diff --git a/Core/System.cpp b/Core/System.cpp
index 5c469c1351..385048e367 100644
--- a/Core/System.cpp
+++ b/Core/System.cpp
@@ -569,18 +569,16 @@ void PSP_ForceDebugStats(bool enable) {
 	_assert_(coreCollectDebugStatsCounter >= 0);
 }
 
-static void InitGPU(std::string *error_string) {
-	if (!gpu) {  // should be!
-		INFO_LOG(Log::Loader, "Starting graphics...");
-		Draw::DrawContext *draw = g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext ? g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext->GetDrawContext() : nullptr;
-		// This set the `gpu` global.
-		GPUCore gpuCore = PSP_CoreParameter().gpuCore;
-		bool success = GPU_Init(gpuCore, g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext, draw);
-		if (!success) {
-			*error_string = "Unable to initialize rendering engine.";
-			CPU_Shutdown(false);
-			g_bootState = BootState::Failed;
-		}
+static void InitGPU(GPUCore gpuCore, Draw::DrawContext *draw, std::string *error_string) {
+	_dbg_assert_(!gpu);
+
+	INFO_LOG(Log::Loader, "Starting graphics...");
+	// This set the `gpu` global.
+	bool success = GPU_Init(gpuCore, g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext, draw);
+	if (!success) {
+		*error_string = "Unable to initialize rendering engine.";
+		CPU_Shutdown(false);
+		g_bootState = BootState::Failed;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -599,6 +597,15 @@ bool PSP_InitStart(const CoreParameter &coreParam) {
 	if (g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext == nullptr) {
 		g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext = temp;
 	}
+	Draw::DrawContext *draw = g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext ? g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext->GetDrawContext() : nullptr;
+
+	GPUCore gpuCore = g_CoreParameter.gpuCore;
+	if (!draw && gpuCore != GPUCORE_SOFTWARE) {
+		ERROR_LOG(Log::Loader, "No drawing context provided.");
+		g_bootState = BootState::Failed;
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	g_CoreParameter.errorString.clear();
 
 	std::string *errorString = &g_CoreParameter.errorString;
@@ -609,7 +616,7 @@ bool PSP_InitStart(const CoreParameter &coreParam) {
 
 	Core_NotifyLifecycle(CoreLifecycle::STARTING);
 
-	g_loadingThread = std::thread([errorString]() {
+	g_loadingThread = std::thread([errorString, gpuCore, draw]() {
 		SetCurrentThreadName("ExecLoader");
 
 		AndroidJNIThreadContext jniContext;
@@ -651,9 +658,8 @@ bool PSP_InitStart(const CoreParameter &coreParam) {
 		}
 
 		// Initialize the GPU as far as we can here (do things like load cache files).
-		_dbg_assert_(!gpu);
 #ifndef __LIBRETRO__
-		InitGPU(errorString);
+		InitGPU(gpuCore, draw, errorString);
 #endif
 		g_bootState = BootState::Complete;
 	});
@@ -685,7 +691,7 @@ BootState PSP_InitUpdate(std::string *error_string) {
 	}
 
 #ifdef __LIBRETRO__
-	InitGPU(error_string);
+	InitGPU(g_CoreParameter.gpuCore, g_CoreParameter.graphicsContext->GetDrawContext(), error_string);
 #endif
 
 	// Ok, async part of the boot completed, let's finish up things on the main thread.