diff --git a/Utilities/Config.cpp b/Utilities/Config.cpp
index 962a36385b..771dbb7e9e 100644
--- a/Utilities/Config.cpp
+++ b/Utilities/Config.cpp
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ void cfg::_bool::from_default()
 
 void cfg::string::from_default()
 {
-	m_value = def;
+	m_value = m_value.make(def);
 }
 
 void cfg::set_entry::from_default()
diff --git a/Utilities/Config.h b/Utilities/Config.h
index 2a5686a64b..3bba385825 100644
--- a/Utilities/Config.h
+++ b/Utilities/Config.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include "Utilities/types.h"
 #include "Utilities/StrFmt.h"
 #include "Utilities/Log.h"
+#include "util/atomic.hpp"
+#include "util/shared_cptr.hpp"
 
 #include <utility>
 #include <string>
@@ -121,10 +123,10 @@ namespace cfg
 
 	class _bool final : public _base
 	{
-		bool m_value;
+		atomic_t<bool> m_value;
 
 	public:
-		bool def;
+		const bool def;
 
 		_bool(node* owner, const std::string& name, bool def = false, bool dynamic = false)
 			: _base(type::_bool, owner, name, dynamic)
@@ -138,7 +140,7 @@ namespace cfg
 			return m_value;
 		}
 
-		const bool& get() const
+		bool get() const
 		{
 			return m_value;
 		}
@@ -172,7 +174,7 @@ namespace cfg
 	template <typename T>
 	class _enum final : public _base
 	{
-		T m_value;
+		atomic_t<T> m_value;
 
 	public:
 		const T def;
@@ -189,7 +191,7 @@ namespace cfg
 			return m_value;
 		}
 
-		const T& get() const
+		T get() const
 		{
 			return m_value;
 		}
@@ -202,7 +204,7 @@ namespace cfg
 		std::string to_string() const override
 		{
 			std::string result;
-			fmt_class_string<T>::format(result, fmt_unveil<T>::get(m_value));
+			fmt_class_string<T>::format(result, fmt_unveil<T>::get(m_value.load()));
 			return result; // TODO: ???
 		}
 
@@ -235,7 +237,7 @@ namespace cfg
 		// Prefer 32 bit type if possible
 		using int_type = std::conditional_t<Min >= INT32_MIN && Max <= INT32_MAX, s32, s64>;
 
-		int_type m_value;
+		atomic_t<int_type> m_value;
 
 	public:
 		int_type def;
@@ -256,7 +258,7 @@ namespace cfg
 			return m_value;
 		}
 
-		const int_type& get() const
+		int_type get() const
 		{
 			return m_value;
 		}
@@ -303,50 +305,56 @@ namespace cfg
 	// Simple string entry with mutex
 	class string final : public _base
 	{
-		std::string m_name;
-		std::string m_value;
+		const std::string m_name;
+
+		stx::atomic_cptr<std::string> m_value;
 
 	public:
 		std::string def;
 
-		string(node* owner, const std::string& name, const std::string& def = {}, bool dynamic = false)
+		string(node* owner, std::string name, std::string def = {}, bool dynamic = false)
 			: _base(type::string, owner, name, dynamic)
-			, m_name(name)
-			, m_value(def)
-			, def(def)
+			, m_name(std::move(name))
+			, m_value(m_value.make(def))
+			, def(std::move(def))
 		{
 		}
 
 		operator std::string() const
 		{
-			return m_value;
+			return *m_value.load().get();
 		}
 
-		const std::string& get() const
+		std::pair<const std::string&, stx::shared_cptr<std::string>> get() const
 		{
-			return m_value;
+			auto v = m_value.load();
+
+			if (auto s = v.get())
+			{
+				return {*s, std::move(v)};
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				static const std::string _empty;
+				return {_empty, {}};
+			}
 		}
 
-		std::string get_name() const
+		const std::string& get_name() const
 		{
 			return m_name;
 		}
 
