diff --git a/include/mgba/core/thread.h b/include/mgba/core/thread.h
index 420533762..9e609bfe7 100644
--- a/include/mgba/core/thread.h
+++ b/include/mgba/core/thread.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ struct mCoreThread {
 	ThreadCallback cleanCallback;
 	ThreadCallback frameCallback;
 	ThreadCallback sleepCallback;
+	ThreadCallback pauseCallback;
+	ThreadCallback unpauseCallback;
 	void* userData;
 	void (*run)(struct mCoreThread*);
 
@@ -50,13 +52,19 @@ enum mCoreThreadState {
 	THREAD_RUNNING = 0,
 	THREAD_REWINDING,
 	THREAD_MAX_RUNNING = THREAD_REWINDING,
+
+	THREAD_WAITING,
 	THREAD_INTERRUPTED,
-	THREAD_INTERRUPTING,
 	THREAD_PAUSED,
+	THREAD_MAX_WAITING = THREAD_PAUSED,
+
 	THREAD_PAUSING,
 	THREAD_RUN_ON,
-	THREAD_WAITING,
 	THREAD_RESETING,
+	THREAD_MIN_DEFERRED = THREAD_PAUSING,
+	THREAD_MAX_DEFERRED = THREAD_RESETING,
+
+	THREAD_INTERRUPTING,
 	THREAD_EXITING,
 	THREAD_SHUTDOWN,
 	THREAD_CRASHED
diff --git a/src/core/thread.c b/src/core/thread.c
index 782b573df..f17b5e30a 100644
--- a/src/core/thread.c
+++ b/src/core/thread.c
@@ -195,38 +195,58 @@ static THREAD_ENTRY _mCoreThreadRun(void* context) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		int resetScheduled = 0;
+		enum mCoreThreadState deferred = THREAD_RUNNING;
 		MutexLock(&impl->stateMutex);
 		while (impl->state > THREAD_MAX_RUNNING && impl->state < THREAD_EXITING) {
-			if (impl->state == THREAD_PAUSING) {
-				impl->state = THREAD_PAUSED;
-				ConditionWake(&impl->stateCond);
-			}
+			deferred = impl->state;
+
 			if (impl->state == THREAD_INTERRUPTING) {
 				impl->state = THREAD_INTERRUPTED;
 				ConditionWake(&impl->stateCond);
 			}
-			if (impl->state == THREAD_RUN_ON) {
-				if (threadContext->run) {
-					threadContext->run(threadContext);
-				}
-				impl->state = impl->savedState;
-				ConditionWake(&impl->stateCond);
+
+			if (impl->state == THREAD_PAUSING) {
+				impl->state = THREAD_PAUSED;
 			}
 			if (impl->state == THREAD_RESETING) {
 				impl->state = THREAD_RUNNING;
-				resetScheduled = 1;
 			}
-			while (impl->state == THREAD_PAUSED || impl->state == THREAD_INTERRUPTED || impl->state == THREAD_WAITING) {
+
+			if (deferred >= THREAD_MIN_DEFERRED && deferred <= THREAD_MAX_DEFERRED) {
+				break;
+			}
+
+			deferred = impl->state;
+			while (impl->state >= THREAD_WAITING && impl->state <= THREAD_MAX_WAITING) {
 				ConditionWait(&impl->stateCond, &impl->stateMutex);
 			}
 		}
 		MutexUnlock(&impl->stateMutex);
-		if (resetScheduled) {
+		switch (deferred) {
+		case THREAD_PAUSING:
+			if (threadContext->pauseCallback) {
+				threadContext->pauseCallback(threadContext);
+			}
+			break;
+		case THREAD_PAUSED:
+			if (threadContext->unpauseCallback) {
+				threadContext->unpauseCallback(threadContext);
+			}
+			break;
+		case THREAD_RUN_ON:
+			if (threadContext->run) {
+				threadContext->run(threadContext);
+			}
+			threadContext->impl->state = threadContext->impl->savedState;
+			break;
+		case THREAD_RESETING:
 			core->reset(core);
 			if (threadContext->resetCallback) {
 				threadContext->resetCallback(threadContext);
 			}
+			break;
+		default:
+			break;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp b/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp
index 00c40e1a9..108fafed9 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/CoreController.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,18 @@ CoreController::CoreController(mCore* core, QObject* parent)
 		QMetaObject::invokeMethod(controller, "stopping");
 	};
 
+	m_threadContext.pauseCallback = [](mCoreThread* context) {
+		CoreController* controller = static_cast<CoreController*>(context->userData);
+
+		QMetaObject::invokeMethod(controller, "paused");
+	};
+
+	m_threadContext.unpauseCallback = [](mCoreThread* context) {
+		CoreController* controller = static_cast<CoreController*>(context->userData);
+
+		QMetaObject::invokeMethod(controller, "unpaused");
+	};
+
 	m_threadContext.logger.d.log = [](mLogger* logger, int category, enum mLogLevel level, const char* format, va_list args) {
 		mThreadLogger* logContext = reinterpret_cast<mThreadLogger*>(logger);
 		mCoreThread* context = logContext->p;
@@ -344,11 +356,9 @@ void CoreController::setPaused(bool paused) {
 		QMutexLocker locker(&m_mutex);
 		m_frameActions.append([this]() {
 			mCoreThreadPauseFromThread(&m_threadContext);
-			QMetaObject::invokeMethod(this, "paused");
 		});
 	} else {
 		mCoreThreadUnpause(&m_threadContext);
-		emit unpaused();
 	}
 }