diff --git a/src/core/system.cpp b/src/core/system.cpp
index 42e7a1aac..2bfccbbe7 100644
--- a/src/core/system.cpp
+++ b/src/core/system.cpp
@@ -577,6 +577,8 @@ void System::CoreThreadShutdown()
 
   HTTPCache::Shutdown();
 
+  VideoThread::Internal::ProcessShutdown();
+
   s_state.core_thread_handle = {};
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
diff --git a/src/core/video_thread.cpp b/src/core/video_thread.cpp
index d1059210a..5c53d6255 100644
--- a/src/core/video_thread.cpp
+++ b/src/core/video_thread.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ static bool IsCommandFIFOEmpty();
 static void WakeThread();
 static void WakeThreadIfSleeping();
 static bool SleepThread(bool allow_sleep);
+static void VideoThreadEntryPoint();
 
 static bool CreateDeviceOnThread(RenderAPI api, bool fullscreen, bool start_fullscreen_ui,
                                  bool preserve_imgui_on_failure, Error* error);
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ struct ALIGN_TO_CACHE_LINE State
 {
   // Owned by CPU thread.
   Timer::Value thread_spin_time = 0;
-  Threading::ThreadHandle thread_handle;
+  Threading::Thread thread;
   Common::unique_aligned_ptr<u8[]> command_fifo_data;
   WindowInfo render_window_info;
   std::optional<GPURenderer> requested_renderer;
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ static State s_state;
 
 const Threading::ThreadHandle& VideoThread::Internal::GetThreadHandle()
 {
-  return s_state.thread_handle;
+  return s_state.thread;
 }
 
 void VideoThread::ResetCommandFIFO()
@@ -151,9 +152,12 @@ void VideoThread::Internal::ProcessStartup()
   s_state.command_fifo_data = Common::make_unique_aligned_for_overwrite<u8[]>(HOST_CACHE_LINE_SIZE, COMMAND_QUEUE_SIZE);
   s_state.use_thread = g_settings.gpu_use_thread;
   s_state.run_idle_reasons = static_cast<u8>(RunIdleReason::NoGPUBackend);
+
+  // Thread is always started/persists regardless of whether it is used or not.
+  s_state.thread.Start(&VideoThread::VideoThreadEntryPoint);
 }
 
-void VideoThread::Internal::RequestShutdown()
+void VideoThread::Internal::ProcessShutdown()
 {
   INFO_LOG("Shutting down video thread...");
   SyncThread(false);
@@ -161,6 +165,9 @@ void VideoThread::Internal::RequestShutdown()
   // Thread must be enabled to shut it down.
   SetThreadEnabled(true);
   PushCommandAndWakeThread(AllocateCommand(VideoThreadCommandType::Shutdown, sizeof(VideoThreadCommand)));
+  s_state.thread.Join();
+
+  INFO_LOG("Video thread shutdown complete.");
 }
 
 VideoThreadCommand* VideoThread::AllocateCommand(VideoThreadCommandType command, u32 size)
@@ -407,9 +414,9 @@ bool VideoThread::SleepThread(bool allow_sleep)
   }
 }
 
-void VideoThread::Internal::VideoThreadEntryPoint()
+void VideoThread::VideoThreadEntryPoint()
 {
-  s_state.thread_handle = Threading::ThreadHandle::GetForCallingThread();
+  Threading::SetNameOfCurrentThread("Video Thread");
 
   // Take a local copy of the FIFO, that way it's not ping-ponging between the threads.
   u8* const command_fifo_data = s_state.command_fifo_data.get();
@@ -427,7 +434,7 @@ void VideoThread::Internal::VideoThreadEntryPoint()
       }
       else
       {
-        DoRunIdle();
+        VideoThread::Internal::DoRunIdle();
         continue;
       }
     }
@@ -503,7 +510,6 @@ void VideoThread::Internal::VideoThreadEntryPoint()
           // Should have consumed everything, and be shutdown.
           DebugAssert(read_ptr == write_ptr);
           s_state.command_fifo_read_ptr.store(read_ptr, std::memory_order_release);
-          s_state.thread_handle = {};
           return;
         }
         break;
@@ -1319,7 +1325,7 @@ void VideoThread::ReportFatalErrorAndShutdown(std::string_view reason)
 
 bool VideoThread::IsOnThread()
 {
-  return (!s_state.use_thread || s_state.thread_handle.IsCallingThread());
+  return (!s_state.use_thread || s_state.thread.IsCallingThread());
 }
 
