diff --git a/android/jni/app-android.cpp b/android/jni/app-android.cpp
index 1d667d72ebcb..ffe7e411b61b 100644
--- a/android/jni/app-android.cpp
+++ b/android/jni/app-android.cpp
@@ -688,8 +688,9 @@ extern "C" void Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeApp_init
 	EARLY_LOG("NativeApp.init() -- begin");
 	PROFILE_INIT();
 
-	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(renderLock);  // Note: This is held for the rest of this function - intended?
+	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(renderLock);
 	renderer_inited = false;
+	exitRenderLoop = false;
 	androidVersion = jAndroidVersion;
 	deviceType = jdeviceType;
 
@@ -872,8 +873,14 @@ extern "C" void Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeApp_pause(JNIEnv *, jclass) {
 }
 
 extern "C" void Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeApp_shutdown(JNIEnv *, jclass) {
+	INFO_LOG(SYSTEM, "NativeApp.shutdown() -- begin");
+
 	if (renderer_inited && useCPUThread && graphicsContext) {
 		// Only used in Java EGL path.
+
+		// We can't lock renderLock here because the emu thread will be in NativeFrame
+		// which locks renderLock already, and only gets out once we call ThreadFrame()
+		// in a loop before, to empty the queue.
 		EmuThreadStop("shutdown");
 		INFO_LOG(SYSTEM, "BeginAndroidShutdown");
 		graphicsContext->BeginAndroidShutdown();
@@ -891,19 +898,19 @@ extern "C" void Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeApp_shutdown(JNIEnv *, jclass) {
 		EmuThreadJoin();
 	}
 
-	INFO_LOG(SYSTEM, "NativeApp.shutdown() -- begin");
-	if (renderer_inited) {
-		INFO_LOG(G3D, "Shutting down renderer");
-		graphicsContext->Shutdown();
-		delete graphicsContext;
-		graphicsContext = nullptr;
-		renderer_inited = false;
-	} else {
-		INFO_LOG(G3D, "Not shutting down renderer - not initialized");
-	}
-
 	{
 		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(renderLock);
+
+		if (graphicsContext) {
+			INFO_LOG(G3D, "Shutting down renderer");
+			graphicsContext->Shutdown();
+			delete graphicsContext;
+			graphicsContext = nullptr;
+			renderer_inited = false;
+		} else {
+			INFO_LOG(G3D, "Not shutting down renderer - not initialized");
+		}
+
 		NativeShutdown();
 		g_VFS.Clear();
 	}
@@ -1135,6 +1142,9 @@ void UpdateRunLoopAndroid(JNIEnv *env) {
 }
 
 extern "C" void Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeRenderer_displayRender(JNIEnv *env, jobject obj) {
+	// This doesn't get called on the Vulkan path.
+	_assert_(useCPUThread);
+
 	static bool hasSetThreadName = false;
 	if (!hasSetThreadName) {
 		hasSetThreadName = true;
@@ -1144,13 +1154,9 @@ extern "C" void Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeRenderer_displayRender(JNIEnv *env,
 	if (IsVREnabled() && !StartVRRender())
 		return;
 
-	if (useCPUThread) {
-		// This is the "GPU thread". Call ThreadFrame.
-		if (!graphicsContext || !graphicsContext->ThreadFrame()) {
-			return;
-		}
-	} else {
-		UpdateRunLoopAndroid(env);
+	// This is the "GPU thread". Call ThreadFrame.
+	if (!graphicsContext || !graphicsContext->ThreadFrame()) {
+		return;
 	}
 
 	if (IsVREnabled()) {
@@ -1457,15 +1463,24 @@ static void ProcessFrameCommands(JNIEnv *env) {
 }
 
 // This runs in Vulkan mode only.
+// This handles the entire lifecycle of the Vulkan context, init and exit.
 extern "C" bool JNICALL Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeActivity_runVulkanRenderLoop(JNIEnv *env, jobject obj, jobject _surf) {
 	_assert_(!useCPUThread);
 
 	if (!graphicsContext) {
 		ERROR_LOG(G3D, "runVulkanRenderLoop: Tried to enter without a created graphics context.");
+		renderLoopRunning = false;
+		exitRenderLoop = false;
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	exitRenderLoop = false;
+	if (exitRenderLoop) {
+		WARN_LOG(G3D, "runVulkanRenderLoop: ExitRenderLoop requested at start, skipping the whole thing.");
+		renderLoopRunning = false;
+		exitRenderLoop = false;
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	// This is up here to prevent race conditions, in case we pause during init.
 	renderLoopRunning = true;
 
@@ -1507,11 +1522,11 @@ extern "C" bool JNICALL Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeActivity_runVulkanRenderLoo
 			hasSetThreadName = true;
 			SetCurrentThreadName("AndroidRender");
 		}
-	}
 
-	while (!exitRenderLoop) {
-		LockedNativeUpdateRender();
-		ProcessFrameCommands(env);
+		while (!exitRenderLoop) {
+			LockedNativeUpdateRender();
+			ProcessFrameCommands(env);
+		}
 	}
 
 	INFO_LOG(G3D, "Leaving EGL/Vulkan render loop.");
@@ -1525,6 +1540,7 @@ extern "C" bool JNICALL Java_org_ppsspp_ppsspp_NativeActivity_runVulkanRenderLoo
 	INFO_LOG(G3D, "Shutting down graphics context from render thread...");
 	graphicsContext->ShutdownFromRenderThread();
 	renderLoopRunning = false;
+	exitRenderLoop = false;
 
