diff --git a/src/Config.cpp b/src/Config.cpp
index f558ef64..7604785f 100644
--- a/src/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ namespace Config
 
 const char* kConfigFile = "melonDS.ini";
 
+char BIOS9Path[1024];
+char BIOS7Path[1024];
+char FirmwarePath[1024];
+
 int _3DRenderer;
 int Threaded3D;
 
@@ -36,6 +40,10 @@ int GL_Antialias;
 
 ConfigEntry ConfigFile[] =
 {
+    {"BIOS9Path", 1, BIOS9Path, 0, "", 1023},
+    {"BIOS7Path", 1, BIOS7Path, 0, "", 1023},
+    {"FirmwarePath", 1, FirmwarePath, 0, "", 1023},
+
     {"3DRenderer", 0, &_3DRenderer, 1, NULL, 0},
     {"Threaded3D", 0, &Threaded3D, 1, NULL, 0},
 
diff --git a/src/Config.h b/src/Config.h
index 0aeab852..05b9b8b9 100644
--- a/src/Config.h
+++ b/src/Config.h
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ bool HasConfigFile(const char* fileName);
 void Load();
 void Save();
 
+extern char BIOS9Path[1024];
+extern char BIOS7Path[1024];
+extern char FirmwarePath[1024];
+
 extern int _3DRenderer;
 extern int Threaded3D;
 
diff --git a/src/NDS.cpp b/src/NDS.cpp
index a2ab6ce9..1d425a87 100644
--- a/src/NDS.cpp
+++ b/src/NDS.cpp
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ void Reset()
     RunningGame = false;
     LastSysClockCycles = 0;
 
-    f = Platform::OpenLocalFile("bios9.bin", "rb");
+    f = Platform::OpenLocalFile(Config::BIOS9Path, "rb");
     if (!f)
     {
         printf("ARM9 BIOS not found\n");
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ void Reset()
         fclose(f);
     }
 
-    f = Platform::OpenLocalFile("bios7.bin", "rb");
+    f = Platform::OpenLocalFile(Config::BIOS7Path, "rb");
     if (!f)
     {
         printf("ARM7 BIOS not found\n");
diff --git a/src/SPI.cpp b/src/SPI.cpp
index 1a5873e1..056e8d54 100644
--- a/src/SPI.cpp
+++ b/src/SPI.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 namespace SPI_Firmware
 {
 
+char FirmwarePath[1024];
 u8* Firmware;
 u32 FirmwareLength;
 u32 FirmwareMask;
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ bool VerifyCRC16(u32 start, u32 offset, u32 len, u32 crcoffset)
 
 bool Init()
 {
+    memset(FirmwarePath, 0, sizeof(FirmwarePath));
     Firmware = NULL;
     return true;
 }
@@ -90,10 +92,12 @@ void Reset()
     if (Firmware) delete[] Firmware;
     Firmware = NULL;
 
-    FILE* f = Platform::OpenLocalFile("firmware.bin", "rb");
+    strncpy(FirmwarePath, Config::FirmwarePath, 1023);
+
+    FILE* f = Platform::OpenLocalFile(FirmwarePath, "rb");
     if (!f)
     {
-        printf("firmware.bin not found\n");
+        printf("Firmware not found\n");
 
         // TODO: generate default firmware
         return;
@@ -129,7 +133,11 @@ void Reset()
     fclose(f);
 
     // take a backup
-    const char* firmbkp = "firmware.bin.bak";
+    char firmbkp[1028];
+    int fplen = strlen(FirmwarePath);
+    strncpy(&firmbkp[0], FirmwarePath, fplen);
+    strncpy(&firmbkp[fplen], ".bak", 1028-fplen);
+    firmbkp[fplen+4] = '\0';
     f = Platform::OpenLocalFile(firmbkp, "rb");
     if (f) fclose(f);
     else
@@ -325,7 +333,7 @@ void Write(u8 val, u32 hold)
 
     if (!hold && (CurCmd == 0x02 || CurCmd == 0x0A))
     {
-        FILE* f = Platform::OpenLocalFile("firmware.bin", "r+b");
+        FILE* f = Platform::OpenLocalFile(FirmwarePath, "r+b");
         if (f)
         {
             u32 cutoff = 0x7FA00 & FirmwareMask;
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.cpp
index 34cafb5e..bce55138 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.cpp
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@
     with melonDS. If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
 */
 