 bool VideoThread::IsUsingThread()
diff --git a/src/core/video_thread.h b/src/core/video_thread.h
index 44e5c5bf0..b06ebdb77 100644
--- a/src/core/video_thread.h
+++ b/src/core/video_thread.h
@@ -105,9 +105,8 @@ void SyncThread(bool spin);
 namespace Internal {
 const Threading::ThreadHandle& GetThreadHandle();
 void ProcessStartup();
+void ProcessShutdown();
 void DoRunIdle();
-void RequestShutdown();
-void VideoThreadEntryPoint();
 bool PresentFrameAndRestoreContext();
 } // namespace Internal
 } // namespace VideoThread
diff --git a/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.cpp b/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.cpp
index a5b5335cc..d76f7abfe 100644
--- a/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.cpp
+++ b/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.cpp
@@ -2232,9 +2232,6 @@ void CoreThread::run()
   createBackgroundControllerPollTimer();
   startBackgroundControllerPollTimer();
 
-  // kick off GPU thread
-  Threading::Thread video_thread(&CoreThread::videoThreadEntryPoint);
-
   // main loop
   while (!m_shutdown_flag)
   {
@@ -2261,10 +2258,6 @@ void CoreThread::run()
 
   destroyBackgroundControllerPollTimer();
 
-  // tell GPU thread to exit
-  VideoThread::Internal::RequestShutdown();
-  video_thread.Join();
-
   // join worker threads
   QtHost::s_async_task_queue.SetWorkerCount(0);
 
@@ -2277,12 +2270,6 @@ void CoreThread::run()
   m_event_loop = nullptr;
 }
 
-void CoreThread::videoThreadEntryPoint()
-{
-  Threading::SetNameOfCurrentThread("Video Thread");
-  VideoThread::Internal::VideoThreadEntryPoint();
-}
-
 void Host::FrameDoneOnVideoThread(GPUBackend* gpu_backend, u32 frame_number)
 {
 }
diff --git a/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.h b/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.h
index 2c56739cb..555d455e2 100644
--- a/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.h
+++ b/src/duckstation-qt/qthost.h
@@ -208,8 +208,6 @@ private:
   void confirmActionWithSafetyCheck(const QString& action, bool check_achievements, bool cancel_resume_on_accept,
                                     std::function<void(bool)> callback) const;
 
-  static void videoThreadEntryPoint();
-
   QThread* m_ui_thread;
   QEventLoop* m_event_loop = nullptr;
   QTimer* m_background_controller_polling_timer = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/duckstation-regtest/regtest_host.cpp b/src/duckstation-regtest/regtest_host.cpp
index e651a005e..cdc02cd2b 100644
--- a/src/duckstation-regtest/regtest_host.cpp
+++ b/src/duckstation-regtest/regtest_host.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ static bool SetNewDataRoot(const std::string& filename);
 static void DumpSystemStateHashes();
 static std::string GetFrameDumpPath(u32 frame);
 static void ProcessCoreThreadEvents();
-static void VideoThreadEntryPoint();
 
 struct RegTestHostState
 {
@@ -74,8 +73,6 @@ ALIGN_TO_CACHE_LINE static TaskQueue s_async_task_queue;
 
 } // namespace RegTestHost
 
-static Threading::Thread s_video_thread;
-
 static u32 s_frames_to_run = 60 * 60;
 static u32 s_frames_remaining = 0;
 static u32 s_frame_dump_interval = 0;
@@ -705,12 +702,6 @@ void RegTestHost::HookSignals()
 #endif
 }
 
-void RegTestHost::VideoThreadEntryPoint()
-{
-  Threading::SetNameOfCurrentThread("Video Thread");
-  VideoThread::Internal::VideoThreadEntryPoint();
-}
-
 void RegTestHost::DumpSystemStateHashes()
 {
   Error error;
@@ -1006,7 +997,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   RegTestHost::s_async_task_queue.SetWorkerCount(1);
 
   RegTestHost::HookSignals();
-  s_video_thread.Start(&RegTestHost::VideoThreadEntryPoint);
 
   int result = -1;
   INFO_LOG("Trying to boot '{}'...", autoboot->path);
@@ -1053,12 +1043,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   result = 0;
 
 cleanup:
-  if (s_video_thread.Joinable())
-  {
-    VideoThread::Internal::RequestShutdown();
-    s_video_thread.Join();
-  }
-
   RegTestHost::s_async_task_queue.SetWorkerCount(0);
 
   RegTestHost::ProcessCoreThreadEvents();