diff --git a/rpcs3/headless_application.cpp b/rpcs3/headless_application.cpp
index a0eee215d6..a37f027170 100644
--- a/rpcs3/headless_application.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/headless_application.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ headless_application::headless_application(int& argc, char** argv) : QCoreApplic
 {
 }
 
-void headless_application::Init()
+bool headless_application::Init()
 {
 	// Force init the emulator
 	InitializeEmulator("00000001", true, false); // TODO: get user from cli args if possible
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ void headless_application::Init()
 
 	// As per QT recommendations to avoid conflicts for POSIX functions
 	std::setlocale(LC_NUMERIC, "C");
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 void headless_application::InitializeConnects()
diff --git a/rpcs3/headless_application.h b/rpcs3/headless_application.h
index 70b3069f23..a16ed33f7f 100644
--- a/rpcs3/headless_application.h
+++ b/rpcs3/headless_application.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public:
 	headless_application(int& argc, char** argv);
 
 	/** Call this method before calling app.exec */
-	void Init() override;
+	bool Init() override;
 
 private:
 	void InitializeCallbacks();
diff --git a/rpcs3/main.cpp b/rpcs3/main.cpp
index 5269830c33..e3ac8216ca 100644
--- a/rpcs3/main.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/main.cpp
@@ -507,17 +507,28 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 
 		gui_app->SetShowGui(!s_no_gui);
 		gui_app->SetUseCliStyle(use_cli_style);
-		gui_app->Init();
+
+		if (!gui_app->Init())
+		{
+			Emu.Quit(true);
+			return 0;
+		}
 	}
 	else if (auto headless_app = qobject_cast<headless_application*>(app.data()))
 	{
 		s_headless = true;
-		headless_app->Init();
+
+		if (!headless_app->Init())
+		{
+			Emu.Quit(true);
+			return 0;
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		// Should be unreachable
 		report_fatal_error("RPCS3 initialization failed!");
+		return 1;
 	}
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
diff --git a/rpcs3/main_application.h b/rpcs3/main_application.h
index c60d8b002c..2ac1b64334 100644
--- a/rpcs3/main_application.h
+++ b/rpcs3/main_application.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ struct EmuCallbacks;
 class main_application
 {
 public:
-	virtual void Init() = 0;
+	virtual bool Init() = 0;
 
 	static bool InitializeEmulator(const std::string& user, bool force_init, bool show_gui);
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.cpp
index f2ee78ca5d..095b291741 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.cpp
@@ -63,13 +63,27 @@ namespace
 
 emu_settings::emu_settings()
 	: QObject()
-	, m_render_creator(new render_creator(this))
 {
+}
+
+emu_settings::~emu_settings()
+{
+}
+
+bool emu_settings::Init()
+{
+	m_render_creator = new render_creator(this);
+
 	if (!m_render_creator)
 	{
 		fmt::throw_exception("emu_settings::emu_settings() render_creator is null");
 	}
 
+	if (m_render_creator->abort_requested)
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	// Make Vulkan default setting if it is supported
 	if (m_render_creator->Vulkan.supported && !m_render_creator->Vulkan.adapters.empty())
 	{
@@ -78,10 +92,8 @@ emu_settings::emu_settings()
 		Emu.SetDefaultRenderer(video_renderer::vulkan);
 		Emu.SetDefaultGraphicsAdapter(adapter);
 	}
-}
 
-emu_settings::~emu_settings()
-{
+	return true;
 }
 
 void emu_settings::LoadSettings(const std::string& title_id)
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.h b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.h
index 7c26ac5770..75f39807d9 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.h
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/emu_settings.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ public:
 	emu_settings();
 	~emu_settings();
 
+	bool Init();
+
 	/** Connects a combo box with the target settings type*/
 	void EnhanceComboBox(QComboBox* combobox, emu_settings_type type, bool is_ranged = false, bool use_max = false, int max = 0, bool sorted = false);
 
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@ public:
 	void SetSetting(emu_settings_type type, const std::string& val);
 
 	/** Gets all the renderer info for gpu settings.*/
-	render_creator* m_render_creator;
+	render_creator* m_render_creator = nullptr;
 
 	/** Gets a list of all the microphones available.*/
 	microphone_creator m_microphone_creator;
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.cpp
index 8ec65a446a..2b39a5d4d7 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ gui_application::~gui_application()
 #endif
 }
 
-void gui_application::Init()
+bool gui_application::Init()
 {
 	setWindowIcon(QIcon(":/rpcs3.ico"));
 
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ void gui_application::Init()
 	m_gui_settings.reset(new gui_settings());
 	m_persistent_settings.reset(new persistent_settings());
 
+	if (!m_emu_settings->Init())
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	// Get deprecated active user (before August 2nd 2020)
 	QString active_user = m_gui_settings->GetValue(gui::um_active_user).toString();
 
@@ -91,9 +96,9 @@ void gui_application::Init()
 		welcome->exec();
 	}
 
-	if (m_main_window)
+	if (m_main_window && !m_main_window->Init())
 	{
-		m_main_window->Init();
+		return false;
 	}
 
 #ifdef WITH_DISCORD_RPC
@@ -103,6 +108,8 @@ void gui_application::Init()
 		discord::initialize();
 	}
 #endif
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 void gui_application::SwitchTranslator(QTranslator& translator, const QString& filename, const QString& language_code)
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.h b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.h
index c954c5a23a..4216717fe1 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.h
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_application.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	/** Call this method before calling app.exec */
-	void Init() override;
+	bool Init() override;
 
 	std::unique_ptr<gs_frame> get_gs_frame();
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.cpp
index dde52db6a7..021af237c6 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ main_window::~main_window()
 /* An init method is used so that RPCS3App can create the necessary connects before calling init (specifically the stylesheet connect).
  * Simplifies logic a bit.
  */
-void main_window::Init()
+bool main_window::Init()
 {
 	setAcceptDrops(true);
 
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ void main_window::Init()
 
 		if (msg.exec() == QMessageBox::No)
 		{
-			std::exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+			return false;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ void main_window::Init()
 		m_updater.check_for_updates(true, update_value != "true", this);
 	}
 #endif
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 QString main_window::GetCurrentTitle()
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.h b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.h
index b35ca3c81a..13323a9ddf 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.h
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/main_window.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class main_window : public QMainWindow
 
 public:
 	explicit main_window(std::shared_ptr<gui_settings> gui_settings, std::shared_ptr<emu_settings> emu_settings, std::shared_ptr<persistent_settings> persistent_settings, QWidget *parent = 0);
-	void Init();
+	bool Init();
 	~main_window();
 	QIcon GetAppIcon();
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.cpp
index 3f803dd651..a63bae0f96 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,10 @@ render_creator::render_creator(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
 
 		enum_thread.detach();
 		if (button != QMessageBox::Ignore)
-			std::exit(1);
+		{
+			abort_requested = true;
+			return;
+		}
 
 		supports_vulkan = false;
 	}
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.h b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.h
index 58718231ea..8203f09bb8 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.h
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/render_creator.h
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ class render_creator : public QObject
 	Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
+	render_creator(QObject* parent);
+
+	void update_names(const QStringList& names);
+
 	struct render_info
 	{
 		QString name;
@@ -31,14 +35,11 @@ public:
 			, has_msaa(has_msaa) {}
 	};
 
+	bool abort_requested = false;
 	bool supports_vulkan = false;
 	QStringList vulkan_adapters;
 	render_info Vulkan;
 	render_info OpenGL;
 	render_info NullRender;
 	std::vector<render_info*> renderers;
-
-	render_creator(QObject *parent);
-
-	void update_names(const QStringList& names);
 };