diff --git a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp
index aacdea6a71..ca32c71dcd 100644
--- a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -319,6 +319,13 @@ void MainWindow::InitControllers()
     return;
 
   g_controller_interface.Initialize(GetWindowSystemInfo(windowHandle()));
+  if (!g_controller_interface.HasDefaultDevice())
+  {
+    // Note that the CI default device could be still temporarily removed at any time
+    WARN_LOG(CONTROLLERINTERFACE,
+             "No default device has been added in time. EmulatedController(s) defaulting adds"
+             " input mappings made for a specific default device depending on the platform");
+  }
   Pad::Initialize();
   Pad::InitializeGBA();
   Keyboard::Initialize();
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/ControllerInterface.cpp b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/ControllerInterface.cpp
index aaaa3971e6..1c4dc71da8 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/ControllerInterface.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/ControllerInterface.cpp
@@ -159,6 +159,10 @@ void ControllerInterface::RefreshDevices(RefreshReason reason)
   // with their own PlatformPopulateDevices().
   // This means that devices might end up in different order, unless we override their priority.
   // It also means they might appear as "disconnected" in the Qt UI for a tiny bit of time.
+  // This helps the emulation and host thread to not stall when repopulating devices for any reason.
+  // Every platform that adds a device that is meant to be used as default device should try to not
+  // do it async, to not risk the emulated controllers default config loading not finding a default
+  // device.
 
 #ifdef CIFACE_USE_WIN32
   ciface::Win32::PopulateDevices(m_wsi.render_window);
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.cpp b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.cpp
index 3d224b3cf4..4e46179fc6 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.cpp
@@ -258,10 +258,18 @@ std::vector<std::string> DeviceContainer::GetAllDeviceStrings() const
   return device_strings;
 }
 
+bool DeviceContainer::HasDefaultDevice() const
+{
+  std::lock_guard lk(m_devices_mutex);
+  // Devices are already sorted by priority
+  return !m_devices.empty() && m_devices[0]->GetSortPriority() >= 0;
+}
+
 std::string DeviceContainer::GetDefaultDeviceString() const
 {
   std::lock_guard lk(m_devices_mutex);
-  if (m_devices.empty())
+  // Devices are already sorted by priority
+  if (m_devices.empty() || m_devices[0]->GetSortPriority() < 0)
     return "";
 
   DeviceQualifier device_qualifier;
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.h b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.h
index 2840f43463..227a1febbe 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.h
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/CoreDevice.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ public:
   // Use this to change the order in which devices are sorted in their list.
   // A higher priority means it will be one of the first ones (smaller index), making it more
   // likely to be index 0, which is automatically set as the default device when there isn't one.
+  // Every platform should have at least one device with priority >= 0.
   virtual int GetSortPriority() const { return 0; }
 
   const std::vector<Input*>& Inputs() const { return m_inputs; }
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@ public:
   Device::Output* FindOutput(std::string_view name, const Device* def_dev) const;
 
   std::vector<std::string> GetAllDeviceStrings() const;
+  bool HasDefaultDevice() const;
   std::string GetDefaultDeviceString() const;
   std::shared_ptr<Device> FindDevice(const DeviceQualifier& devq) const;
 
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DInput/DInputJoystick.h b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DInput/DInputJoystick.h
index a142aeba00..b80b84d416 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DInput/DInputJoystick.h
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DInput/DInputJoystick.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public:
 
   std::string GetName() const override;
   std::string GetSource() const override;
+  int GetSortPriority() const override { return -2; }
 
   bool IsValid() const final override;
 
