diff --git a/src/gba/context/directories.c b/src/gba/context/directories.c
index b8bfb889f..23648567c 100644
--- a/src/gba/context/directories.c
+++ b/src/gba/context/directories.c
@@ -103,30 +103,42 @@ struct VFile* GBADirectorySetOpenPath(struct GBADirectorySet* dirs, const char*
 
 void GBADirectorySetMapOptions(struct GBADirectorySet* dirs, const struct GBAOptions* opts) {
 	if (opts->savegamePath) {
-		if (dirs->save && dirs->save != dirs->base) {
-			dirs->save->close(dirs->save);
+		struct VDir* dir = VDirOpen(opts->savegamePath);
+		if (dir) {
+			if (dirs->save && dirs->save != dirs->base) {
+				dirs->save->close(dirs->save);
+			}
+			dirs->save = dir;
 		}
-		dirs->save = VDirOpen(opts->savegamePath);
 	}
 
 	if (opts->savestatePath) {
-		if (dirs->state && dirs->state != dirs->base) {
-			dirs->state->close(dirs->state);
+		struct VDir* dir = VDirOpen(opts->savestatePath);
+		if (dir) {
+			if (dirs->state && dirs->state != dirs->base) {
+				dirs->state->close(dirs->state);
+			}
+			dirs->state = dir;
 		}
-		dirs->state = VDirOpen(opts->savestatePath);
 	}
 
 	if (opts->screenshotPath) {
-		if (dirs->screenshot && dirs->screenshot != dirs->base) {
-			dirs->screenshot->close(dirs->screenshot);
+		struct VDir* dir = VDirOpen(opts->screenshotPath);
+		if (dir) {
+			if (dirs->screenshot && dirs->screenshot != dirs->base) {
+				dirs->screenshot->close(dirs->screenshot);
+			}
+			dirs->screenshot = dir;
 		}
-		dirs->screenshot = VDirOpen(opts->screenshotPath);
 	}
 
 	if (opts->patchPath) {
-		if (dirs->patch && dirs->patch != dirs->base) {
-			dirs->patch->close(dirs->patch);
+		struct VDir* dir = VDirOpen(opts->patchPath);
+		if (dir) {
+			if (dirs->patch && dirs->patch != dirs->base) {
+				dirs->patch->close(dirs->patch);
+			}
+			dirs->patch = dir;
 		}
-		dirs->patch = VDirOpen(opts->patchPath);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp b/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp
index 30d93dd6c..852bd3ffa 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/GameController.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ GameController::GameController(QObject* parent)
 	m_threadContext.rewindBufferCapacity = 0;
 	m_threadContext.cheats = &m_cheatDevice;
 	m_threadContext.logLevel = GBA_LOG_ALL;
+	GBADirectorySetInit(&m_threadContext.dirs);
 
 	m_lux.p = this;
 	m_lux.sample = [](GBALuminanceSource* context) {