diff --git a/src/platform/qt/GBAKeyEditor.cpp b/src/platform/qt/GBAKeyEditor.cpp
index 03d0769e2..f1ef98d61 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/GBAKeyEditor.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/GBAKeyEditor.cpp
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ void GBAKeyEditor::save() {
 
 #ifdef BUILD_SDL
 	if (m_profileSelect) {
-		m_controller->setPreferredGamepad(m_type, m_profileSelect->currentText());
+		m_controller->setPreferredGamepad(m_type, m_profileSelect->currentIndex());
 	}
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/InputController.cpp b/src/platform/qt/InputController.cpp
index 9935626bc..77ee07042 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/InputController.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/InputController.cpp
@@ -267,11 +267,13 @@ void InputController::setGamepad(uint32_t type, int index) {
 #endif
 }
 
-void InputController::setPreferredGamepad(uint32_t type, const QString& device) {
+void InputController::setPreferredGamepad(uint32_t type, int index) {
 	if (!m_config) {
 		return;
 	}
-	mInputSetPreferredDevice(m_config->input(), "gba", type, m_playerId, device.toUtf8().constData());
+	char name[34] = {0};
+	SDL_JoystickGetGUIDString(SDL_JoystickGetGUID(SDL_JoystickListGetPointer(&s_sdlEvents.joysticks, index)->joystick), name, sizeof(name));
+	mInputSetPreferredDevice(m_config->input(), "gba", type, m_playerId, name);
 }
 
 mRumble* InputController::rumble() {
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/InputController.h b/src/platform/qt/InputController.h
index 6418343c1..5c2c8502e 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/InputController.h
+++ b/src/platform/qt/InputController.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public:
 	QStringList connectedGamepads(uint32_t type) const;
 	int gamepad(uint32_t type) const;
 	void setGamepad(uint32_t type, int index);
-	void setPreferredGamepad(uint32_t type, const QString& device);
+	void setPreferredGamepad(uint32_t type, int index);
 
 	void registerTiltAxisX(int axis);
 	void registerTiltAxisY(int axis);
diff --git a/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c b/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c
index 93243a1db..d29bfb378 100644
--- a/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c
+++ b/src/platform/sdl/sdl-events.c
@@ -201,15 +201,15 @@ bool mSDLAttachPlayer(struct mSDLEvents* events, struct mSDLPlayer* player) {
 			firstUnclaimed = i;
 		}
 
-		const char* joystickName;
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
-		joystickName = SDL_JoystickName(SDL_JoystickListGetPointer(&events->joysticks, i)->joystick);
+		char joystickName[34] = {0};
+		SDL_JoystickGetGUIDString(SDL_JoystickGetGUID(SDL_JoystickListGetPointer(&events->joysticks, i)->joystick), joystickName, sizeof(joystickName));
 #else
-		joystickName = SDL_JoystickName(SDL_JoystickIndex(SDL_JoystickListGetPointer(&events->joysticks, i)->joystick));
-#endif
+		const char* joystickName = SDL_JoystickName(SDL_JoystickIndex(SDL_JoystickListGetPointer(&events->joysticks, i)->joystick));
 		if (!joystickName) {
 			continue;
 		}
+#endif
 		if (events->preferredJoysticks[player->playerId] && strcmp(events->preferredJoysticks[player->playerId], joystickName) == 0) {
 			index = i;
 			break;
@@ -256,13 +256,14 @@ void mSDLPlayerLoadConfig(struct mSDLPlayer* context, const struct Configuration
 	if (context->joystick) {
 		mInputMapLoad(context->bindings, SDL_BINDING_BUTTON, config);
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
-		const char* name = SDL_JoystickName(context->joystick->joystick);
+		char name[34] = {0};
+		SDL_JoystickGetGUIDString(SDL_JoystickGetGUID(context->joystick->joystick), name, sizeof(name));
 #else
 		const char* name = SDL_JoystickName(SDL_JoystickIndex(context->joystick->joystick));
-#endif
 		if (!name) {
 			return;
 		}
+#endif
 		mInputProfileLoad(context->bindings, SDL_BINDING_BUTTON, config, name);
 
 		const char* value;
@@ -310,13 +311,14 @@ void mSDLPlayerLoadConfig(struct mSDLPlayer* context, const struct Configuration
 void mSDLPlayerSaveConfig(const struct mSDLPlayer* context, struct Configuration* config) {
 	if (context->joystick) {
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
-		const char* name = SDL_JoystickName(context->joystick->joystick);
+		char name[34] = {0};
+		SDL_JoystickGetGUIDString(SDL_JoystickGetGUID(context->joystick->joystick), name, sizeof(name));
 #else
 		const char* name = SDL_JoystickName(SDL_JoystickIndex(context->joystick->joystick));
-#endif
 		if (!name) {
 			return;
 		}
+#endif
 		char value[16];
 		snprintf(value, sizeof(value), "%i", context->rotation.axisX);
 		mInputSetCustomValue(config, "gba", SDL_BINDING_BUTTON, "tiltAxisX", value, name);
@@ -357,14 +359,15 @@ void mSDLUpdateJoysticks(struct mSDLEvents* events, const struct Configuration*
 			joystick->haptic = SDL_HapticOpenFromJoystick(joystick->joystick);
 #endif
 
-			const char* joystickName;
-#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
-			joystickName = SDL_JoystickName(joystick->joystick);
-#else
-			joystickName = SDL_JoystickName(SDL_JoystickIndex(joystick->joystick));
-#endif
 			size_t i;
-			if (joystickName) {
+#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 0)
+			char joystickName[34] = {0};
+			SDL_JoystickGetGUIDString(SDL_JoystickGetGUID(joystick->joystick), joystickName, sizeof(joystickName));
+#else
+			const char* joystickName = SDL_JoystickName(SDL_JoystickIndex(joystick->joystick));
+			if (joystickName)
+#endif
+			{
 				for (i = 0; (int) i < events->playersAttached; ++i) {
 					if (events->players[i]->joystick) {
 						continue;