diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.cpp
index 590d10f5..d73cd6ea 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.cpp
@@ -557,31 +557,31 @@ void EmuThread::handleMessages()
             break;
 
         case msg_BootROM:
-            bootResult = 0;
+            msgResult = 0;
             if (!emuInstance->loadROM(msg.param.value<QStringList>(), true))
                 break;
 
             assert(emuInstance->nds != nullptr);
             emuInstance->nds->Start();
-            bootResult = 1;
+            msgResult = 1;
             break;
 
         case msg_BootFirmware:
-            bootResult = 0;
+            msgResult = 0;
             if (!emuInstance->bootToMenu())
                 break;
 
             assert(emuInstance->nds != nullptr);
             emuInstance->nds->Start();
-            bootResult = 1;
+            msgResult = 1;
             break;
 
         case msg_InsertCart:
-            bootResult = 0;
+            msgResult = 0;
             if (!emuInstance->loadROM(msg.param.value<QStringList>(), false))
                 break;
 
-            bootResult = 1;
+            msgResult = 1;
             break;
 
         case msg_EjectCart:
@@ -589,22 +589,35 @@ void EmuThread::handleMessages()
             break;
 
         case msg_InsertGBACart:
-            bootResult = 0;
+            msgResult = 0;
             if (!emuInstance->loadGBAROM(msg.param.value<QStringList>()))
                 break;
 
-            bootResult = 1;
+            msgResult = 1;
             break;
 
         case msg_InsertGBAAddon:
-            bootResult = 0;
+            msgResult = 0;
             emuInstance->loadGBAAddon(msg.param.value<int>());
-            bootResult = 1;
+            msgResult = 1;
             break;
 
         case msg_EjectGBACart:
             emuInstance->ejectGBACart();
             break;
+
+        case msg_SaveState:
+            msgResult = emuInstance->saveState(msg.param.value<QString>().toStdString());
+            break;
+
+        case msg_LoadState:
+            msgResult = emuInstance->loadState(msg.param.value<QString>().toStdString());
+            break;
+
+        case msg_UndoStateLoad:
+            emuInstance->undoStateLoad();
+            msgResult = 1;
+            break;
         }
 
         msgSemaphore.release();
@@ -695,24 +708,24 @@ int EmuThread::bootROM(const QStringList& filename)
 {
     sendMessage({.type = msg_BootROM, .param = filename});
     waitMessage();
-    if (!bootResult)
-        return bootResult;
+    if (!msgResult)
+        return msgResult;
 
     sendMessage(msg_EmuRun);
     waitMessage();
-    return bootResult;
+    return msgResult;
 }
 
 int EmuThread::bootFirmware()
 {
     sendMessage(msg_BootFirmware);
     waitMessage();
-    if (!bootResult)
-        return bootResult;
+    if (!msgResult)
+        return msgResult;
 
     sendMessage(msg_EmuRun);
     waitMessage();
-    return bootResult;
+    return msgResult;
 }
 
 int EmuThread::insertCart(const QStringList& filename, bool gba)
@@ -721,7 +734,7 @@ int EmuThread::insertCart(const QStringList& filename, bool gba)
 
     sendMessage({.type = msgtype, .param = filename});
     waitMessage();
-    return bootResult;
+    return msgResult;
 }
 
 void EmuThread::ejectCart(bool gba)
@@ -734,7 +747,28 @@ int EmuThread::insertGBAAddon(int type)
 {
     sendMessage({.type = msg_InsertGBAAddon, .param = type});
     waitMessage();
-    return bootResult;
+    return msgResult;
+}
+
+int EmuThread::saveState(const QString& filename)
+{
+    sendMessage({.type = msg_SaveState, .param = filename});
+    waitMessage();
+    return msgResult;
+}
+
+int EmuThread::loadState(const QString& filename)
+{
+    sendMessage({.type = msg_LoadState, .param = filename});
+    waitMessage();
+    return msgResult;
+}
+
+int EmuThread::undoStateLoad()
+{
+    sendMessage(msg_UndoStateLoad);
+    waitMessage();
+    return msgResult;
 }
 
 void EmuThread::updateRenderer()
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.h b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.h
index a21cc511..52648520 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.h
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuThread.h
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ public:
         msg_InsertGBACart,
         msg_InsertGBAAddon,
         msg_EjectGBACart,
+
+        msg_LoadState,
+        msg_SaveState,
+        msg_UndoStateLoad,
     };
 
     struct Message
@@ -111,6 +115,10 @@ public:
     void ejectCart(bool gba);
     int insertGBAAddon(int type);
 
