diff --git a/UI/EmuScreen.cpp b/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
index 5eb40f5383..45aeb52d5c 100644
--- a/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
+++ b/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
@@ -715,16 +715,9 @@ void EmuScreen::onVKey(int virtualKeyCode, bool down) {
 		break;
 
 	case VIRTKEY_FRAME_ADVANCE:
-		if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfHardcoreModeActive(false)) {
-			if (down) {
-				// If game is running, pause emulation immediately. Otherwise, advance a single frame.
-				if (Core_IsStepping()) {
-					frameStep_ = true;
-					Core_EnableStepping(false);
-				} else if (!frameStep_) {
-					Core_EnableStepping(true, "ui.frameAdvance", 0);
-				}
-			}
+		// Can't do this reliably in an async fashion, so we just set a variable.
+		if (down) {
+			doFrameAdvance_.store(true);
 		}
 		break;
 
@@ -1426,6 +1419,19 @@ ScreenRenderFlags EmuScreen::render(ScreenRenderMode mode) {
 
 	Core_UpdateDebugStats((DebugOverlay)g_Config.iDebugOverlay == DebugOverlay::DEBUG_STATS || g_Config.bLogFrameDrops);
 
+	if (doFrameAdvance_.exchange(false)) {
+		if (!Achievements::WarnUserIfHardcoreModeActive(false)) {
+			// If game is running, pause emulation immediately. Otherwise, advance a single frame.
+			if (Core_IsStepping()) {
+				frameStep_ = true;
+				Core_EnableStepping(false);
+			} else if (!frameStep_) {
+				lastNumFlips = gpuStats.numFlips;
+				Core_EnableStepping(true, "ui.frameAdvance", 0);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	bool blockedExecution = Achievements::IsBlockingExecution();
 	uint32_t clearColor = 0;
 	if (!blockedExecution) {
diff --git a/UI/EmuScreen.h b/UI/EmuScreen.h
index 77df9e3816..a80e684019 100644
--- a/UI/EmuScreen.h
+++ b/UI/EmuScreen.h
@@ -121,5 +121,7 @@ private:
 
 	std::string extraAssertInfoStr_;
 
+	std::atomic<bool> doFrameAdvance_{};
+
 	ControlMapper controlMapper_;
 };
diff --git a/UI/GameScreen.cpp b/UI/GameScreen.cpp
index baca52fc58..14a71400f0 100644
--- a/UI/GameScreen.cpp
+++ b/UI/GameScreen.cpp
@@ -205,7 +205,9 @@ void GameScreen::CreateViews() {
 	rightColumnItems->SetSpacing(0.0f);
 	rightColumn->Add(rightColumnItems);
 
-	rightColumnItems->Add(new Choice(ga->T("Play")))->OnClick.Handle(this, &GameScreen::OnPlay);
+	if (!inGame_) {
+		rightColumnItems->Add(new Choice(ga->T("Play")))->OnClick.Handle(this, &GameScreen::OnPlay);
+	}
 
 	btnGameSettings_ = rightColumnItems->Add(new Choice(ga->T("Game Settings")));
 	btnGameSettings_->OnClick.Handle(this, &GameScreen::OnGameSettings);