diff --git a/src/d_netcmd.c b/src/d_netcmd.c
index 8abfb8709..16c08309f 100644
--- a/src/d_netcmd.c
+++ b/src/d_netcmd.c
@@ -46,6 +46,13 @@
 #include "m_cond.h"
 #include "m_anigif.h"
 
+#if defined(HAVE_SDL)
+#include "SDL.h"
+#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2,0,0)
+#include "sdl/sdlmain.h" // JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG
+#endif
+#endif
+
 #ifdef NETGAME_DEVMODE
 #define CV_RESTRICT CV_NETVAR
 #else
@@ -243,10 +250,19 @@ consvar_t cv_usemouse = {"use_mouse", "On", CV_SAVE|CV_CALL,usemouse_cons_t, I_S
 consvar_t cv_usemouse2 = {"use_mouse2", "Off", CV_SAVE|CV_CALL,usemouse_cons_t, I_StartupMouse2, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL};
 
 #if defined (DC) || defined (_XBOX) || defined (WMINPUT) || defined (_WII) || defined(HAVE_SDL) || defined(_WINDOWS) //joystick 1 and 2
-consvar_t cv_usejoystick = {"use_joystick", "1", CV_SAVE|CV_CALL, usejoystick_cons_t,
-	I_InitJoystick, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL};
-consvar_t cv_usejoystick2 = {"use_joystick2", "2", CV_SAVE|CV_CALL, usejoystick_cons_t,
-	I_InitJoystick2, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL};
+// JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG is set by sdlmain.h (SDL2)
+// because SDL joystick indexes are unstable, and hotplugging can change a device's index.
+// So let's not save any index changes to the config
+consvar_t cv_usejoystick = {"use_joystick", "1", CV_CALL
+#ifndef JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG
+	|CV_SAVE
+#endif
+	, usejoystick_cons_t, I_InitJoystick, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL};
+consvar_t cv_usejoystick2 = {"use_joystick2", "2", CV_CALL
+#ifndef JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG
+	|CV_SAVE
+#endif
+	, usejoystick_cons_t, I_InitJoystick2, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL};
 #elif defined (PSP) || defined (GP2X) || defined (_NDS) //only one joystick
 consvar_t cv_usejoystick = {"use_joystick", "1", CV_SAVE|CV_CALL, usejoystick_cons_t,
 	I_InitJoystick, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL};
diff --git a/src/m_menu.c b/src/m_menu.c
index a4c62c0f3..7bac5fa24 100644
--- a/src/m_menu.c
+++ b/src/m_menu.c
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@
 // And just some randomness for the exits.
 #include "m_random.h"
 
+#if defined(HAVE_SDL)
+#include "SDL.h"
+#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2,0,0)
+#include "sdl/sdlmain.h" // JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG
+#endif
+#endif
+
 #ifdef PC_DOS
 #include <stdio.h> // for snprintf
 int	snprintf(char *str, size_t n, const char *fmt, ...);
@@ -6770,12 +6777,34 @@ void M_SetupJoystickMenu(INT32 choice)
 
 	strcpy(joystickInfo[i], "None");
 
+#ifdef JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG
+	if (0 == cv_usejoystick.value)
+		CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick, 0);
+	if (0 == cv_usejoystick2.value)
+		CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick2, 0);
+#endif
+
 	for (i = 1; i < 8; i++)
 	{
 		if (i <= n && (I_GetJoyName(i)) != NULL)
 			strncpy(joystickInfo[i], I_GetJoyName(i), 28);
 		else
 			strcpy(joystickInfo[i], joyNA);
+
+#ifdef JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG
+		// We use cv_usejoystick.string as the USER-SET var
+		// and cv_usejoystick.value as the INTERNAL var
+		//
+		// In practice, if cv_usejoystick.string == 0, this overrides
+		// cv_usejoystick.value and always disables
+		//
+		// Update cv_usejoystick.string here so that the user can
+		// properly change this value.
+		if (i == cv_usejoystick.value)
+			CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick, i);
+		if (i == cv_usejoystick2.value)
+			CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick2, i);
+#endif
 	}
 
 	M_SetupNextMenu(&OP_JoystickSetDef);
diff --git a/src/sdl/i_system.c b/src/sdl/i_system.c
index 7cbaf6d35..e6c1b0b5e 100644
--- a/src/sdl/i_system.c
+++ b/src/sdl/i_system.c
@@ -1413,11 +1413,20 @@ void I_InitJoystick(void)
 		// the actual device index. So let's cheat a bit and find the device's current index.
 		JoyInfo.oldjoy = I_GetJoystickDeviceIndex(JoyInfo.dev) + 1;
 		joystick_started = 1;
+
+		// If another joystick occupied this device, deactivate that joystick
+		if (JoyInfo2.dev == JoyInfo.dev)
+		{
+			CONS_Debug(DBG_GAMELOGIC, "Joystick2 was set to the same device; disabling...\n");
+			cv_usejoystick2.value = 0;
+			I_InitJoystick2();
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		if (JoyInfo.oldjoy)
 			I_ShutdownJoystick();
+		cv_usejoystick.value = 0;
 		joystick_started = 0;
 	}
 }
@@ -1445,11 +1454,20 @@ void I_InitJoystick2(void)
 		// the actual device index. So let's cheat a bit and find the device's current index.
 		JoyInfo2.oldjoy = I_GetJoystickDeviceIndex(JoyInfo2.dev) + 1;
 		joystick2_started = 1;
+
+		// If another joystick occupied this device, deactivate that joystick
+		if (JoyInfo.dev == JoyInfo2.dev)
+		{
+			CONS_Debug(DBG_GAMELOGIC, "Joystick1 was set to the same device; disabling...\n");
+			cv_usejoystick.value = 0;
+			I_InitJoystick();
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		if (JoyInfo2.oldjoy)
 			I_ShutdownJoystick2();
+		cv_usejoystick2.value = 0;
 		joystick2_started = 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/sdl/i_video.c b/src/sdl/i_video.c
index f6f193038..24228aa8e 100644
--- a/src/sdl/i_video.c
+++ b/src/sdl/i_video.c
@@ -887,19 +887,21 @@ void I_GetEvent(void)
 