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <QFileDialog>
+#include <QMessageBox>
 
 #include "types.h"
+#include "Platform.h"
 #include "Config.h"
 #include "PlatformConfig.h"
 
@@ -47,8 +50,52 @@ EmuSettingsDialog::~EmuSettingsDialog()
     delete ui;
 }
 
+void EmuSettingsDialog::verifyFirmware()
+{
+    // verify the firmware
+    //
+    // there are dumps of an old hacked firmware floating around on the internet
+    // and those are problematic
+    // the hack predates WFC, and, due to this, any game that alters the WFC
+    // access point data will brick that firmware due to it having critical
+    // data in the same area. it has the same problem on hardware.
+    //
+    // but this should help stop users from reporting that issue over and over
+    // again, when the issue is not from melonDS but from their firmware dump.
+    //
+    // I don't know about all the firmware hacks in existence, but the one I
+    // looked at has 0x180 bytes from the header repeated at 0x3FC80, but
+    // bytes 0x0C-0x14 are different.
+
+    char filename[1024];
+    strncpy(filename, ui->txtFirmwarePath->text().toStdString().c_str(), 1023); filename[1023] = '\0';
+    FILE* f = Platform::OpenLocalFile(filename, "rb");
+    u8 chk1[0x180], chk2[0x180];
+
+    fseek(f, 0, SEEK_SET);
+    fread(chk1, 1, 0x180, f);
+    fseek(f, -0x380, SEEK_END);
+    fread(chk2, 1, 0x180, f);
+
+    memset(&chk1[0x0C], 0, 8);
+    memset(&chk2[0x0C], 0, 8);
+
+    fclose(f);
+
+    if (!memcmp(chk1, chk2, 0x180))
+    {
+        QMessageBox::warning(this,
+                      "Problematic firmware dump",
+                      "You are using an old hacked firmware dump.\n"
+                      "Firmware boot will stop working if you run any game that alters WFC settings.\n\n"
+                      "Note that the issue is not from melonDS, it would also happen on an actual DS.");
+    }
+}
+
 void EmuSettingsDialog::on_EmuSettingsDialog_accepted()
 {
+    verifyFirmware();
+
     strncpy(Config::BIOS9Path, ui->txtBIOS9Path->text().toStdString().c_str(), 1023); Config::BIOS9Path[1023] = '\0';
     strncpy(Config::BIOS7Path, ui->txtBIOS7Path->text().toStdString().c_str(), 1023); Config::BIOS7Path[1023] = '\0';
     strncpy(Config::FirmwarePath, ui->txtFirmwarePath->text().toStdString().c_str(), 1023); Config::FirmwarePath[1023] = '\0';
@@ -95,7 +142,5 @@ void EmuSettingsDialog::on_btnFirmwareBrowse_clicked()
 
     if (file.isEmpty()) return;
 
-    // TODO: check for shitty hacked firmware here?
-
     ui->txtFirmwarePath->setText(file);
 }
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.h b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.h
index 471e0fb0..ce641454 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.h
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuSettingsDialog.h
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ private slots:
     void on_btnFirmwareBrowse_clicked();
 
 private:
+    void verifyFirmware();
+
     Ui::EmuSettingsDialog* ui;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.cpp
index fba649cf..1f6a8731 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.cpp
@@ -64,10 +64,6 @@ char MicWavPath[1024];
 
 char LastROMFolder[1024];
 
-char BIOS9Path[1024];
-char BIOS7Path[1024];
-char FirmwarePath[1024];
-
 
 ConfigEntry PlatformConfigFile[] =
 {
@@ -149,10 +145,6 @@ ConfigEntry PlatformConfigFile[] =
 
     {"LastROMFolder", 1, LastROMFolder, 0, "", 1023},
 
-    {"BIOS9Path", 1, BIOS9Path, 0, "", 1023},
-    {"BIOS7Path", 1, BIOS7Path, 0, "", 1023},
-    {"FirmwarePath", 1, FirmwarePath, 0, "", 1023},
-
     {"", -1, NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.h b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.h
index e104015d..3704d149 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.h
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/PlatformConfig.h
@@ -77,10 +77,6 @@ extern char MicWavPath[1024];
 
 extern char LastROMFolder[1024];
 
-extern char BIOS9Path[1024];
-extern char BIOS7Path[1024];
-extern char FirmwarePath[1024];
-
 }
 
 #endif // PLATFORMCONFIG_H