diff --git a/Core/Config.cpp b/Core/Config.cpp
index f7fd8e9af..0a2355e5f 100644
--- a/Core/Config.cpp
+++ b/Core/Config.cpp
@@ -1117,12 +1117,13 @@ static void IterateSettings(IniFile &iniFile, std::function<void(Section *sectio
 	}
 }
 
-Config::Config() : bGameSpecific(false) {
-	InitInstanceCounter();
+Config::Config() {
 }
 
 Config::~Config() {
-	ShutdownInstanceCounter();
+	if (bUpdatedInstanceCounter) {
+		ShutdownInstanceCounter();
+	}
 }
 
 std::map<std::string, std::pair<std::string, int>> GetLangValuesMapping() {
@@ -1173,6 +1174,11 @@ void Config::Load(const char *iniFileName, const char *controllerIniFilename) {
 	const bool useIniFilename = iniFileName != nullptr && strlen(iniFileName) > 0;
 	iniFilename_ = FindConfigFile(useIniFilename ? iniFileName : "ppsspp.ini");
 
+	if (!bUpdatedInstanceCounter) {
+		InitInstanceCounter();
+		bUpdatedInstanceCounter = true;
+	}
+
 	const bool useControllerIniFilename = controllerIniFilename != nullptr && strlen(controllerIniFilename) > 0;
 	controllerIniFilename_ = FindConfigFile(useControllerIniFilename ? controllerIniFilename : "controls.ini");
 
diff --git a/Core/Config.h b/Core/Config.h
index 71fa93e35..3072efdbc 100644
--- a/Core/Config.h
+++ b/Core/Config.h
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ public:
 	// Whether to save the config on close.
 	bool bSaveSettings;
 	bool bFirstRun;
-	bool bGameSpecific;
+	bool bGameSpecific = false;
+	bool bUpdatedInstanceCounter = false;
 
 	int iRunCount; // To be used to for example check for updates every 10 runs and things like that.
 
diff --git a/Windows/main.cpp b/Windows/main.cpp
index 50cd28534..7ee603d78 100644
--- a/Windows/main.cpp
+++ b/Windows/main.cpp
@@ -516,6 +516,22 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE _hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR szCmdLin
 	g_Config.internalDataDirectory = W32Util::UserDocumentsPath();
 	InitSysDirectories();
 
+	// Check for the Vulkan workaround before any serious init.
+	for (size_t i = 1; i < wideArgs.size(); ++i) {
+		if (wideArgs[i][0] == L'-') {
+			// This should only be called by DetectVulkanInExternalProcess().
+			if (wideArgs[i] == L"--vulkan-available-check") {
+				// Just call it, this way it will crash here if it doesn't work.
+				// (this is an external process.)
+				bool result = VulkanMayBeAvailable();
+
+				LogManager::Shutdown();
+				WinMainCleanup();
+				return result ? EXIT_CODE_VULKAN_WORKS : EXIT_FAILURE;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Load config up here, because those changes below would be overwritten
 	// if it's not loaded here first.
 	g_Config.AddSearchPath("");
@@ -574,17 +590,6 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE _hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR szCmdLin
 					g_Config.bSoftwareRendering = true;
 				}
 			}
-
-			// This should only be called by DetectVulkanInExternalProcess().
-			if (wideArgs[i] == L"--vulkan-available-check") {
-				// Just call it, this way it will crash here if it doesn't work.
-				// (this is an external process.)
-				bool result = VulkanMayBeAvailable();
-
-				LogManager::Shutdown();
-				WinMainCleanup();
-				return result ? EXIT_CODE_VULKAN_WORKS : EXIT_FAILURE;
-			}
 		}
 	}
 #ifdef _DEBUG