diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.cpp
index 41ecbdee0e..1c814f6a65 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/CPU/CPUThread.cpp
@@ -337,17 +337,13 @@ namespace cpu_counter
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// Unregister and wait if necessary
-		verify(HERE), _this->state & cpu_flag::wait;
-
 		if (slot >= std::size(s_cpu_list))
 		{
 			sys_log.fatal("Index out of bounds (%u)." HERE, slot);
 			return;
 		}
 
-		std::lock_guard lock(s_cpu_lock);
-
+		// Asynchronous unregister
 		if (!s_cpu_list[slot].compare_and_swap_test(_this, nullptr))
 		{
 			sys_log.fatal("Inconsistency for array slot %u", slot);
@@ -519,6 +515,8 @@ void cpu_thread::operator()()
 				cpu_counter::remove(_this);
 			}
 
+			s_cpu_lock.lock_unlock();
+
 			s_cpu_counter--;
 
 			g_tls_current_cpu_thread = nullptr;
@@ -592,7 +590,7 @@ bool cpu_thread::check_state() noexcept
 		{
 			bool store = false;
 
-			if (flags & cpu_flag::pause)
+			if (flags & cpu_flag::pause && s_tls_thread_slot != umax)
 			{
 				// Save value before state is saved and cpu_flag::wait is observed
 				if (s_tls_sctr == umax)
@@ -614,6 +612,13 @@ bool cpu_thread::check_state() noexcept
 			}
 			else
 			{
+				// Cleanup after asynchronous remove()
+				if (flags & cpu_flag::pause && s_tls_thread_slot == umax)
+				{
+					flags -= cpu_flag::pause;
+					store = true;
+				}
+
 				s_tls_sctr = -1;
 			}