-		std::size_t size() const
-		{
-			return m_value.size();
-		}
-
 		void from_default() override;
 
 		std::string to_string() const override
 		{
-			return m_value;
+			return *m_value.load().get();
 		}
 
 		bool from_string(const std::string& value, bool /*dynamic*/ = false) override
 		{
-			m_value = value;
+			m_value = m_value.make(value);
 			return true;
 		}
 	};
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/GDB.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/GDB.cpp
index 071ec489b6..22fb7d4a38 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/GDB.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/GDB.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,9 @@ void gdb_thread::start_server()
 	// IPv4 address:port in format 127.0.0.1:2345
 	static const std::regex ipv4_regex("^([0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3})\\:([0-9]{1,5})$");
 
-	if (g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get()[0] == '\0')
+	auto [sname, sshared] = g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get();
+
+	if (sname[0] == '\0')
 	{
 		// Empty string or starts with null: GDB server disabled
 		GDB.notice("GDB Server is disabled.");
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ void gdb_thread::start_server()
 	// Try to detect socket type
 	std::smatch match;
 
-	if (std::regex_match(g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get(), match, ipv4_regex))
+	if (std::regex_match(sname, match, ipv4_regex))
 	{
 		struct addrinfo hints{};
 		struct addrinfo* info;
@@ -142,7 +144,7 @@ void gdb_thread::start_server()
 
 			if (server_socket == -1)
 			{
-				GDB.error("Error creating IP socket for '%s'.", g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+				GDB.error("Error creating IP socket for '%s'.", sname);
 				freeaddrinfo(info);
 				return;
 			}
@@ -151,7 +153,7 @@ void gdb_thread::start_server()
 
 			if (bind(server_socket, info->ai_addr, static_cast<int>(info->ai_addrlen)) != 0)
 			{
-				GDB.error("Failed to bind socket on '%s'.", g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+				GDB.error("Failed to bind socket on '%s'.", sname);
 				freeaddrinfo(info);
 				return;
 			}
@@ -160,11 +162,11 @@ void gdb_thread::start_server()
 
 			if (listen(server_socket, 1) != 0)
 			{
-				GDB.error("Failed to listen on '%s'.", g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+				GDB.error("Failed to listen on '%s'.", sname);
 				return;
 			}
 
-			GDB.notice("Started listening on '%s'.", g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+			GDB.notice("Started listening on '%s'.", sname);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -179,27 +181,27 @@ void gdb_thread::start_server()
 	}
 
 	// Delete existing socket (TODO?)
-	fs::remove_file(g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+	fs::remove_file(sname);
 
 	set_nonblocking(server_socket);
 
 	sockaddr_un unix_saddr;
 	unix_saddr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-	strcpy_trunc(unix_saddr.sun_path, g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+	strcpy_trunc(unix_saddr.sun_path, sname);
 
 	if (bind(server_socket, reinterpret_cast<struct sockaddr*>(&unix_saddr), sizeof(unix_saddr)) != 0)
 	{
-		GDB.error("Failed to bind Unix socket '%s'.", g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+		GDB.error("Failed to bind Unix socket '%s'.", sname);
 		return;
 	}
 
 	if (listen(server_socket, 1) != 0)
 	{
-		GDB.error("Failed to listen on Unix socket '%s'.", g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+		GDB.error("Failed to listen on Unix socket '%s'.", sname);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	GDB.notice("Started listening on Unix socket '%s'.", g_cfg.misc.gdb_server.get());
+	GDB.notice("Started listening on Unix socket '%s'.", sname);
 }
 
 int gdb_thread::read(void* buf, int cnt)
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp
index c5beb07a5d..aa50dc67ff 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp
@@ -1847,12 +1847,16 @@ void Emulator::Stop(bool restart)
 
 std::string cfg_root::node_vfs::get(const cfg::string& _cfg, const char* _def) const
 {
-	if (_cfg.get().empty())
+	auto [spath, sshared] = _cfg.get();
+
+	if (spath.empty())
 	{
 		return fs::get_config_dir() + _def;
 	}
 
-	return fmt::replace_all(_cfg.get(), "$(EmulatorDir)", emulator_dir.get().empty() ? fs::get_config_dir() : emulator_dir.get());
+	auto [semudir, sshared2] = emulator_dir.get();
+
+	return fmt::replace_all(spath, "$(EmulatorDir)", semudir.empty() ? fs::get_config_dir() : semudir);
 }
 
 s32 error_code::error_report(const fmt_type_info* sup, u64 arg, const fmt_type_info* sup2, u64 arg2)