diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IONix.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IONix.cpp
index 5ce8447946..9fe3f9a9db 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IONix.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IONix.cpp
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ bool Wiimote::Connect()
 	// Set LEDs
 	SetLEDs(WIIMOTE_LED_1 << index);
 
+	m_wiimote_thread = std::thread(StartThread, this);
+
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -189,6 +191,9 @@ void Wiimote::RealDisconnect()
 
 	m_connected = false;
 
+	if (m_wiimote_thread.joinable())
+		m_wiimote_thread.join();
+
 	close(out_sock);
 	close(in_sock);
 
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOWin.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOWin.cpp
index 9922139ca3..e08911fa97 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOWin.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOWin.cpp
@@ -237,6 +237,8 @@ bool Wiimote::Connect()
 	// Set LEDs
 	SetLEDs(WIIMOTE_LED_1 << index);
 
+	m_wiimote_thread = std::thread(StartThread, this);
+
 	NOTICE_LOG(WIIMOTE, "Connected to wiimote %i.", index + 1);
 
 	return true;
@@ -249,6 +251,9 @@ void Wiimote::RealDisconnect()
 
 	m_connected = false;
 
+	if (m_wiimote_thread.joinable())
+		m_wiimote_thread.join();
+
 	CloseHandle(dev_handle);
 	dev_handle = 0;
 
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOdarwin.mm b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOdarwin.mm
index 654b71e2a8..111b7b0177 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOdarwin.mm
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/IOdarwin.mm
@@ -198,6 +198,8 @@ bool Wiimote::Connect()
 	Handshake();
 	SetLEDs(WIIMOTE_LED_1 << index);
 
+	m_wiimote_thread = std::thread(StartThread, this);
+
 	[cbt release];
 
 	return true;
@@ -213,6 +215,9 @@ void Wiimote::RealDisconnect()
 
 	m_connected = false;
 
+	if (m_wiimote_thread.joinable())
+		m_wiimote_thread.join();
+
 	[btd closeConnection];
 
 	btd = NULL;
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.cpp
index 6727194714..bc47775849 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.cpp
@@ -40,14 +40,8 @@ namespace WiimoteReal
 bool g_real_wiimotes_initialized = false;
 unsigned int g_wiimotes_found = 0;
 
-volatile bool	g_run_wiimote_thread = false;
-std::thread		g_wiimote_threads[MAX_WIIMOTES] = {};
 Common::CriticalSection		g_refresh_critsec;
 
-void WiimoteThreadFunc(Wiimote* arg);
-void StartWiimoteThreads();
-void StopWiimoteThreads();
-
 Wiimote *g_wiimotes[MAX_WIIMOTES];
 
 Wiimote::Wiimote(const unsigned int _index)
@@ -307,6 +301,46 @@ bool Wiimote::SendRequest(unsigned char report_type, unsigned char* data, int le
 	return (IOWrite(buffer, length + 2) != 0);
 }
 
+void Wiimote::StartThread(Wiimote *wiimote)
+{
+	wiimote->ThreadFunc();
+}
+
+void Wiimote::ThreadFunc()
+{
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+	NSAutoreleasePool *pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
+#endif
+
+	char thname[] = "Wiimote # Thread";
+	thname[8] = (char)('1' + index);
+	Common::SetCurrentThreadName(thname);
+
+	// rumble briefly
+	Rumble();
+
+	Host_ConnectWiimote(index, true);
+
+	// main loop
+	while (IsConnected())
+	{
+		// hopefully this is alright
+		while (Write()) {}
+
+#ifndef __APPLE__
+		// sleep if there was nothing to read
+		if (false == Read())
+#endif
+			Common::SleepCurrentThread(1);
+	}
+
+	Host_ConnectWiimote(index, false);
+
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+	[pool release];
+#endif
+}
+
 #ifndef _WIN32
 // Connect all discovered wiimotes
 // Return the number of wiimotes that successfully connected.
@@ -385,8 +419,6 @@ unsigned int Initialize()
 
 	DEBUG_LOG(WIIMOTE, "Connected to %i Real Wiimotes", g_wiimotes_found);
 
