diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp
index d6fdfc7f25..f0b11d71ff 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/SPUThread.cpp
@@ -486,9 +486,13 @@ void spu_thread::cpu_stop()
 	{
 		if (verify(HERE, group->running--) == 1)
 		{
+			{
+				group->stop_count++;
+				std::lock_guard lock(group->mutex);
+				group->run_state = SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_INITIALIZED;
+			}
+
 			// Notify on last thread stopped
-			group->stop_count++;
-			group->mutex.lock_unlock();
 			group->cond.notify_all();
 		}
 	}
@@ -2359,7 +2363,6 @@ bool spu_thread::stop_and_signal(u32 code)
 			}
 		}
 
-		group->run_state = SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_INITIALIZED;
 		group->exit_status = value;
 		group->join_state |= SPU_TGJSF_GROUP_EXIT;
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_spu.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_spu.cpp
index 581e17f812..85794fd601 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_spu.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_spu.cpp
@@ -329,12 +329,6 @@ error_code sys_spu_thread_group_destroy(u32 id)
 
 	const auto group = idm::withdraw<lv2_spu_group>(id, [](lv2_spu_group& group) -> CellError
 	{
-		if (group.running)
-		{
-			// Cannot destroy while threads are running
-			return CELL_EBUSY;
-		}
-
 		const auto _old = group.run_state.compare_and_swap(SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_INITIALIZED, SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_NOT_INITIALIZED);
 
 		if (_old > SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_INITIALIZED)
@@ -375,12 +369,6 @@ error_code sys_spu_thread_group_start(ppu_thread& ppu, u32 id)
 
 	const auto group = idm::get<lv2_spu_group>(id, [](lv2_spu_group& group)
 	{
-		if (group.running)
-		{
-			// Can't start while threads are (still) running
-			return false;
-		}
-
 		// SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_READY state is not used
 		return group.run_state.compare_and_swap_test(SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_INITIALIZED, SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_RUNNING);
 	});
@@ -618,7 +606,6 @@ error_code sys_spu_thread_group_terminate(u32 id, s32 value)
 		}
 	}
 
-	group->run_state = SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_INITIALIZED;
 	group->exit_status = value;
 	group->join_state |= SPU_TGJSF_TERMINATED;
 
@@ -680,7 +667,6 @@ error_code sys_spu_thread_group_join(ppu_thread& ppu, u32 id, vm::ptr<u32> cause
 		join_state = group->join_state;
 		exit_value = group->exit_status;
 		group->join_state &= ~SPU_TGJSF_IS_JOINING;
-		group->run_state = SPU_THREAD_GROUP_STATUS_INITIALIZED; // hack
 	}
 
 	if (ppu.test_stopped())