diff --git a/Source/Android/jni/MainAndroid.cpp b/Source/Android/jni/MainAndroid.cpp
index 089d0b776d..4d230fca60 100644
--- a/Source/Android/jni/MainAndroid.cpp
+++ b/Source/Android/jni/MainAndroid.cpp
@@ -127,10 +127,6 @@ bool Host_RendererIsFullscreen()
   return false;
 }
 
-void Host_ShowVideoConfig(void*, const std::string&)
-{
-}
-
 void Host_YieldToUI()
 {
 }
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Core.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/Core.cpp
index 7ec7f6c634..7ebb070d2b 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Core.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Core.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
 #include "VideoCommon/OnScreenDisplay.h"
 #include "VideoCommon/RenderBase.h"
 #include "VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h"
+#include "VideoCommon/VideoConfig.h"
 
 namespace Core
 {
@@ -434,6 +435,12 @@ static void EmuThread(std::unique_ptr<BootParameters> boot)
     HLE::Clear();
   }};
 
+  // Backend info has to be initialized before we can initialize the backend.
+  // This is because when we load the config, we validate it against the current backend info.
+  // We also should have the correct adapter selected for creating the device in Initialize().
+  g_video_backend->InitBackendInfo();
+  g_Config.Refresh();
+
   if (!g_video_backend->Initialize(s_window_handle))
   {
     PanicAlert("Failed to initialize video backend!");
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/Host.h b/Source/Core/Core/Host.h
index ae14bb686f..72e9c3d8a0 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/Host.h
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/Host.h
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ void Host_RequestRenderWindowSize(int width, int height);
 void Host_UpdateDisasmDialog();
 void Host_UpdateMainFrame();
 void Host_UpdateTitle(const std::string& title);
-void Host_ShowVideoConfig(void* parent, const std::string& backend_name);
 void Host_YieldToUI();
 void Host_UpdateProgressDialog(const char* caption, int position, int total);
 
diff --git a/Source/Core/DolphinNoGUI/MainNoGUI.cpp b/Source/Core/DolphinNoGUI/MainNoGUI.cpp
index 23a502e8f6..5097b1b8f9 100644
--- a/Source/Core/DolphinNoGUI/MainNoGUI.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/DolphinNoGUI/MainNoGUI.cpp
@@ -130,10 +130,6 @@ bool Host_RendererIsFullscreen()
   return rendererIsFullscreen;
 }
 
-void Host_ShowVideoConfig(void*, const std::string&)
-{
-}
-
 void Host_YieldToUI()
 {
 }
diff --git a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GeneralWidget.cpp b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GeneralWidget.cpp
index cb4c4a29d0..b8ba245256 100644
--- a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GeneralWidget.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GeneralWidget.cpp
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ void GeneralWidget::OnBackendChanged(const QString& backend_name)
   const bool supports_adapters = !adapters.empty();
 
   m_adapter_combo->setCurrentIndex(g_Config.iAdapter);
-  m_adapter_combo->setEnabled(supports_adapters);
+  m_adapter_combo->setEnabled(supports_adapters && !Core::IsRunning());
 
   m_adapter_combo->setToolTip(supports_adapters ?
                                   QStringLiteral("") :
diff --git a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GraphicsWindow.cpp b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GraphicsWindow.cpp
index 2edac668d1..456b132847 100644
--- a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GraphicsWindow.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Config/Graphics/GraphicsWindow.cpp
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ void GraphicsWindow::Initialize()
 
   m_lazy_initialized = true;
 
-  g_Config.Refresh();
-  g_video_backend->InitBackendInfo();
-
   CreateMainLayout();
 
   setWindowTitle(tr("Graphics"));
@@ -109,18 +106,7 @@ void GraphicsWindow::CreateMainLayout()
 void GraphicsWindow::OnBackendChanged(const QString& backend_name)
 {
   SConfig::GetInstance().m_strVideoBackend = backend_name.toStdString();
-
-  for (const auto& backend : g_available_video_backends)
-  {
-    if (backend->GetName() == backend_name.toStdString())
-    {
-      g_Config.Refresh();
-
-      g_video_backend = backend.get();
-      g_video_backend->InitBackendInfo();
-      break;
-    }
-  }
+  VideoBackendBase::PopulateBackendInfo();
 
   setWindowTitle(
       tr("%1 Graphics Configuration").arg(tr(g_video_backend->GetDisplayName().c_str())));
diff --git a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Host.cpp b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Host.cpp
index 8b448cc288..975091eac5 100644
--- a/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Host.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/DolphinQt/Host.cpp
@@ -150,9 +150,6 @@ bool Host_UINeedsControllerState()
 {
   return Settings::Instance().IsControllerStateNeeded();
 }
-void Host_ShowVideoConfig(void* parent, const std::string& backend_name)
-{
-}
 void Host_RefreshDSPDebuggerWindow()
 {
 }
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp
index f2299945cc..69b6f47804 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/main.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ bool VideoBackend::Initialize(void* window_handle)
   if (window_handle == nullptr)
     return false;
 
