diff --git a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/LocalMP.cpp b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/LocalMP.cpp
index 466f90cf..7ea98686 100644
--- a/src/frontend/qt_sdl/LocalMP.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/qt_sdl/LocalMP.cpp
@@ -248,7 +248,9 @@ bool Init()
         Log(LogLevel::Info, "MP sharedmem doesn't exist. creating\n");
         if (!MPQueue->create(kQueueSize))
         {
-            Log(LogLevel::Error, "MP sharedmem create failed :(\n");
+            Log(LogLevel::Error, "MP sharedmem create failed :( (%d)\n", MPQueue->error());
+            delete MPQueue;
+            MPQueue = nullptr;
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -328,6 +330,7 @@ void SetRecvTimeout(int timeout)
 
 void Begin()
 {
+    if (!MPQueue) return;
     MPQueue->lock();
     MPQueueHeader* header = (MPQueueHeader*)MPQueue->data();
     PacketReadOffset = header->PacketWriteOffset;
@@ -340,6 +343,7 @@ void Begin()
 
 void End()
 {
+    if (!MPQueue) return;
     MPQueue->lock();
     MPQueueHeader* header = (MPQueueHeader*)MPQueue->data();
     //SemReset(InstanceID);
@@ -421,6 +425,7 @@ void FIFOWrite(int fifo, void* buf, int len)
 
 int SendPacketGeneric(u32 type, u8* packet, int len, u64 timestamp)
 {
+    if (!MPQueue) return 0;
     MPQueue->lock();
     u8* data = (u8*)MPQueue->data();
     MPQueueHeader* header = (MPQueueHeader*)&data[0];
@@ -476,6 +481,7 @@ int SendPacketGeneric(u32 type, u8* packet, int len, u64 timestamp)
 
 int RecvPacketGeneric(u8* packet, bool block, u64* timestamp)
 {
+    if (!MPQueue) return 0;
     for (;;)
     {
         if (!SemWait(InstanceID, block ? RecvTimeout : 0))
@@ -552,6 +558,8 @@ int SendAck(u8* packet, int len, u64 timestamp)
 
 int RecvHostPacket(u8* packet, u64* timestamp)
 {
+    if (!MPQueue) return -1;
+
     if (LastHostID != -1)
     {
         // check if the host is still connected
@@ -571,6 +579,8 @@ int RecvHostPacket(u8* packet, u64* timestamp)
 
 u16 RecvReplies(u8* packets, u64 timestamp, u16 aidmask)
 {
+    if (!MPQueue) return 0;
+
     u16 ret = 0;
     u16 myinstmask = (1 << InstanceID);
     u16 curinstmask;