diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/pad_settings_dialog.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/pad_settings_dialog.cpp
index 1522e89858..0eeda510e2 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/pad_settings_dialog.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/pad_settings_dialog.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 LOG_CHANNEL(cfg_log, "CFG");
 
 inline std::string sstr(const QString& _in) { return _in.toStdString(); }
-constexpr auto qstr = QString::fromStdString;
 
 cfg_input_configurations g_cfg_input_configs;
 
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ pad_settings_dialog::pad_settings_dialog(std::shared_ptr<gui_settings> gui_setti
 	if (game)
 	{
 		m_title_id = game->serial;
-		setWindowTitle(tr("Gamepad Settings: [%0] %1").arg(qstr(game->serial)).arg(qstr(game->name).simplified()));
+		setWindowTitle(tr("Gamepad Settings: [%0] %1").arg(QString::fromStdString(game->serial)).arg(QString::fromStdString(game->name).simplified()));
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -89,13 +88,13 @@ pad_settings_dialog::pad_settings_dialog(std::shared_ptr<gui_settings> gui_setti
 
 	if (m_title_id.empty())
 	{
-		const QString input_config_dir = qstr(rpcs3::utils::get_input_config_dir(m_title_id));
+		const QString input_config_dir = QString::fromStdString(rpcs3::utils::get_input_config_dir(m_title_id));
 		QStringList config_files = gui::utils::get_dir_entries(QDir(input_config_dir), QStringList() << "*.yml");
-		QString active_config_file = qstr(g_cfg_input_configs.active_configs.get_value(g_cfg_input_configs.global_key));
+		QString active_config_file = QString::fromStdString(g_cfg_input_configs.active_configs.get_value(g_cfg_input_configs.global_key));
 
 		if (!config_files.contains(active_config_file))
 		{
-			const QString default_config_file = qstr(g_cfg_input_configs.default_config);
+			const QString default_config_file = QString::fromStdString(g_cfg_input_configs.default_config);
 
 			if (!config_files.contains(default_config_file) && CreateConfigFile(input_config_dir, default_config_file))
 			{
@@ -114,7 +113,7 @@ pad_settings_dialog::pad_settings_dialog(std::shared_ptr<gui_settings> gui_setti
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		ui->chooseConfig->addItem(qstr(m_title_id));
+		ui->chooseConfig->addItem(QString::fromStdString(m_title_id));
 		ui->gb_config_files->setEnabled(false);
 	}
 
@@ -673,7 +672,7 @@ void pad_settings_dialog::ReloadButtons()
 
 	auto updateButton = [this](int id, QPushButton* button, cfg::string* cfg_text)
 	{
-		const QString text = qstr(*cfg_text);
+		const QString text = QString::fromStdString(*cfg_text);
 		m_cfg_entries.insert(std::make_pair(id, pad_button{cfg_text, *cfg_text, text}));
 		button->setText(text);
 	};
@@ -1228,7 +1227,7 @@ void pad_settings_dialog::UpdateLabels(bool is_reset)
 		if (is_reset)
 		{
 			button.keys = *button.cfg_text;
-			button.text = qstr(button.keys);
+			button.text = QString::fromStdString(button.keys);
 		}
 
 		// The button has to contain at least one character, because it would be square'ish otherwise
@@ -1493,7 +1492,7 @@ void pad_settings_dialog::ChangeHandler()
 	case pad_handler::skateboard:
 	case pad_handler::move:
 	{
-		const QString name_string = qstr(m_handler->name_string());
+		const QString name_string = QString::fromStdString(m_handler->name_string());
 		for (usz i = 1; i <= m_handler->max_devices(); i++) // Controllers 1-n in GUI
 		{
 			const QString device_name = name_string + QString::number(i);
@@ -1628,15 +1627,15 @@ void pad_settings_dialog::ChangeConfig(const QString& config_file)
 	}
 
 	const u32 player_id = GetPlayerIndex();
-	const std::string handler = fmt::format("%s", g_cfg_input.player[player_id]->handler.get());
+	const QString q_handler = QString::fromStdString(g_cfg_input.player[player_id]->handler.to_string());
 
-	if (const QString q_handler = qstr(handler); ui->chooseHandler->findText(q_handler) >= 0)
+	if (const int index = ui->chooseHandler->findData(q_handler); index >= 0)
 	{
-		ui->chooseHandler->setCurrentText(q_handler);
+		ui->chooseHandler->setCurrentIndex(index);
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		cfg_log.error("Handler '%s' not found in handler dropdown.", handler);
+		cfg_log.error("Handler '%s' not found in handler dropdown.", q_handler);
 	}
 
 	// Force Refresh
@@ -1773,7 +1772,7 @@ void pad_settings_dialog::AddConfigFile()
 			QMessageBox::warning(this, tr("Error"), tr("Please choose a non-existing name"));
 			continue;
 		}
-		if (CreateConfigFile(qstr(rpcs3::utils::get_input_config_dir(m_title_id)), config_name))
+		if (CreateConfigFile(QString::fromStdString(rpcs3::utils::get_input_config_dir(m_title_id)), config_name))
 		{
 			ui->chooseConfig->addItem(config_name);
 			ui->chooseConfig->setCurrentText(config_name);
@@ -1799,12 +1798,12 @@ void pad_settings_dialog::RefreshHandlers()
 		const std::vector<std::string> str_inputs = g_cfg_input.player[0]->handler.to_list();
 		for (usz i = 0; i < str_inputs.size(); i++)
 		{
-			const QString item_data = qstr(str_inputs[i]);
+			const QString item_data = QString::fromStdString(str_inputs[i]);
 			ui->chooseHandler->addItem(GetLocalizedPadHandler(item_data, static_cast<pad_handler>(i)), QVariant(item_data));
 		}
 
-		const auto& handler = g_cfg_input.player[player_id]->handler;
-		ui->chooseHandler->setCurrentText(GetLocalizedPadHandler(qstr(handler.to_string()), handler));
+		const QString item_data = QString::fromStdString(g_cfg_input.player[player_id]->handler.to_string());
+		ui->chooseHandler->setCurrentIndex(ui->chooseHandler->findData(QVariant(item_data)));
 	}
 
 	ui->chooseHandler->blockSignals(false);
@@ -1932,7 +1931,9 @@ void pad_settings_dialog::SaveExit()
 			m_gui_settings->ShowConfirmationBox(
 				tr("Warning!"),
 				tr("The %0 button <b>%1</b> of <b>Player %2</b> was assigned at least twice.<br>Please consider adjusting the configuration.<br><br>Continue anyway?<br>")
-					.arg(qstr(g_cfg_input.player[player_id]->handler.to_string())).arg(qstr(key)).arg(player_id + 1),
+					.arg(QString::fromStdString(g_cfg_input.player[player_id]->handler.to_string()))
+					.arg(QString::fromStdString(key))
+					.arg(player_id + 1),
 				gui::ib_same_buttons, &result, this);
 
 			if (result == QMessageBox::No)