-  InitBackendInfo();
   InitializeShared();
 
   if (FAILED(D3D::Create(reinterpret_cast<HWND>(window_handle))))
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/NullBackend.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/NullBackend.cpp
index fa32ce0cf5..f3743773c5 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/NullBackend.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Null/NullBackend.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ void VideoBackend::InitBackendInfo()
 bool VideoBackend::Initialize(void* window_handle)
 {
   InitializeShared();
-  InitBackendInfo();
 
   g_renderer = std::make_unique<Renderer>();
   g_vertex_manager = std::make_unique<VertexManager>();
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp
index 52d643543f..d2e37f07a9 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/OGL/main.cpp
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ bool VideoBackend::FillBackendInfo()
 
 bool VideoBackend::Initialize(void* window_handle)
 {
-  InitBackendInfo();
   InitializeShared();
 
   GLUtil::InitInterface();
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp
index 546cf0a45c..6ca183b57c 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/Software/SWmain.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ void VideoSoftware::InitBackendInfo()
 
 bool VideoSoftware::Initialize(void* window_handle)
 {
-  InitBackendInfo();
   InitializeShared();
 
   SWOGLWindow::Init(window_handle);
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp
index 77ffb294ff..725857a85d 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #include "Common/CommonTypes.h"
 #include "Common/Event.h"
 #include "Common/Logging/Log.h"
+#include "Core/ConfigManager.h"
+#include "Core/Core.h"
 #include "Core/Host.h"
 
 // TODO: ugly
@@ -60,14 +62,6 @@ __declspec(dllexport) DWORD NvOptimusEnablement = 1;
 }
 #endif
 
-void VideoBackendBase::ShowConfig(void* parent_handle)
-{
-  if (!m_initialized)
-    InitBackendInfo();
-
-  Host_ShowVideoConfig(parent_handle, GetDisplayName());
-}
-
 void VideoBackendBase::Video_ExitLoop()
 {
   Fifo::ExitGpuLoop();
@@ -231,6 +225,20 @@ void VideoBackendBase::ActivateBackend(const std::string& name)
   g_video_backend = iter->get();
 }
 
+void VideoBackendBase::PopulateBackendInfo()
+{
+  // If the core is running, the backend info will have been populated already.
+  // If we did it here, the UI thread can race with the with the GPU thread.
+  if (Core::IsRunning())
+    return;
+
+  // We refresh the config after initializing the backend info, as system-specific settings
+  // such as anti-aliasing, or the selected adapter may be invalid, and should be checked.
+  ActivateBackend(SConfig::GetInstance().m_strVideoBackend);
+  g_video_backend->InitBackendInfo();
+  g_Config.Refresh();
+}
+
 // Run from the CPU thread
 void VideoBackendBase::DoState(PointerWrap& p)
 {
@@ -294,7 +302,6 @@ void VideoBackendBase::InitializeShared()
   GeometryShaderManager::Init();
   PixelShaderManager::Init();
 
-  g_Config.Refresh();
   UpdateActiveConfig();
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h
index 576cd1f3e6..5f43b904d4 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/VideoBackendBase.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ public:
 
   virtual std::string GetName() const = 0;
   virtual std::string GetDisplayName() const { return GetName(); }
-  void ShowConfig(void* parent_handle);
   virtual void InitBackendInfo() = 0;
 
   void Video_ExitLoop();
@@ -55,6 +54,10 @@ public:
   static void ClearList();
   static void ActivateBackend(const std::string& name);
 
+  // Fills the backend_info fields with the capabilities of the selected backend/device.
+  // Called by the UI thread when the graphics config is opened.
+  static void PopulateBackendInfo();
+
   // the implementation needs not do synchronization logic, because calls to it are surrounded by
   // PauseAndLock now
   void DoState(PointerWrap& p);
diff --git a/Source/DSPTool/StubHost.cpp b/Source/DSPTool/StubHost.cpp
index 73ef4fa19b..ce7243e265 100644
--- a/Source/DSPTool/StubHost.cpp
+++ b/Source/DSPTool/StubHost.cpp
@@ -46,9 +46,6 @@ bool Host_RendererIsFullscreen()
 {
   return false;
 }
-void Host_ShowVideoConfig(void*, const std::string&)
-{
-}
 void Host_YieldToUI()
 {
 }
diff --git a/Source/UnitTests/StubHost.cpp b/Source/UnitTests/StubHost.cpp
index b80f175a2f..a2ba02c20b 100644
--- a/Source/UnitTests/StubHost.cpp
+++ b/Source/UnitTests/StubHost.cpp
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@ bool Host_RendererIsFullscreen()
 {
   return false;
 }
-void Host_ShowVideoConfig(void*, const std::string&)
-{
-}
 void Host_YieldToUI()
 {
 }