diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index ba58c3907..6181f1273 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Other fixes:
  - Qt: Fix missing OSD messages
  - Qt: Fix crash unloading shaders
  - Qt: Fix toggled actions on gamepads (fixes mgba.io/i/1650)
+ - Qt: Fix extraneous dialog (fixes mgba.io/i/1654)
 
 0.8.0: (2020-01-21)
 Features:
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.cpp b/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.cpp
index a77334cc5..6b2580d3c 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/CoreManager.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ CoreController* CoreManager::loadGame(VFile* vf, const QString& path, const QStr
 
 	mCore* core = mCoreFindVF(vf);
 	if (!core) {
+		LOG(QT, ERROR) << tr("Could not load game. Are you sure it's in the correct format?");
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp b/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp
index 957c1dfdd..677ebad24 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/Window.cpp
@@ -860,8 +860,8 @@ void Window::gameCrashed(const QString& errorMessage) {
 }
 
 void Window::gameFailed() {
-	QMessageBox* fail = new QMessageBox(QMessageBox::Warning, tr("Couldn't Load"),
-	                                    tr("Could not load game. Are you sure it's in the correct format?"),
+	QMessageBox* fail = new QMessageBox(QMessageBox::Warning, tr("Couldn't Start"),
+	                                    tr("Could not start game."),
 	                                    QMessageBox::Ok, this, Qt::Sheet);
 	fail->setAttribute(Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose);
 	fail->show();
@@ -1788,7 +1788,6 @@ void Window::updateFrame() {
 
 void Window::setController(CoreController* controller, const QString& fname) {
 	if (!controller) {
-		gameFailed();
 		return;
 	}
 	if (m_pendingClose) {