diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 11fccee5d..e7344986f 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ Misc:
  - FFmpeg: Support libswresample (fixes mgba.io/i/1120, mgba.io/b/123)
  - FFmpeg: Support lossless h.264 encoding
  - Feature: Added loading savestates from command line
+ - Qt: Allow pausing game at load (fixes mgba.io/i/1129)
 
 0.6.3: (2017-04-14)
 Bugfixes:
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp b/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp
index 7c547dc07..58e9c6b2a 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp
@@ -1198,12 +1198,15 @@ void Window::setupMenu(QMenuBar* menubar) {
 	pause->setCheckable(true);
 	pause->setShortcut(tr("Ctrl+P"));
 	connect(pause, &QAction::triggered, [this](bool paused) {
-		m_controller->setPaused(paused);
+		if (m_controller) {
+			m_controller->setPaused(paused);
+		} else {
+			m_pendingPause = paused;
+		}
 	});
 	connect(this, &Window::paused, [pause](bool paused) {
 		pause->setChecked(paused);
 	});
-	m_gameActions.append(pause);
 	addControlledAction(emulationMenu, pause, "pause");
 
 	QAction* frameAdvance = new QAction(tr("&Next frame"), emulationMenu);
@@ -1924,6 +1927,11 @@ void Window::setController(CoreController* controller, const QString& fname) {
 		m_controller->loadState(m_pendingState);
 		m_pendingState = QString();
 	}
+
+	if (m_pendingPause) {
+		m_controller->setPaused(true);
+		m_pendingPause = false;
+	}
 }
 
 WindowBackground::WindowBackground(QWidget* parent)
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/Window.h b/src/platform/qt/Window.h
index 8b194214f..401a851cd 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/Window.h
+++ b/src/platform/qt/Window.h
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ private:
 	bool m_wasOpened = false;
 	QString m_pendingPatch;
 	QString m_pendingState;
+	bool m_pendingPause = false;
 
 	bool m_hitUnimplementedBiosCall;