diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.cpp
index 8fbf4fb9da..bc7fcc1bdb 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ inline std::string sstr(const QString& _in) { return _in.toStdString(); }
 gui_settings::gui_settings(QObject* parent) : settings(parent)
 {
 	m_current_name = gui::Settings;
-	m_settings     = new QSettings(ComputeSettingsDir() + gui::Settings + ".ini", QSettings::Format::IniFormat, parent);
+	m_settings.reset(new QSettings(ComputeSettingsDir() + gui::Settings + ".ini", QSettings::Format::IniFormat, parent));
 
 	const QString settings_name = GetValue(gui::m_currentConfig).toString();
 
@@ -48,34 +48,20 @@ bool gui_settings::ChangeToConfig(const QString& config_name)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	if (config_name != gui::Settings)
-	{
-		if (m_current_name == gui::Settings)
-		{
-			SetValue(gui::m_currentConfig, config_name);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			QSettings tmp(m_settings_dir.absoluteFilePath(gui::Settings + ".ini"), QSettings::Format::IniFormat, parent());
-			tmp.beginGroup(gui::m_currentConfig.key);
-			tmp.setValue(gui::m_currentConfig.name, config_name);
-			tmp.endGroup();
-		}
-	}
+	// Backup current config
+	SaveCurrentConfig(m_current_name);
 
+	// Save new config name to the default config
+	SaveConfigNameToDefault(config_name);
+
+	// Sync file just in case
 	m_settings->sync();
 
-	Reset(true);
-
-	const QSettings other(m_settings_dir.absoluteFilePath(config_name + ".ini"), QSettings::IniFormat);
-
-	for (const QString& key : other.allKeys())
-	{
-		m_settings->setValue(key, other.value(key));
-	}
+	// Load new config
+	m_settings.reset(new QSettings(m_settings_dir.absoluteFilePath(config_name + ".ini"), QSettings::IniFormat));
 
+	// Save own name to new config
 	SetValue(gui::m_currentConfig, config_name);
-
 	m_settings->sync();
 
 	m_current_name = config_name;
@@ -238,26 +224,11 @@ void gui_settings::SetCustomColor(int col, const QColor& val)
 	SetValue(gui_save(gui::meta, "CustomColor" + QString::number(col), gui::gl_icon_color), val);
 }
 
-void gui_settings::SaveCurrentConfig(const QString& friendly_name)
+void gui_settings::SaveCurrentConfig(const QString& config_name)
 {
-	if (friendly_name != gui::Settings)
-	{
-		if (m_current_name == gui::Settings)
-		{
-			SetValue(gui::m_currentConfig, friendly_name);
-			m_settings->sync();
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			QSettings tmp(m_settings_dir.absoluteFilePath(gui::Settings + ".ini"), QSettings::Format::IniFormat, parent());
-			tmp.beginGroup(gui::m_currentConfig.key);
-			tmp.setValue(gui::m_currentConfig.name, friendly_name);
-			tmp.endGroup();
-		}
-	}
-
-	BackupSettingsToTarget(friendly_name);
-	ChangeToConfig(friendly_name);
+	SaveConfigNameToDefault(config_name);
+	BackupSettingsToTarget(config_name);
+	ChangeToConfig(config_name);
 }
 
 logs::level gui_settings::GetLogLevel()
@@ -290,9 +261,26 @@ QStringList gui_settings::GetConfigEntries()
 	return res;
 }
 
-void gui_settings::BackupSettingsToTarget(const QString& friendly_name)
+// Save the name of the used config to the default settings file
+void gui_settings::SaveConfigNameToDefault(const QString& config_name)
 {
-	QSettings target(ComputeSettingsDir() + friendly_name + ".ini", QSettings::Format::IniFormat);
+	if (m_current_name == gui::Settings)
+	{
+		SetValue(gui::m_currentConfig, config_name);
+		m_settings->sync();
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		QSettings tmp(m_settings_dir.absoluteFilePath(gui::Settings + ".ini"), QSettings::Format::IniFormat, parent());
+		tmp.beginGroup(gui::m_currentConfig.key);
+		tmp.setValue(gui::m_currentConfig.name, config_name);
+		tmp.endGroup();
+	}
+}
+
+void gui_settings::BackupSettingsToTarget(const QString& config_name)
+{
+	QSettings target(ComputeSettingsDir() + config_name + ".ini", QSettings::Format::IniFormat);
 
 	for (const QString& key : m_settings->allKeys())
 	{
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.h b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.h
index 5a692f8bf6..a4803d0112 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.h
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/gui_settings.h
@@ -258,13 +258,14 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
 
 	void SetCustomColor(int col, const QColor& val);
 
