diff --git a/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp b/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp
index 10bc7f6c99..2ffca15ece 100644
--- a/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp
@@ -1131,7 +1131,9 @@ void PluginManager::Close( PluginsEnum_t pid )
 	pxAssume( (uint)pid < PluginId_Count );
 
 	if( !IsOpen(pid) ) return;
-	Console.Indent().WriteLn( "Closing %s", tbl_PluginInfo[pid].shortname );
+	
+	if( !GetMTGS().IsSelf() )		// stop the spam!
+		Console.Indent().WriteLn( "Closing %s", tbl_PluginInfo[pid].shortname );
 
 	switch( pid )
 	{
diff --git a/pcsx2/gui/AppMain.cpp b/pcsx2/gui/AppMain.cpp
index 796306a319..514288a684 100644
--- a/pcsx2/gui/AppMain.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/gui/AppMain.cpp
@@ -562,11 +562,13 @@ GSFrame& Pcsx2App::GetGsFrame() const
 	return *gsFrame;
 }
 
+// NOTE: Plugins are *not* applied by this function.  Changes to plugins need to handled
+// manually.  The PluginSelectorPanel does this, for example.
 void AppApplySettings( const AppConfig* oldconf )
 {
 	AffinityAssert_AllowFrom_MainUI();
 
-	ScopedCoreThreadClose suspend_core;
+	ScopedCoreThreadPause paused_core;
 
 	g_Conf->Folders.ApplyDefaults();
 
@@ -601,7 +603,7 @@ void AppApplySettings( const AppConfig* oldconf )
 	NTFS_CompressFile( g_Conf->Folders.MemoryCards.ToString(), g_Conf->McdEnableNTFS );
 	sApp.DispatchEvent( AppStatus_SettingsApplied );
 
-	suspend_core.AllowResume();
+	paused_core.AllowResume();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/pcsx2/gui/FrameForGS.cpp b/pcsx2/gui/FrameForGS.cpp
index cf1dec0c02..5f859211a6 100644
--- a/pcsx2/gui/FrameForGS.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/gui/FrameForGS.cpp
@@ -334,11 +334,15 @@ bool GSFrame::Show( bool shown )
 void GSFrame::AppStatusEvent_OnSettingsApplied()
 {
 	if( IsBeingDeleted() ) return;
-	ShowFullScreen( g_Conf->GSWindow.DefaultToFullscreen );
-	Show( !g_Conf->GSWindow.CloseOnEsc || !CorePlugins.IsOpen(PluginId_GS) || !SysHasValidState() );
+
+	if( g_Conf->GSWindow.CloseOnEsc )
+	{
+		if( IsShown() && !CorePlugins.IsOpen(PluginId_GS) )
+			Show( false );
+	}
 
 	if( wxStaticText* label = GetLabel_OutputDisabled() )
-		label->Show( !EmuConfig.GS.DisableOutput );
+		label->Show( EmuConfig.GS.DisableOutput );
 }
 
 GSPanel* GSFrame::GetViewport()
diff --git a/pcsx2/gui/Panels/PluginSelectorPanel.cpp b/pcsx2/gui/Panels/PluginSelectorPanel.cpp
index 391a37c752..0c4f395860 100644
--- a/pcsx2/gui/Panels/PluginSelectorPanel.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/gui/Panels/PluginSelectorPanel.cpp
@@ -37,13 +37,13 @@ using namespace Threading;
 
 BEGIN_DECLARE_EVENT_TYPES()
 	DECLARE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEVT_EnumeratedNext, -1)
-	DECLARE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEVT_EnumerationFinished, -1)
+	DECLARE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEvt_EnumerationFinished, -1)
 	DECLARE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEVT_ShowStatusBar, -1)
 	DECLARE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEvt_SysExecEventComplete, -1)
 END_DECLARE_EVENT_TYPES()
 
 DEFINE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEVT_EnumeratedNext)
-DEFINE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEVT_EnumerationFinished);
+DEFINE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEvt_EnumerationFinished);
 DEFINE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEVT_ShowStatusBar);
 DEFINE_EVENT_TYPE(pxEvt_SysExecEventComplete)
 
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ void SysExecEvent_ApplyPlugins::_DoInvoke()
 	CorePlugins.Shutdown();
 	CorePlugins.Unload();
 	LoadPluginsImmediate();
+	CoreThread.RecoverState();
 
 	wxCommandEvent tevt( pxEvt_SysExecEventComplete );
 	m_dialog->GetEventHandler()->AddPendingEvent( tevt );
@@ -419,7 +420,7 @@ Panels::PluginSelectorPanel::PluginSelectorPanel( wxWindow* parent, int idealWid
 	//Connect( refresh->GetId(), wxEVT_COMMAND_BUTTON_CLICKED, wxCommandEventHandler( PluginSelectorPanel::OnRefresh ) );
 
 	Connect( pxEVT_EnumeratedNext,				wxCommandEventHandler( PluginSelectorPanel::OnProgress ) );
-	Connect( pxEVT_EnumerationFinished,			wxCommandEventHandler( PluginSelectorPanel::OnEnumComplete ) );
+	Connect( pxEvt_EnumerationFinished,			wxCommandEventHandler( PluginSelectorPanel::OnEnumComplete ) );
 	Connect( pxEVT_ShowStatusBar,				wxCommandEventHandler( PluginSelectorPanel::OnShowStatusBar ) );
 	Connect( wxEVT_COMMAND_COMBOBOX_SELECTED,	wxCommandEventHandler( PluginSelectorPanel::OnPluginSelected ) );
 
@@ -595,7 +596,11 @@ bool Panels::PluginSelectorPanel::ValidateEnumerationStatus()
 
 	m_FileList.SwapPtr( pluginlist );
 
-	m_StatusPanel->SetGaugeLength( pluggers );
+	// set the gague length a little shorter than the plugin count.  2 reasons:
+	//  * some of the plugins might be duds.
+	//  * on high end machines and Win7, the statusbar lags a lot and never gets to 100% before being hidden.
+	
+	m_StatusPanel->SetGaugeLength( std::max( 1, (pluggers-1) - (pluggers/8) ) );
 
 	return validated;
 }
@@ -706,7 +711,7 @@ void Panels::PluginSelectorPanel::OnProgress( wxCommandEvent& evt )
 		const int nextidx = evtidx+1;
 		if( nextidx == m_FileList->Count() )
 		{
-			wxCommandEvent done( pxEVT_EnumerationFinished );
+			wxCommandEvent done( pxEvt_EnumerationFinished );
 			GetEventHandler()->AddPendingEvent( done );
 		}
 		else
@@ -808,12 +813,11 @@ void Panels::PluginSelectorPanel::EnumThread::ExecuteTaskInThread()
 		// speed isn't critical here, but the pretty status bar sure is.  Sleep off
 		// some brief cycles to give the status bar time to refresh.
 
-		Sleep( 2 );
-
+		Sleep( 5 );
 		//Sleep(150);		// uncomment this to slow down the selector, for debugging threading.
 	}
 
-	wxCommandEvent done( pxEVT_EnumerationFinished );
+	wxCommandEvent done( pxEvt_EnumerationFinished );
 	done.SetClientData( this );
 	m_master.GetEventHandler()->AddPendingEvent( done );