-	StartWiimoteThreads();
-
 	return g_wiimotes_found;
 }
 
@@ -398,8 +430,6 @@ void Shutdown(void)
 	// Uninitialized
 	g_real_wiimotes_initialized = false;
 
-	StopWiimoteThreads();
-
 	// Delete wiimotes
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < MAX_WIIMOTES; ++i)
 		if (g_wiimotes[i])
@@ -412,6 +442,12 @@ void Shutdown(void)
 // This is called from the GUI thread
 void Refresh()
 {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	g_refresh_critsec.Enter();
+	Shutdown();
+	Initialize();
+	g_refresh_critsec.Leave();
+#else
 	// Make sure real wiimotes have been initialized
 	if (!g_real_wiimotes_initialized)
 	{
@@ -425,8 +461,6 @@ void Refresh()
 		if (WIIMOTE_SRC_REAL & g_wiimote_sources[i])
 			++wanted_wiimotes;
 
-	StopWiimoteThreads();
-
 	g_refresh_critsec.Enter();
 
 	// Remove wiimotes that are paired with slots no longer configured for a
@@ -448,19 +482,16 @@ void Refresh()
 
 		DEBUG_LOG(WIIMOTE, "Found %i Real Wiimotes, %i wanted", num_wiimotes, wanted_wiimotes);
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
 		// Connect newly found wiimotes.
 		int num_new_wiimotes = ConnectWiimotes(g_wiimotes);
 
 		DEBUG_LOG(WIIMOTE, "Connected to %i additional Real Wiimotes", num_new_wiimotes);
-#endif
 
 		g_wiimotes_found = num_wiimotes;
 	}
 
 	g_refresh_critsec.Leave();
-
-	StartWiimoteThreads();
+#endif
 }
 
 void InterruptChannel(int _WiimoteNumber, u16 _channelID, const void* _pData, u32 _Size)
@@ -504,55 +535,4 @@ void StateChange(PLUGIN_EMUSTATE newState)
 	//g_refresh_critsec.Leave();	// leave
 }
 
-void StartWiimoteThreads()
-{
-	g_run_wiimote_thread = true;
-	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < MAX_WIIMOTES; ++i)
-		if (g_wiimotes[i] && !g_wiimote_threads[i].joinable())
-			g_wiimote_threads[i] = std::thread(WiimoteThreadFunc, g_wiimotes[i]);
-}
-
-void StopWiimoteThreads()
-{
-	g_run_wiimote_thread = false;
-	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < MAX_WIIMOTES; ++i)
-		if (g_wiimote_threads[i].joinable())
-			g_wiimote_threads[i].join();
-}
-
-void WiimoteThreadFunc(Wiimote* wiimote)
-{
-#ifdef __APPLE__
-	NSAutoreleasePool *pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
-#endif
-
-	char thname[] = "Wiimote # Thread";
-	thname[8] = (char)('1' + wiimote->index);
-	Common::SetCurrentThreadName(thname);
-
-	// rumble briefly
-	wiimote->Rumble();
-
-	Host_ConnectWiimote(wiimote->index, true);
-
-	// main loop
-	while (g_run_wiimote_thread && wiimote->IsConnected())
-	{
-		// hopefully this is alright
-		while (wiimote->Write()) {}
-
-#ifndef __APPLE__
-		// sleep if there was nothing to read
-		if (false == wiimote->Read())
-#endif
-			Common::SleepCurrentThread(1);
-	}
-
-	Host_ConnectWiimote(wiimote->index, false);
-
-#ifdef __APPLE__
-	[pool release];
-#endif
-}
-
 }; // end of namespace
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.h b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.h
index 038aa70ca8..7cbdacd5b7 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.h
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Src/HW/WiimoteReal/WiimoteReal.h
@@ -90,8 +90,11 @@ private:
 	void SetLEDs(int leds);
 	int IORead(unsigned char* buf);
 	int IOWrite(unsigned char* buf, int len);
+	static void StartThread(Wiimote *wiimote);
+	void ThreadFunc();
 
 	bool				m_connected;
+	std::thread			m_wiimote_thread;
 	Common::FifoQueue<Report>	m_read_reports;
 	Common::FifoQueue<Report>	m_write_reports;
 };