diff --git a/core/rend/gui.cpp b/core/rend/gui.cpp
index 191ad95ac..f25565dc9 100644
--- a/core/rend/gui.cpp
+++ b/core/rend/gui.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ static GameScanner scanner;
 static BackgroundGameLoader gameLoader;
 static Boxart boxart;
 static Chat chat;
-static std::mutex guiMutex;
+static std::recursive_mutex guiMutex;
+using LockGuard = std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex>;
 
 static void emuEventCallback(Event event, void *)
 {
@@ -447,7 +448,7 @@ void gui_plot_render_time(int width, int height)
 
 void gui_open_settings()
 {
-	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(guiMutex);
+	const LockGuard lock(guiMutex);
 	if (gui_state == GuiState::Closed)
 	{
 		if (!ggpo::active())
@@ -477,6 +478,7 @@ void gui_open_settings()
 
 void gui_start_game(const std::string& path)
 {
+	const LockGuard lock(guiMutex);
 	emu.unloadGame();
 	reset_vmus();
     chat.reset();
@@ -488,6 +490,7 @@ void gui_start_game(const std::string& path)
 
 void gui_stop_game(const std::string& message)
 {
+	const LockGuard lock(guiMutex);
 	if (!commandLineStart)
 	{
 		// Exit to main menu
@@ -2725,7 +2728,7 @@ static void gui_display_loadscreen()
 void gui_display_ui()
 {
 	FC_PROFILE_SCOPE;
-	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(guiMutex);
+	const LockGuard lock(guiMutex);
 
 	if (gui_state == GuiState::Closed || gui_state == GuiState::VJoyEdit)
 		return;
diff --git a/shell/android-studio/flycast/src/main/jni/src/Android.cpp b/shell/android-studio/flycast/src/main/jni/src/Android.cpp
index 1ad839e18..170994738 100644
--- a/shell/android-studio/flycast/src/main/jni/src/Android.cpp
+++ b/shell/android-studio/flycast/src/main/jni/src/Android.cpp
@@ -286,21 +286,36 @@ extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_reicast_emulator_emu_JNIdc_setExterna
     gui_refresh_files();
 }
 
+static void stopEmu()
+{
+	if (!emu.running())
+		game_started = false;
+	else
+		emu.stop();
+	// in single-threaded mode, stopping is delayed
+	while (game_started)
+		std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(1));
+}
+
 extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_reicast_emulator_emu_JNIdc_setGameUri(JNIEnv *env,jobject obj,jstring fileName)
 {
-    if (fileName != NULL)
-    {
-        // Get filename string from Java
-        const char* file_path = env->GetStringUTFChars(fileName, 0);
-        NOTICE_LOG(BOOT, "Game Disk URI: '%s'", file_path);
-        settings.content.path = strlen(file_path) >= 7 && !memcmp(file_path, "file://", 7) ? file_path + 7 : file_path;
-        env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(fileName, file_path);
-        // TODO game paused/settings/...
-        if (game_started) {
-            emu.unloadGame();
-            gui_state = GuiState::Main;
-        }
-    }
+    if (fileName == nullptr)
+    	return;
+
+	// Get filename string from Java
+	const char* file_path = env->GetStringUTFChars(fileName, 0);
+	if (file_path[0] != '\0')
+	{
+		NOTICE_LOG(BOOT, "Game Disk URI: '%s'", file_path);
+		if (game_started)
+		{
+			stopEmu();
+			gui_stop_game();
+		}
+		std::string path = strlen(file_path) >= 7 && !memcmp(file_path, "file://", 7) ? file_path + 7 : file_path;
+		gui_start_game(path);
+	}
+	env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(fileName, file_path);
 }
 
 //stuff for microphone
@@ -324,17 +339,6 @@ extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_reicast_emulator_emu_JNIdc_setupMic(J
     stopRecordingMid = env->GetMethodID(env->GetObjectClass(sipemu),"stopRecording","()V");
 }
 
-static void stopEmu()
-{
-	if (!emu.running())
-		game_started = false;
-	else
-		emu.stop();
-	// in single-threaded mode, stopping is delayed
-	while (game_started)
-		std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(1));
-}
-
 extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_reicast_emulator_emu_JNIdc_pause(JNIEnv *env,jobject obj)
 {
     if (emu.running())