diff --git a/Utilities/Thread.cpp b/Utilities/Thread.cpp
index 166f8aeb00..432dd31cbe 100644
--- a/Utilities/Thread.cpp
+++ b/Utilities/Thread.cpp
@@ -2250,7 +2250,13 @@ std::string thread_ctrl::get_name_cached()
 
 	if (!_this->m_tname.is_equal(name_cache)) [[unlikely]]
 	{
-		name_cache = _this->m_tname.load();
+		_this->m_tname.peek_op([&](const shared_ptr<std::string>& ptr)
+		{
+			if (ptr != name_cache)
+			{
+				name_cache = ptr;
+			}
+		});
 	}
 
 	return *name_cache;
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/PPUThread.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/PPUThread.cpp
index 1870afcd88..cec21f4fc8 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/PPUThread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/PPUThread.cpp
@@ -1049,7 +1049,13 @@ void ppu_thread::fast_call(u32 addr, u32 rtoc)
 
 		if (!_this->ppu_tname.is_equal(name_cache)) [[unlikely]]
 		{
-			name_cache = _this->ppu_tname.load();
+			_this->ppu_tname.peek_op([&](const shared_ptr<std::string>& ptr)
+			{
+				if (ptr != name_cache)
+				{
+					name_cache = ptr;
+				}
+			});
 		}
 
 		const auto cia = _this->cia;
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp
index 8aa4da0bfd..37da1d2297 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp
@@ -1615,7 +1615,13 @@ void spu_thread::cpu_task()
 
 		if (!cpu->spu_tname.is_equal(name_cache)) [[unlikely]]
 		{
-			name_cache = cpu->spu_tname.load();
+			cpu->spu_tname.peek_op([&](const shared_ptr<std::string>& ptr)
+			{
+				if (ptr != name_cache)
+				{
+					name_cache = ptr;
+				}
+			});
 		}
 
 		const auto type = cpu->get_type();
diff --git a/rpcs3/util/shared_ptr.hpp b/rpcs3/util/shared_ptr.hpp
index c3a9bc06d1..2ec55d70be 100644
--- a/rpcs3/util/shared_ptr.hpp
+++ b/rpcs3/util/shared_ptr.hpp
@@ -205,6 +205,11 @@ namespace stx
 			}
 		}
 
+		operator element_type*() const noexcept
+		{
+			return m_ptr;
+		}
+
 		explicit constexpr operator bool() const noexcept
 		{
 			return m_ptr != nullptr;
@@ -521,6 +526,11 @@ namespace stx
 			}
 		}
 
+		operator element_type*() const noexcept
+		{
+			return m_ptr;
+		}
+
 		explicit constexpr operator bool() const noexcept
 		{
 			return m_ptr != nullptr;
@@ -731,11 +741,6 @@ namespace stx
 			return r;
 		}
 
-		operator shared_type() const noexcept
-		{
-			return load();
-		}
-
 		// Atomically inspect pointer with the possibility to reference it if necessary
 		template <typename F, typename RT = std::invoke_result_t<F, const shared_type&>>
 		RT peek_op(F op) const noexcept