diff --git a/src/core/Frontend.cpp b/src/core/Frontend.cpp
index 62c16cd9..b5d12d58 100644
--- a/src/core/Frontend.cpp
+++ b/src/core/Frontend.cpp
@@ -3812,9 +3812,6 @@ CMenuManager::LoadSettings()
 	if (LoadINISettings()) {
 		LoadINIControllerSettings();
 	}
-	// if no re3.ini, create it, or update it with new values
-	SaveINISettings();
-	SaveINIControllerSettings();
 #endif
 
 	m_PrefsVsync = m_PrefsVsyncDisp;
diff --git a/src/skel/glfw/glfw.cpp b/src/skel/glfw/glfw.cpp
index 8d3fc7d7..44f0c83a 100644
--- a/src/skel/glfw/glfw.cpp
+++ b/src/skel/glfw/glfw.cpp
@@ -1935,10 +1935,12 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 #ifdef LOAD_INI_SETTINGS
 		LoadINIControllerSettings();
-		if (connectedPadButtons != 0) {
-			ControlsManager.InitDefaultControlConfigJoyPad(connectedPadButtons);
-			SaveINIControllerSettings();
-		}
+		if (connectedPadButtons != 0)
+			ControlsManager.InitDefaultControlConfigJoyPad(connectedPadButtons); // add (connected-saved) amount of new button assignments on top of ours
+
+		// these have 2 purposes: creating .ini at the start, and adding newly introduced settings to old .ini at the start
+		SaveINISettings();
+		SaveINIControllerSettings();
 #endif
 	}
 	
diff --git a/src/skel/win/win.cpp b/src/skel/win/win.cpp
index 01e56701..95ac28aa 100644
--- a/src/skel/win/win.cpp
+++ b/src/skel/win/win.cpp
@@ -2181,10 +2181,12 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE instance,
 
 #ifdef LOAD_INI_SETTINGS
 		LoadINIControllerSettings();
-		if (connectedPadButtons != 0) {
-			ControlsManager.InitDefaultControlConfigJoyPad(connectedPadButtons);
-			SaveINIControllerSettings();
-		}
+		if (connectedPadButtons != 0)
+			ControlsManager.InitDefaultControlConfigJoyPad(connectedPadButtons); // add (connected-saved) amount of new button assignments on top of ours
+
+		// these have 2 purposes: creating .ini at the start, and adding newly introduced settings to old .ini at the start
+		SaveINISettings();
+		SaveINIControllerSettings();
 #endif
 	}