diff --git a/src/core/gpu_backend.cpp b/src/core/gpu_backend.cpp
index dc841bdde..a8b17818a 100644
--- a/src/core/gpu_backend.cpp
+++ b/src/core/gpu_backend.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
 
 #include "gpu_backend.h"
-#include "settings.h"
 
 #include "util/state_wrapper.h"
 
@@ -18,9 +17,9 @@ GPUBackend::GPUBackend() = default;
 
 GPUBackend::~GPUBackend() = default;
 
-bool GPUBackend::Initialize(bool force_thread)
+bool GPUBackend::Initialize(bool use_thread)
 {
-  if (force_thread || g_settings.gpu_use_thread)
+  if (use_thread)
     StartGPUThread();
 
   return true;
@@ -32,13 +31,13 @@ void GPUBackend::Reset()
   DrawingAreaChanged(GPUDrawingArea{0, 0, 0, 0}, GSVector4i::zero());
 }
 
-void GPUBackend::UpdateSettings()
+void GPUBackend::SetThreadEnabled(bool use_thread)
 {
   Sync(true);
 
-  if (m_use_gpu_thread != g_settings.gpu_use_thread)
+  if (m_use_gpu_thread != use_thread)
   {
-    if (!g_settings.gpu_use_thread)
+    if (!use_thread)
       StopGPUThread();
     else
       StartGPUThread();
diff --git a/src/core/gpu_backend.h b/src/core/gpu_backend.h
index 4cf123f06..ea25a36a1 100644
--- a/src/core/gpu_backend.h
+++ b/src/core/gpu_backend.h
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@ public:
 
   ALWAYS_INLINE const Threading::Thread* GetThread() const { return m_use_gpu_thread ? &m_gpu_thread : nullptr; }
 
-  virtual bool Initialize(bool force_thread);
-  virtual void UpdateSettings();
+  virtual bool Initialize(bool use_thread);
   virtual void Reset();
   virtual void Shutdown();
 
+  void SetThreadEnabled(bool use_thread);
+
   GPUBackendFillVRAMCommand* NewFillVRAMCommand();
   GPUBackendUpdateVRAMCommand* NewUpdateVRAMCommand(u32 num_words);
   GPUBackendCopyVRAMCommand* NewCopyVRAMCommand();
diff --git a/src/core/gpu_sw.cpp b/src/core/gpu_sw.cpp
index c8119c3a2..db87f2944 100644
--- a/src/core/gpu_sw.cpp
+++ b/src/core/gpu_sw.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
 
 #include "gpu_sw.h"
+#include "settings.h"
 #include "system.h"
 
 #include "util/gpu_device.h"
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ bool GPU_SW::IsHardwareRenderer() const
 
 bool GPU_SW::Initialize()
 {
-  if (!GPU::Initialize() || !m_backend.Initialize(false))
+  if (!GPU::Initialize() || !m_backend.Initialize(g_settings.gpu_use_thread))
     return false;
 
   static constexpr const std::array formats_for_16bit = {GPUTexture::Format::RGB565, GPUTexture::Format::RGBA5551,
@@ -82,7 +83,8 @@ void GPU_SW::Reset(bool clear_vram)
 void GPU_SW::UpdateSettings(const Settings& old_settings)
 {
   GPU::UpdateSettings(old_settings);
-  m_backend.UpdateSettings();
+  if (g_settings.gpu_use_thread != old_settings.gpu_use_thread)
+    m_backend.SetThreadEnabled(g_settings.gpu_use_thread);
 }
 
 GPUTexture* GPU_SW::GetDisplayTexture(u32 width, u32 height, GPUTexture::Format format)
diff --git a/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.cpp b/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.cpp
index 57e5e5196..0ab2e68e8 100644
--- a/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.cpp
+++ b/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.cpp
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ GPU_SW_Backend::GPU_SW_Backend() = default;
 
 GPU_SW_Backend::~GPU_SW_Backend() = default;
 
-bool GPU_SW_Backend::Initialize(bool force_thread)
+bool GPU_SW_Backend::Initialize(bool use_thread)
 {
-  return GPUBackend::Initialize(force_thread);
+  return GPUBackend::Initialize(use_thread);
 }
 
 void GPU_SW_Backend::Reset()
diff --git a/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.h b/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.h
index 6c51c008b..7f2c492ca 100644
--- a/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.h
+++ b/src/core/gpu_sw_backend.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public:
   GPU_SW_Backend();
   ~GPU_SW_Backend() override;
 
-  bool Initialize(bool force_thread) override;
+  bool Initialize(bool use_thread) override;
   void Reset() override;
 
 protected:
diff --git a/src/core/gpu_sw_rasterizer.h b/src/core/gpu_sw_rasterizer.h
index 3861d9945..cdc6e9d5e 100644
--- a/src/core/gpu_sw_rasterizer.h
+++ b/src/core/gpu_sw_rasterizer.h
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #include "common/intrin.h"
 #include "common/types.h"
 
-#include <algorithm>
 #include <array>
 
 namespace GPU_SW_Rasterizer {
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ ALWAYS_INLINE static DrawTriangleFunction GetDrawTriangleFunction(bool shading_e
   }
 
 // Have to define the symbols globally, because clang won't include them otherwise.
-#if defined(CPU_ARCH_SSE) && defined(_MSC_VER)
+#if defined(CPU_ARCH_SSE) && 0
 #define ALTERNATIVE_RASTERIZER_LIST() DECLARE_ALTERNATIVE_RASTERIZER(AVX2)
 #else
 #define ALTERNATIVE_RASTERIZER_LIST()
@@ -87,5 +86,3 @@ ALTERNATIVE_RASTERIZER_LIST()
 #undef DECLARE_ALTERNATIVE_RASTERIZER
 
 } // namespace GPU_SW_Rasterizer
-
-// static u32 s_bad_counter = 0;