diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.cpp
index a848fc3e..7efa6509 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.cpp
@@ -241,12 +241,12 @@ void EmuInstance::deleteAllWindows()
 }
 
 
-void EmuInstance::broadcastCommand(int cmd)
+void EmuInstance::broadcastCommand(int cmd, QVariant param)
 {
-    broadcastInstanceCommand(cmd, instanceID);
+    broadcastInstanceCommand(cmd, param, instanceID);
 }
 
-void EmuInstance::handleCommand(int cmd)
+void EmuInstance::handleCommand(int cmd, QVariant& param)
 {
     switch (cmd)
     {
@@ -265,6 +265,10 @@ void EmuInstance::handleCommand(int cmd)
                 windowList[i]->loadRecentFilesMenu(true);
         }
         break;
+
+    /*case InstCmd_UpdateVideoSettings:
+        mainWindow->updateVideoSettings(param.value<bool>());
+        break;*/
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.h b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.h
index 61090496..a79b4f75 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.h
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/EmuInstance.h
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ public:
     Config::Table& getGlobalConfig() { return globalCfg; }
     Config::Table& getLocalConfig() { return localCfg; }
 
-    void broadcastCommand(int cmd);
-    void handleCommand(int cmd);
+    void broadcastCommand(int cmd, QVariant param = QVariant());
+    void handleCommand(int cmd, QVariant& param);
 
     std::string instanceFileSuffix();
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp
index 442274b5..fef51217 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.cpp
@@ -2147,14 +2147,11 @@ void MainWindow::onEmuReset()
 
 void MainWindow::onUpdateVideoSettings(bool glchange)
 {
-    if (windowID != 0)
-    {
-        MainWindow* parentwin = (MainWindow*)parentWidget();
-        if (parentwin)
-            parentwin->onUpdateVideoSettings(glchange);
-
-        return;
-    }
+    // if we have a parent window: pass the message over to the parent
+    // the topmost parent takes care of updating all the windows
+    MainWindow* parentwin = (MainWindow*)parentWidget();
+    if (parentwin)
+        return parentwin->onUpdateVideoSettings(glchange);
 
     bool hadOGL = hasOGL;
     if (glchange)
@@ -2170,18 +2167,33 @@ void MainWindow::onUpdateVideoSettings(bool glchange)
     if (glchange)
     {
         if (hasOGL) emuThread->initContext(windowID);
+    }
 
-        if (windowID == 0)
+    // update any child windows we have
+    auto childwins = findChildren<MainWindow *>(nullptr, Qt::FindDirectChildrenOnly);
+    for (auto child: childwins)
+    {
+        // child windows may belong to a different instance
+        // in that case we need to signal their thread appropriately
+        auto thread = child->getEmuInstance()->getEmuThread();
+
+        if (glchange)
         {
-            auto childwins = findChildren<MainWindow *>(nullptr, Qt::FindDirectChildrenOnly);
-            for (auto child: childwins)
-            {
-                if (hadOGL) emuThread->deinitContext(child->windowID);
-                child->createScreenPanel();
-                if (hasOGL) emuThread->initContext(child->windowID);
-            }
+            if (hadOGL) thread->deinitContext(child->windowID);
+            child->createScreenPanel();
         }
 
+        if (child->getWindowID() == 0)
+            thread->updateVideoSettings();
+
+        if (glchange)
+        {
+            if (hasOGL) thread->initContext(child->windowID);
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (glchange)
+    {
         emuThread->emuUnpause();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.h b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.h
index 73bb84bb..64f17841 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.h
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/Window.h
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ public:
     void updateMPInterface(melonDS::MPInterfaceType type);
 
     void loadRecentFilesMenu(bool loadcfg);
+    //void updateVideoSettings(bool glchange);
 
 protected:
     void keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent* event) override;
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.cpp
index 69485a8e..d940340a 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.cpp
@@ -168,14 +168,14 @@ int numEmuInstances()
 }
 
 
-void broadcastInstanceCommand(int cmd, int sourceinst)
+void broadcastInstanceCommand(int cmd, QVariant& param, int sourceinst)
 {
     for (int i = 0; i < kMaxEmuInstances; i++)
     {
         if (i == sourceinst) continue;
         if (!emuInstances[i]) continue;
 
-        emuInstances[i]->handleCommand(cmd);
+        emuInstances[i]->handleCommand(cmd, param);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.h b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.h
index cd5a08f1..e0d38963 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.h
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/main.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ enum
     InstCmd_Unpause,
 
     InstCmd_UpdateRecentFiles,
+    //InstCmd_UpdateVideoSettings,
 };
 
 class MelonApplication : public QApplication
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ void deleteEmuInstance(int id);
 void deleteAllEmuInstances(int first = 0);
 int numEmuInstances();
 
-void broadcastInstanceCommand(int cmd, int sourceinst);
+void broadcastInstanceCommand(int cmd, QVariant& param, int sourceinst);
 
 void setMPInterface(melonDS::MPInterfaceType type);