diff --git a/pcsx2-qt/Settings/GraphicsSettingsWidget.cpp b/pcsx2-qt/Settings/GraphicsSettingsWidget.cpp
index 91978288a7..1803c113d8 100644
--- a/pcsx2-qt/Settings/GraphicsSettingsWidget.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2-qt/Settings/GraphicsSettingsWidget.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ GraphicsSettingsWidget::GraphicsSettingsWidget(SettingsWindow* dialog, QWidget*
 	//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 	// Global Settings
 	//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-	SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToStringSetting(sif, m_ui.adapterDropdown, "EmuCore/GS", "Adapter");
 	SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToBoolSetting(sif, m_ui.enableHWFixes, "EmuCore/GS", "UserHacks", false);
 	SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToBoolSetting(sif, m_ui.spinGPUDuringReadbacks, "EmuCore/GS", "HWSpinGPUForReadbacks", false);
 	SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToBoolSetting(sif, m_ui.spinCPUDuringReadbacks, "EmuCore/GS", "HWSpinCPUForReadbacks", false);
@@ -294,6 +293,7 @@ GraphicsSettingsWidget::GraphicsSettingsWidget(SettingsWindow* dialog, QWidget*
 	}
 
 	connect(m_ui.rendererDropdown, QOverload<int>::of(&QComboBox::currentIndexChanged), this, &GraphicsSettingsWidget::onRendererChanged);
+	connect(m_ui.adapterDropdown, QOverload<int>::of(&QComboBox::currentIndexChanged), this, &GraphicsSettingsWidget::onAdapterChanged);
 	connect(m_ui.enableHWFixes, &QCheckBox::checkStateChanged, this, &GraphicsSettingsWidget::updateRendererDependentOptions);
 	connect(m_ui.extendedUpscales, &QCheckBox::checkStateChanged, this, &GraphicsSettingsWidget::updateRendererDependentOptions);
 	connect(m_ui.textureFiltering, &QComboBox::currentIndexChanged, this, &GraphicsSettingsWidget::onTextureFilteringChange);
@@ -1172,13 +1172,17 @@ void GraphicsSettingsWidget::updateRendererDependentOptions()
 		std::string current_adapter = Host::GetBaseStringSettingValue("EmuCore/GS", "Adapter", "");
 		m_ui.adapterDropdown->clear();
 		m_ui.adapterDropdown->setEnabled(!adapters.empty());
-		m_ui.adapterDropdown->addItem(GetDefaultAdapter().c_str());
+		m_ui.adapterDropdown->addItem(tr("(Default)"));
 		m_ui.adapterDropdown->setCurrentIndex(0);
 
+		// Treat default adapter as empty
+		if (current_adapter == GetDefaultAdapter())
+			current_adapter.clear();
+
 		if (m_dialog->isPerGameSettings())
 		{
 			m_ui.adapterDropdown->insertItem(
-				0, tr("Use Global Setting [%1]").arg(current_adapter.empty() ? GetDefaultAdapter().c_str() : QString::fromStdString(current_adapter)));
+				0, tr("Use Global Setting [%1]").arg((current_adapter.empty()) ? tr("(Default)") : QString::fromStdString(current_adapter)));
 			if (!m_dialog->getSettingsInterface()->GetStringValue("EmuCore/GS", "Adapter", &current_adapter))
 			{
 				// clear the adapter so we don't set it to the global value