diff --git a/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp b/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp
index bd8d7f597..a1e5ab512 100644
--- a/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/PluginManager.cpp
@@ -544,24 +544,24 @@ Exception::PluginLoadError::PluginLoadError( PluginsEnum_t pid, const wxString&
 
 wxString Exception::PluginLoadError::FormatDiagnosticMessage() const
 {
-	return wxsFormat( m_message_diag, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname() ) +
+	return wxsFormat( m_message_diag, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname().c_str() ) +
 		L"\n\n" + StreamName;
 }
 
 wxString Exception::PluginLoadError::FormatDisplayMessage() const
 {
-	return wxsFormat( m_message_user, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname() ) +
+	return wxsFormat( m_message_user, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname().c_str() ) +
 		L"\n\n" + StreamName;
 }
 
 wxString Exception::PluginError::FormatDiagnosticMessage() const
 {
-	return wxsFormat( m_message_diag, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname() );
+	return wxsFormat( m_message_diag, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname().c_str() );
 }
 
 wxString Exception::PluginError::FormatDisplayMessage() const
 {
-	return wxsFormat( m_message_user, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname() );
+	return wxsFormat( m_message_user, tbl_PluginInfo[PluginId].GetShortname().c_str() );
 }
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -698,14 +698,13 @@ static bool OpenPlugin_CDVD()
 
 static bool OpenPlugin_GS()
 {
-	if( !mtgsThread->IsSelf() )
+	if( mtgsThread == NULL )
 	{
-		if( mtgsThread == NULL )
-			mtgsOpen();	// mtgsOpen raises its own exception on error
-
+		mtgsOpen();	// mtgsOpen raises its own exception on error
 		return true;
 	}
-	else
+
+	if( mtgsThread->IsSelf() )
 		return !GSopen( (void*)&pDsp, "PCSX2", renderswitch ? 2 : 1 );
 
 	// Note: rederswitch is us abusing the isMultiThread parameter for that so
diff --git a/pcsx2/gui/App.h b/pcsx2/gui/App.h
index 3a5e470e7..68172d923 100644
--- a/pcsx2/gui/App.h
+++ b/pcsx2/gui/App.h
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ protected:
 	void CleanupMess();
 	void OpenWizardConsole();
 
-	int MainLoop();
+	void HandleEvent(wxEvtHandler *handler, wxEventFunction func, wxEvent& event) const;
 
 	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 	//      Override wx default exception handling behavior
diff --git a/pcsx2/gui/ConsoleLogger.cpp b/pcsx2/gui/ConsoleLogger.cpp
index b39076e9e..e3b0347db 100644
--- a/pcsx2/gui/ConsoleLogger.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/gui/ConsoleLogger.cpp
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ namespace Console
 		// [TODO] make this a configurable option?  Do we care? :)
 #ifdef __LINUX__
 		// puts does automatic newlines, which we don't want here
-		fputs( L"PCSX2 > ", stdout );
+		fputs( "PCSX2 > ", stdout );
 		fputs( src, stdout );
 #endif
 
diff --git a/pcsx2/gui/main.cpp b/pcsx2/gui/main.cpp
index 20c85009a..c8a40c4e4 100644
--- a/pcsx2/gui/main.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/gui/main.cpp
@@ -307,78 +307,28 @@ void Pcsx2App::CleanupMess()
 	safe_delete( g_Conf );
 }
 
-static int pxRunningEventLoopCount = 0;
-
-class pxEvtLoop : public wxEventLoop
+void Pcsx2App::HandleEvent(wxEvtHandler *handler, wxEventFunction func, wxEvent& event) const
 {
-protected:
-	struct pxRunningEventLoopCounter
+	try
 	{
-		pxRunningEventLoopCounter()		{ pxRunningEventLoopCount++; }
-		~pxRunningEventLoopCounter()	{ pxRunningEventLoopCount--; }
-	};
-
-public:
-	virtual int Run()
-	{
-		// event loops are not recursive, you need to create another loop!
-		wxCHECK_MSG( !IsRunning(), -1, _T("can't reenter a message loop") );
-
-		wxEventLoopActivator activate(wx_static_cast(wxEventLoop *, this));
-
-#if defined(__WXMSW__) && wxUSE_THREADS
-		pxRunningEventLoopCounter evtLoopCounter;
-#endif // __WXMSW__
-
-		while( true )
-		{
-			try
-			{
-				while( !m_shouldExit )
-				{
-					// give ourselves the possibility to do whatever we want!
-					OnNextIteration();
-
-					while( Pending() )
-					{
-						if( !Dispatch() )
-						{
-							m_shouldExit = true;
-							break;
-						}
-					}
-
-					if( wxTheApp )
-						wxTheApp->ProcessIdle();
-				}
-				break;
-			}
-			// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-			catch( Exception::PluginError& ex )
-			{
-			}
-			// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-			catch( Exception::RuntimeError& ex )
-			{
-				// Runtime errors which have been unhandled should still be safe to recover from,
-				// so lets issue a message to the user and then continue the message pump.
-
-				Console::Error( ex.FormatDiagnosticMessage() );
-				Msgbox::Alert( ex.FormatDisplayMessage() );
-			}
-		}
+		(handler->*func)(event);
 	}
-};
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+	catch( Exception::PluginError& ex )
+	{
+	}
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+	catch( Exception::RuntimeError& ex )
+	{
+		// Runtime errors which have been unhandled should still be safe to recover from,
+		// so lets issue a message to the user and then continue the message pump.
 
-// This overload performs universal exception handling for specific types of recoverable
-// errors that can be thrown from a multitude of events.
-int Pcsx2App::MainLoop()
-{
-	assert( m_mainLoop == NULL );
-	m_mainLoop = new pxEvtLoop();
-	return m_mainLoop->Run();
+		Console::Error( ex.FormatDiagnosticMessage() );
+		Msgbox::Alert( ex.FormatDisplayMessage() );
+	}
 }
 
+
 // Common exit handler which can be called from any event (though really it should
 // be called only from CloseWindow handlers since that's the more appropriate way
 // to handle window closures)