diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.cpp
index ee2d3042a5..a5c3ceaf11 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.cpp
@@ -19,13 +19,31 @@ usz curl_write_cb_compat(char* ptr, usz /*size*/, usz nmemb, void* userdata)
 downloader::downloader(QWidget* parent)
 	: QObject(parent)
 	, m_parent(parent)
+	, m_curl(new curl_handle(this))
 {
-	m_curl = new curl_handle(this);
+	connect(this, &downloader::signal_buffer_update, this, &downloader::handle_buffer_update);
+}
+
+downloader::~downloader()
+{
+	m_curl_abort = true;
+	if (m_thread && m_thread->isRunning())
+	{
+		m_thread->wait();
+	}
 }
 
 void downloader::start(const std::string& url, bool follow_location, bool show_progress_dialog, const QString& progress_dialog_title, bool keep_progress_dialog_open, int exptected_size)
 {
-	connect(this, &downloader::signal_buffer_update, this, &downloader::handle_buffer_update);
+	if (m_thread)
+	{
+		m_curl_abort = true;
+		if (m_thread->isRunning())
+		{
+			m_thread->wait();
+		}
+		m_thread->deleteLater();
+	}
 
 	m_keep_progress_dialog_open = keep_progress_dialog_open;
 	m_curl_buf.clear();
@@ -36,7 +54,7 @@ void downloader::start(const std::string& url, bool follow_location, bool show_p
 	curl_easy_setopt(m_curl->get_curl(), CURLOPT_WRITEDATA, this);
 	curl_easy_setopt(m_curl->get_curl(), CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, follow_location ? 1 : 0);
 
-	const auto thread = QThread::create([this]
+	m_thread = QThread::create([this]
 	{
 		const auto result = curl_easy_perform(m_curl->get_curl());
 		m_curl_success = result == CURLE_OK;
@@ -49,7 +67,7 @@ void downloader::start(const std::string& url, bool follow_location, bool show_p
 		}
 	});
 
-	connect(thread, &QThread::finished, this, [this]()
+	connect(m_thread, &QThread::finished, this, [this]()
 	{
 		if (m_curl_abort)
 		{
@@ -95,8 +113,8 @@ void downloader::start(const std::string& url, bool follow_location, bool show_p
 		}
 	}
 
-	thread->setObjectName("Compat Update");
-	thread->start();
+	m_thread->setObjectName("Download Thread");
+	m_thread->start();
 }
 
 void downloader::update_progress_dialog(const QString& title)
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.h b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.h
index 96a6d21cea..168ac2a88c 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.h
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3qt/downloader.h
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ class downloader : public QObject
 	Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-	downloader(QWidget* parent = nullptr);
+	explicit downloader(QWidget* parent = nullptr);
+	~downloader();
 
 	void start(const std::string& url, bool follow_location, bool show_progress_dialog, const QString& progress_dialog_title = "", bool keep_progress_dialog_open = false, int expected_size = -1);
 	usz update_buffer(char* data, usz size);
@@ -43,4 +44,6 @@ private:
 	progress_dialog* m_progress_dialog = nullptr;
 	atomic_t<bool> m_keep_progress_dialog_open = false;
 	QString m_progress_dialog_title;
+
+	QThread* m_thread = nullptr;
 };