diff --git a/src/gba/gba-memory.c b/src/gba/gba-memory.c
index d5848cb89..9722d5309 100644
--- a/src/gba/gba-memory.c
+++ b/src/gba/gba-memory.c
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #include "hle-bios.h"
 #include "util/memory.h"
 
+#define IDLE_LOOP_THRESHOLD 200
+
 static uint32_t _popcount32(unsigned bits);
 static uint32_t _deadbeef[2] = { 0xDEADBEEF, 0xFEEDFACE };
 
@@ -175,6 +177,7 @@ static void _analyzeForIdleLoop(struct GBA* gba, struct ARMCore* cpu, uint32_t a
 			case ARM_BRANCH:
 				if ((uint32_t) info.op1.immediate + nextAddress + WORD_SIZE_THUMB * 2 == address) {
 					gba->idleLoop = address;
+					gba->idleOptimization = IDLE_LOOP_REMOVE;
 				}
 				gba->idleDetectionStep = -1;
 				return;
@@ -206,6 +209,10 @@ static void GBASetActiveRegion(struct ARMCore* cpu, uint32_t address) {
 				case 1:
 					if (memcmp(gba->cachedRegisters, cpu->gprs, sizeof(gba->cachedRegisters))) {
 						gba->idleDetectionStep = -1;
+						++gba->idleDetectionFailures;
+						if (gba->idleDetectionFailures > IDLE_LOOP_THRESHOLD) {
+							gba->idleOptimization = IDLE_LOOP_IGNORE;
+						}
 						break;
 					}
 					_analyzeForIdleLoop(gba, cpu, address);
diff --git a/src/gba/gba.c b/src/gba/gba.c
index befa19e1d..4ee826a67 100644
--- a/src/gba/gba.c
+++ b/src/gba/gba.c
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ static void GBAInit(struct ARMCore* cpu, struct ARMComponent* component) {
 	gba->idleLoop = -1;
 	gba->lastJump = 0;
 	gba->idleDetectionStep = 0;
+	gba->idleDetectionFailures = 0;
 }
 
 void GBADestroy(struct GBA* gba) {
diff --git a/src/gba/gba.h b/src/gba/gba.h
index b806e98e6..0bd9b222f 100644
--- a/src/gba/gba.h
+++ b/src/gba/gba.h
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ struct GBA {
 	uint32_t idleLoop;
 	uint32_t lastJump;
 	int idleDetectionStep;
+	int idleDetectionFailures;
 	int32_t cachedRegisters[16];
 	bool taintedRegisters[16];
 };