diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_game.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_game.cpp
index 40fc85febd..a6cab86c1c 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_game.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_game.cpp
@@ -5,53 +5,107 @@
 #include "Emu/System.h"
 #include "Emu/system_config.h"
 
-#include <thread>
+#include "Emu/IdManager.h"
+#include "Utilities/Thread.h"
 
 #include "sys_game.h"
 
 LOG_CHANNEL(sys_game);
 
-atomic_t<bool> watchdog_stopped = true;
-atomic_t<u64> watchdog_last_clear;
-u64 get_timestamp()
+struct watchdog_t
 {
-	return (get_system_time() - Emu.GetPauseTime());
-}
+	struct alignas(8) control_t
+	{
+		bool needs_restart = false;
+		bool active = false;
+		char pad[sizeof(u32) - sizeof(bool) * 2]{};
+		u32 timeout = 0;
+	};
+
+	atomic_t<control_t> control;
+
+	void operator()()
+	{
+		u64 start_time = get_system_time();
+		u64 old_time = start_time;
+		u64 current_time = old_time;
+
+		constexpr u64 sleep_time = 50'000;
+
+		while (thread_ctrl::state() != thread_state::aborting)
+		{
+			if (Emu.GetStatus(false) == system_state::paused)
+			{
+				start_time += current_time - old_time;
+				old_time = current_time;
+				thread_ctrl::wait_for(sleep_time);
+				current_time = get_system_time();
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			old_time = std::exchange(current_time, get_system_time());
+
+			const auto old = control.fetch_op([&](control_t& data)
+			{
+				if (data.needs_restart)
+				{
+					data.needs_restart = false;
+					return true;
+				}
+
+				return false;
+			}).first;
+
+			if (old.active && old.needs_restart)
+			{
+				start_time = current_time;
+				old_time = current_time;
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			if (old.active && current_time - start_time >= old.timeout)
+			{
+				sys_game.warning("Watchdog timeout! Restarting the game...");
+
+				Emu.CallFromMainThread([]()
+				{
+					Emu.Restart();
+				});
+
+				return;
+			}
+
+			thread_ctrl::wait_for(sleep_time);
+		}
+	}
+
+	static constexpr auto thread_name = "LV2 Watchdog Thread"sv;
+};
 
 error_code _sys_game_watchdog_start(u32 timeout)
 {
 	sys_game.trace("sys_game_watchdog_start(timeout=%d)", timeout);
 
-	if (!watchdog_stopped)
+	// According to disassembly
+	timeout *= 1'000'000;
+	timeout &= -64;
+
+	if (!g_fxo->get<named_thread<watchdog_t>>().control.fetch_op([&](watchdog_t::control_t& data)
+	{
+		if (data.active)
+		{
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		data.needs_restart = true;
+		data.active = true;
+		data.timeout = timeout;
+		return true;
+	}).second)
 	{
 		return CELL_EABORT;
 	}
 
-	auto watchdog = [=]()
-	{
-		while (!watchdog_stopped)
-		{
-			if (Emu.IsStopped() || get_timestamp() - watchdog_last_clear > timeout * 1000000)
-			{
-				watchdog_stopped = true;
-				if (!Emu.IsStopped())
-				{
-					sys_game.warning("Watchdog timeout! Restarting the game...");
-					Emu.CallFromMainThread([]()
-						{
-							Emu.Restart();
-						});
-				}
-				break;
-			}
-			std::this_thread::sleep_for(1s);
-		}
-	};
-
-	watchdog_stopped = false;
-	watchdog_last_clear = get_timestamp();
-	std::thread(watchdog).detach();
-
 	return CELL_OK;
 }
 
@@ -59,7 +113,16 @@ error_code _sys_game_watchdog_stop()
 {
 	sys_game.trace("sys_game_watchdog_stop()");
 
-	watchdog_stopped = true;
+	g_fxo->get<named_thread<watchdog_t>>().control.fetch_op([](watchdog_t::control_t& data)
+	{
+		if (!data.active)
+		{
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		data.active = false;
+		return true;
+	});
 
 	return CELL_OK;
 }
@@ -68,7 +131,16 @@ error_code _sys_game_watchdog_clear()
 {
 	sys_game.trace("sys_game_watchdog_clear()");
 
-	watchdog_last_clear = get_timestamp();
+	g_fxo->get<named_thread<watchdog_t>>().control.fetch_op([](watchdog_t::control_t& data)
+	{
+		if (!data.active || data.needs_restart)
+		{
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		data.needs_restart = true;
+		return true;
+	});
 
 	return CELL_OK;
 }
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/System.h b/rpcs3/Emu/System.h
index 51839a438a..4b7921e193 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/System.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/System.h
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ public:
 	bool IsStopped() const { return m_state == system_state::stopped; }
 	bool IsReady()   const { return m_state == system_state::ready; }
 	bool IsStarting() const { return m_state == system_state::starting; }
-	auto GetStatus() const { system_state state = m_state; return state == system_state::frozen ? system_state::paused : state; }
+	auto GetStatus(bool fixup = true) const { system_state state = m_state; return fixup && state == system_state::frozen ? system_state::paused : state; }
 
 	bool HasGui() const { return m_has_gui; }
 	void SetHasGui(bool has_gui) { m_has_gui = has_gui; }