_prefix);
 };