-	void SaveCurrentConfig(const QString& friendly_name);
+	void SaveCurrentConfig(const QString& config_name);
 
 	static QSize SizeFromSlider(int pos);
 	static gui_save GetGuiSaveForColumn(int col);
 
 private:
-	void BackupSettingsToTarget(const QString& friendly_name);
+	void SaveConfigNameToDefault(const QString& config_name);
+	void BackupSettingsToTarget(const QString& config_name);
 	void ShowBox(bool confirm, const QString& title, const QString& text, const gui_save& entry, int* result, QWidget* parent, bool always_on_top);
 
 	QString m_current_name;
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/persistent_settings.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/persistent_settings.cpp
index 3b15b957d2..88b6e6d211 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/persistent_settings.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/persistent_settings.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 persistent_settings::persistent_settings(QObject* parent) : settings(parent)
 {
 	// Don't use the .ini file ending for now, as it will be confused for a regular gui_settings file.
-	m_settings = new QSettings(ComputeSettingsDir() + gui::persistent::persistent_file_name + ".dat", QSettings::Format::IniFormat, parent);
+	m_settings.reset(new QSettings(ComputeSettingsDir() + gui::persistent::persistent_file_name + ".dat", QSettings::Format::IniFormat, parent));
 }
 
 void persistent_settings::SetPlaytime(const QString& serial, const qint64& elapsed)
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.cpp
index a61bf74f32..57dd8f8db0 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ settings::~settings()
 	}
 }
 
-QString settings::GetSettingsDir()
+QString settings::GetSettingsDir() const
 {
 	return m_settings_dir.absolutePath();
 }
 
-QString settings::ComputeSettingsDir()
+QString settings::ComputeSettingsDir() const
 {
 	return QString::fromStdString(fs::get_config_dir()) + "/GuiConfigs/";
 }
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.h b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.h
index 8d5e27f870..aeaa973848 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.h
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings.h
@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@ public:
 	explicit settings(QObject* parent = nullptr);
 	~settings();
 
-	QString GetSettingsDir();
+	QString GetSettingsDir() const;
 
 	QVariant GetValue(const gui_save& entry);
 	QVariant GetValue(const QString& key, const QString& name, const QString& def);
-	QVariant List2Var(const q_pair_list& list);
-	q_pair_list Var2List(const QVariant& var);
+	static QVariant List2Var(const q_pair_list& list);
+	static q_pair_list Var2List(const QVariant& var);
 
 public Q_SLOTS:
 	/** Remove entry */
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ public Q_SLOTS:
 	void SetValue(const QString& key, const QString& name, const QVariant& value);
 
 protected:
-	QString ComputeSettingsDir();
+	QString ComputeSettingsDir() const;
 
-	QSettings* m_settings = nullptr;
+	std::unique_ptr<QSettings> m_settings;
 	QDir m_settings_dir;
 	QString m_current_name;
 };
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings_dialog.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings_dialog.cpp
index e4712babae..d847419fd8 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings_dialog.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/settings_dialog.cpp
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ settings_dialog::settings_dialog(std::shared_ptr<gui_settings> gui_settings, std
 	ui->tab_widget_settings->setUsesScrollButtons(false);
 	ui->tab_widget_settings->tabBar()->setObjectName("tab_bar_settings");
 
-	bool showDebugTab = m_gui_settings->GetValue(gui::m_showDebugTab).toBool();
-	m_gui_settings->SetValue(gui::m_showDebugTab, showDebugTab);
-	if (!showDebugTab)
+	const bool show_debug_tab = m_gui_settings->GetValue(gui::m_showDebugTab).toBool();
+	m_gui_settings->SetValue(gui::m_showDebugTab, show_debug_tab);
+	if (!show_debug_tab)
 	{
 		ui->tab_widget_settings->removeTab(9);
 	}
@@ -1903,6 +1903,9 @@ void settings_dialog::OnApplyConfig()
 		return;
 	}
 
+	// Backup current window states
+	Q_EMIT GuiSettingsSaveRequest();
+
 	if (!m_gui_settings->ChangeToConfig(new_config))
 	{
 		const int new_config_idx = ui->combo_configs->currentIndex();