+    int saveState(const QString& filename);
+    int loadState(const QString& filename);
+    int undoStateLoad();
+
     bool emuIsRunning();
     bool emuIsActive();
 
@@ -164,7 +172,7 @@ private:
     constexpr static int emuPauseStackPauseThreshold = 1;
     int emuPauseStack;
 
-    int bootResult = 0;
+    int msgResult = 0;
 
     QMutex msgMutex;
     QSemaphore msgSemaphore;
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp
index 65e85f1c..cf65fe2c 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp
@@ -1387,30 +1387,23 @@ void MainWindow::onSaveState()
 {
     int slot = ((QAction*)sender())->data().toInt();
 
-    emuThread->emuPause();
-
-    std::string filename;
+    QString filename;
     if (slot > 0)
     {
-        filename = emuInstance->getSavestateName(slot);
+        filename = QString::fromStdString(emuInstance->getSavestateName(slot));
     }
     else
     {
         // TODO: specific 'last directory' for savestate files?
-        QString qfilename = QFileDialog::getSaveFileName(this,
+        filename = QFileDialog::getSaveFileName(this,
                                                          "Save state",
                                                          globalCfg.GetQString("LastROMFolder"),
                                                          "melonDS savestates (*.mln);;Any file (*.*)");
-        if (qfilename.isEmpty())
-        {
-            emuThread->emuUnpause();
+        if (filename.isEmpty())
             return;
-        }
-
-        filename = qfilename.toStdString();
     }
 
-    if (emuInstance->saveState(filename))
+    if (emuThread->saveState(filename))
     {
         if (slot > 0) emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0, "State saved to slot %d", slot);
         else          emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0, "State saved to file");
@@ -1421,47 +1414,37 @@ void MainWindow::onSaveState()
     {
         emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0xFFA0A0, "State save failed");
     }
-
-    emuThread->emuUnpause();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::onLoadState()
 {
     int slot = ((QAction*)sender())->data().toInt();
 
-    emuThread->emuPause();
-
-    std::string filename;
+    QString filename;
     if (slot > 0)
     {
-        filename = emuInstance->getSavestateName(slot);
+        filename = QString::fromStdString(emuInstance->getSavestateName(slot));
     }
     else
     {
         // TODO: specific 'last directory' for savestate files?
-        QString qfilename = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName(this,
+        filename = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName(this,
                                                          "Load state",
                                                          globalCfg.GetQString("LastROMFolder"),
                                                          "melonDS savestates (*.ml*);;Any file (*.*)");
-        if (qfilename.isEmpty())
-        {
-            emuThread->emuUnpause();
+        if (filename.isEmpty())
             return;
-        }
-
-        filename = qfilename.toStdString();
     }
 
-    if (!Platform::FileExists(filename))
+    if (!Platform::FileExists(filename.toStdString()))
     {
         if (slot > 0) emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0xFFA0A0, "State slot %d is empty", slot);
         else          emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0xFFA0A0, "State file does not exist");
 
-        emuThread->emuUnpause();
         return;
     }
 
-    if (emuInstance->loadState(filename))
+    if (emuThread->loadState(filename))
     {
         if (slot > 0) emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0, "State loaded from slot %d", slot);
         else          emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0, "State loaded from file");
@@ -1472,15 +1455,11 @@ void MainWindow::onLoadState()
     {
         emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0xFFA0A0, "State load failed");
     }
-
-    emuThread->emuUnpause();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::onUndoStateLoad()
 {
-    emuThread->emuPause();
-    emuInstance->undoStateLoad();
-    emuThread->emuUnpause();
+    emuThread->undoStateLoad();
 
     emuInstance->osdAddMessage(0, "State load undone");
 }