diff --git a/src/input_common/input_common.cpp b/src/input_common/input_common.cpp
index db3480281..d0af6ea39 100644
--- a/src/input_common/input_common.cpp
+++ b/src/input_common/input_common.cpp
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@ const Service::HID::PadState ControllerBase::GetPadState() const {
 }
 
 void Init(ControllerBackends backend) {
-    switch(backend)
-    {
+    switch(backend) {
         //SDL2 backend selected
         case SDL2_JOY: 
             g_user_input = new SDLController();
@@ -57,6 +56,12 @@ void Init(ControllerBackends backend) {
             break;
     }
 
+    //Shutdown immediately if backend failed to initialize
+    if((g_user_input != nullptr) && (!g_user_input->activated)) {
+        ShutDown();
+        return;
+    }
+
     //Setup CoreTiming
     frame_ticks = 268123480 / Settings::values.gpu_refresh_rate / 16;
 
@@ -65,9 +70,7 @@ void Init(ControllerBackends backend) {
 }
 
 void ShutDown() {
-    //Delete the current user input plugin
-    if(g_user_input != nullptr)
-    {
+    if((g_user_input != nullptr)
         delete g_user_input;
         g_user_input = nullptr;
     }
diff --git a/src/input_common/input_common.h b/src/input_common/input_common.h
index 5126f0b72..aab75267f 100644
--- a/src/input_common/input_common.h
+++ b/src/input_common/input_common.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ public:
     ///Returns internal pad state
     const Service::HID::PadState GetPadState() const; 
 
+    bool activated;
+
 protected:
     ///Internal name of currently selected device
     std::string device_name;
diff --git a/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp b/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp
index 5df4fd10d..298c41011 100644
--- a/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp
+++ b/src/input_common/sdl_input/sdl_input.cpp
@@ -18,10 +18,7 @@ SDLController::SDLController() {
     controller.touch_screen_x = 0;
     controller.touch_screen_y = 0;
 
-    //Immediately shutdown if initialization fails
-    if(!Init()) {
-        ShutDown();
-    }
+    activated = Init();
 }
 
 SDLController::~SDLController() {
@@ -43,6 +40,8 @@ bool SDLController::Init() {
         return false;
     }
 
+    device_name = SDL_JoystickNameForIndex(index);
+
     //If joystick successfully opened, load up keymap from input configuration
     //TODO - Make it NOT hardcoded
     joypad_id = KeyMap::NewDeviceId();
@@ -50,6 +49,8 @@ bool SDLController::Init() {
 
     //TODO - Make it NOT hardcoded
     SetDeadZone(8000);
+
+    return true;
 }
 
 void SDLController::DiscoverDevices() {}
@@ -59,8 +60,6 @@ void SDLController::ShutDown() {
     if(jpad != nullptr) {
         SDL_JoystickClose(jpad);
     }
-
-    InputCommon::ShutDown();
 }
 
 void SDLController::Poll() {