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DualShockUDPClient/DualShockUDPClient.cpp b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DualShockUDPClient/DualShockUDPClient.cpp
index 7342ef4d47..a16f9cfc23 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DualShockUDPClient/DualShockUDPClient.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/DualShockUDPClient/DualShockUDPClient.cpp
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public:
   std::string GetSource() const final override;
   std::optional<int> GetPreferredId() const final override;
   // Always add these at the end, given their hotplug nature
-  int GetSortPriority() const override { return -2; }
+  int GetSortPriority() const override { return -4; }
 
 private:
   void ResetPadData();
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Wiimote/WiimoteController.cpp b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Wiimote/WiimoteController.cpp
index dbdf53fc92..2cf459ca11 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Wiimote/WiimoteController.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Wiimote/WiimoteController.cpp
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ std::string Device::GetSource() const
 // Always add these at the end, given their hotplug nature
 int Device::GetSortPriority() const
 {
-  return -1;
+  return -3;
 }
 
 void Device::RunTasks()
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Win32/Win32.cpp b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Win32/Win32.cpp
index f1066cfa3c..21ee1fa425 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Win32/Win32.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/Win32/Win32.cpp
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
 
 #include <array>
 #include <future>
+#include <mutex>
 #include <thread>
 
-#include "Common/Event.h"
 #include "Common/Flag.h"
 #include "Common/Logging/Log.h"
 #include "Common/ScopeGuard.h"
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@
 
 constexpr UINT WM_DOLPHIN_STOP = WM_USER;
 
-static Common::Event s_received_device_change_event;
 // Dolphin's render window
 static HWND s_hwnd;
 // Windows messaging window (hidden)
 static HWND s_message_window;
 static std::thread s_thread;
+static std::mutex s_populate_mutex;
 static Common::Flag s_first_populate_devices_asked;
 
 static LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProc(HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wparam, LPARAM lparam)
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProc(HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wparam, LPARA
     // listen for it.
     if (s_first_populate_devices_asked.IsSet())
     {
-      s_received_device_change_event.Set();
+      std::lock_guard lk_population(s_populate_mutex);
       // TODO: we could easily use the message passed alongside this event, which tells
       // whether a device was added or removed, to avoid removing old, still connected, devices
       g_controller_interface.PlatformPopulateDevices([] {
@@ -135,14 +135,12 @@ void ciface::Win32::PopulateDevices(void* hwnd)
   if (s_thread.joinable())
   {
     s_hwnd = static_cast<HWND>(hwnd);
+    // To avoid blocking this thread until the async population has finished, directly do it here
+    // (we need the DInput Keyboard and Mouse "default" device to always be added without any wait).
+    std::lock_guard lk_population(s_populate_mutex);
     s_first_populate_devices_asked.Set();
-    s_received_device_change_event.Reset();
-    // Do this forced devices refresh in the messaging thread so it won't cause any race conditions
-    PostMessage(s_message_window, WM_INPUT_DEVICE_CHANGE, 0, 0);
-    std::thread([] {
-      if (!s_received_device_change_event.WaitFor(std::chrono::seconds(5)))
-        ERROR_LOG_FMT(CONTROLLERINTERFACE, "win32 timed out when trying to populate devices");
-    }).detach();
+    ciface::DInput::PopulateDevices(s_hwnd);
+    ciface::XInput::PopulateDevices();
   }
   else
   {
@@ -156,6 +154,7 @@ void ciface::Win32::ChangeWindow(void* hwnd)
   if (s_thread.joinable())  // "Has init?"
   {
     s_hwnd = static_cast<HWND>(hwnd);
+    std::lock_guard lk_population(s_populate_mutex);
     ciface::DInput::ChangeWindow(s_hwnd);
   }
 }
@@ -168,7 +167,6 @@ void ciface::Win32::DeInit()
     PostMessage(s_message_window, WM_DOLPHIN_STOP, 0, 0);
     s_thread.join();
     s_message_window = nullptr;
-    s_received_device_change_event.Reset();
     s_first_populate_devices_asked.Clear();
     DInput::DeInit();
   }
diff --git a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/XInput/XInput.h b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/XInput/XInput.h
index bebb20cb4c..d2e1898c5a 100644
--- a/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/XInput/XInput.h
+++ b/Source/Core/InputCommon/ControllerInterface/XInput/XInput.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public:
   std::string GetName() const override;
   std::string GetSource() const override;
   std::optional<int> GetPreferredId() const override;
+  int GetSortPriority() const override { return -1; }
 
   void UpdateInput() override;