 	WARN_LOG(G3D, "Render loop function exited.");
 	return true;
diff --git a/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/NativeActivity.java b/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/NativeActivity.java
index db4a4c1c931d..4f6cc7835359 100644
--- a/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/NativeActivity.java
+++ b/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/NativeActivity.java
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
 			Log.i(TAG, "setcontentview before");
 			setContentView(mSurfaceView);
 			Log.i(TAG, "setcontentview after");
-			ensureRenderLoop();
+			startRenderLoopThread();
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -677,12 +677,18 @@ public void onWindowFocusChanged(boolean hasFocus) {
 
 	public void notifySurface(Surface surface) {
 		mSurface = surface;
+
+		if (!initialized) {
+			Log.e(TAG, "Can't deal with surfaces while not initialized");
+			return;
+		}
+
 		if (!javaGL) {
 			// If we got a surface, this starts the thread. If not, it doesn't.
 			if (mSurface == null) {
 				joinRenderLoopThread();
 			} else {
-				ensureRenderLoop();
+				startRenderLoopThread();
 			}
 		}
 		updateSustainedPerformanceMode();
@@ -690,7 +696,7 @@ public void notifySurface(Surface surface) {
 
 	// Invariants: After this, mRenderLoopThread will be set, and the thread will be running,
 	// if in Vulkan mode.
-	protected synchronized void ensureRenderLoop() {
+	protected synchronized void startRenderLoopThread() {
 		if (javaGL) {
 			Log.e(TAG, "JavaGL mode - should not get into ensureRenderLoop.");
 			return;
@@ -740,27 +746,26 @@ void setupSystemUiCallback() {
 		navigationCallbackView = decorView;
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	protected void onStop() {
-		super.onStop();
-		Log.i(TAG, "onStop - do nothing special");
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	protected void onDestroy() {
 		super.onDestroy();
 		Log.i(TAG, "onDestroy");
 		if (javaGL) {
-			if (nativeRenderer != null && nativeRenderer.isRenderingFrame()) {
-				Log.i(TAG, "Waiting for renderer to finish.");
-				int tries = 200;
-				do {
-					try {
-						Thread.sleep(10);
-					} catch (InterruptedException e) {
-					}
-					tries--;
-				} while (nativeRenderer.isRenderingFrame() && tries > 0);
+			if (nativeRenderer != null) {
+				if (nativeRenderer.isRenderingFrame()) {
+					Log.i(TAG, "Waiting for renderer to finish.");
+					int tries = 200;
+					do {
+						try {
+							Thread.sleep(10);
+						} catch (InterruptedException e) {
+						}
+						tries--;
+					} while (nativeRenderer.isRenderingFrame() && tries > 0);
+				} else {
+					Log.i(TAG, "nativerenderer done.");
+					nativeRenderer = null;
+				}
 			}
 			mGLSurfaceView.onDestroy();
 			mGLSurfaceView = null;
@@ -785,7 +790,7 @@ protected void onDestroy() {
 		// TODO: Can we ensure that the GL thread has stopped rendering here?
 		// I've seen crashes that seem to indicate that sometimes it hasn't...
 		NativeApp.audioShutdown();
-		if (shuttingDown || isFinishing()) {
+		if (shuttingDown) {
 			NativeApp.shutdown();
 			unregisterCallbacks();
 			initialized = false;
@@ -803,6 +808,7 @@ protected void onPause() {
 		super.onPause();
 		Log.i(TAG, "onPause");
 		loseAudioFocus(this.audioManager, this.audioFocusChangeListener);
+		sizeManager.setPaused(true);
 		NativeApp.pause();
 		if (!javaGL) {
 			mSurfaceView.onPause();
@@ -838,6 +844,7 @@ private boolean detectOpenGLES30() {
 	protected void onResume() {
 		super.onResume();
 		updateSustainedPerformanceMode();
+		sizeManager.setPaused(false);
 		if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.ICE_CREAM_SANDWICH) {
 			updateSystemUiVisibility();
 		}
@@ -866,7 +873,7 @@ protected void onResume() {
 
 		if (!javaGL) {
 			// Restart the render loop.
-			ensureRenderLoop();
+			startRenderLoopThread();
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/SizeManager.java b/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/SizeManager.java
index 25509769eb4d..af81f640ddc3 100644
--- a/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/SizeManager.java
+++ b/android/src/org/ppsspp/ppsspp/SizeManager.java
@@ -39,10 +39,18 @@ public class SizeManager implements SurfaceHolder.Callback {
 	private Point desiredSize = new Point();
 	private int badOrientationCount = 0;
 
+
+	private boolean paused = false;
+
 	public SizeManager(final NativeActivity a) {
 		activity = a;
 	}
 
+
+	public void setPaused(boolean p) {
+		paused = p;
+	}
+
 	@TargetApi(Build.VERSION_CODES.P)
 	public void setSurfaceView(SurfaceView view) {
 		surfaceView = view;
@@ -107,7 +115,11 @@ public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int width, int heig
 		NativeApp.backbufferResize(width, height, format);
 		updateDisplayMeasurements();
 
-		activity.notifySurface(holder.getSurface());
+		if (!paused) {
+			activity.notifySurface(holder.getSurface());
+		} else {
+			Log.i(TAG, "Skipping notifySurface while paused");
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override