 				// Because SDL's device index is unstable, we're going to cheat here a bit:
 				// For the first joystick setting that is NOT active:
-				// Set cv_usejoystickX.value to the new device index (this does not change what is written to config.cfg)
-				// Set OTHERS' cv_usejoystickX.value to THEIR new device index, because it likely changed
-				// If device doesn't exist, switch cv_usejoystick back to default value (.string)
-				// BUT: If that default index is being occupied, use ANOTHER cv_usejoystick's default value!
+				// 1. Set cv_usejoystickX.value to the new device index (this does not change what is written to config.cfg)
+				// 2. Set OTHERS' cv_usejoystickX.value to THEIR new device index, because it likely changed
+				//    * If device doesn't exist, switch cv_usejoystick back to default value (.string)
+				//      * BUT: If that default index is being occupied, use ANOTHER cv_usejoystick's default value!
 				if (!JoyInfo.dev || !SDL_JoystickGetAttached(JoyInfo.dev))
 				{
 					cv_usejoystick.value = evt.jdevice.which + 1;
 
 					if (JoyInfo2.dev)
 						cv_usejoystick2.value = I_GetJoystickDeviceIndex(JoyInfo2.dev) + 1;
-					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string) != JoyInfo.oldjoy)
+					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string) != JoyInfo.oldjoy
+					         && atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string) != cv_usejoystick.value)
 						cv_usejoystick2.value = atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string);
-					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick.string) != JoyInfo.oldjoy)
+					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick.string) != JoyInfo.oldjoy
+					         && atoi(cv_usejoystick.string) != cv_usejoystick.value)
 						cv_usejoystick2.value = atoi(cv_usejoystick.string);
 					else // we tried...
 						cv_usejoystick2.value = 0;
@@ -910,16 +912,31 @@ void I_GetEvent(void)
 
 					if (JoyInfo.dev)
 						cv_usejoystick.value = I_GetJoystickDeviceIndex(JoyInfo.dev) + 1;
-					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick.string) != JoyInfo2.oldjoy)
+					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick.string) != JoyInfo2.oldjoy
+					         && atoi(cv_usejoystick.string) != cv_usejoystick2.value)
 						cv_usejoystick.value = atoi(cv_usejoystick.string);
-					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string) != JoyInfo2.oldjoy)
+					else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string) != JoyInfo2.oldjoy
+					         && atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string) != cv_usejoystick2.value)
 						cv_usejoystick.value = atoi(cv_usejoystick2.string);
 					else // we tried...
 						cv_usejoystick.value = 0;
 				}
 
-				// If an active joystick's index has changed, these will just
-				// change the corresponding JoyInfo.oldjoy
+				// Was cv_usejoystick disabled in settings?
+				if (!strcmp(cv_usejoystick.string, "0") || !cv_usejoystick.value)
+					cv_usejoystick.value = 0;
+				else if (cv_usejoystick.value) // update the cvar ONLY if a device exists
+					CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick, cv_usejoystick.value);
+
+				if (!strcmp(cv_usejoystick2.string, "0") || !cv_usejoystick2.value)
+					cv_usejoystick2.value = 0;
+				else if (cv_usejoystick2.value) // update the cvar ONLY if a device exists
+					CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick2, cv_usejoystick2.value);
+
+				// Update all joysticks' init states
+				// This is a little wasteful since cv_usejoystick already calls this, but
+				// we need to do this in case CV_SetValue did nothing because the string was already same.
+				// if the device is already active, this should do nothing, effectively.
 				I_InitJoystick();
 				I_InitJoystick2();
 
@@ -944,8 +961,8 @@ void I_GetEvent(void)
 				}
 
 				// Update the device indexes, because they likely changed
-				// If device doesn't exist, switch cv_usejoystick back to default value (.string)
-				// BUT: If that default index is being occupied, use ANOTHER cv_usejoystick's default value!
+				// * If device doesn't exist, switch cv_usejoystick back to default value (.string)
+				//   * BUT: If that default index is being occupied, use ANOTHER cv_usejoystick's default value!
 				if (JoyInfo.dev)
 					cv_usejoystick.value = JoyInfo.oldjoy = I_GetJoystickDeviceIndex(JoyInfo.dev) + 1;
 				else if (atoi(cv_usejoystick.string) != JoyInfo2.oldjoy)
@@ -964,6 +981,17 @@ void I_GetEvent(void)
 				else // we tried...
 					cv_usejoystick2.value = 0;
 
+				// Was cv_usejoystick disabled in settings?
+				if (!strcmp(cv_usejoystick.string, "0"))
+					cv_usejoystick.value = 0;
+				else if (cv_usejoystick.value) // update the cvar ONLY if a device exists
+					CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick, cv_usejoystick.value);
+
+				if (!strcmp(cv_usejoystick2.string, "0"))
+					cv_usejoystick2.value = 0;
+				else if (cv_usejoystick2.value) // update the cvar ONLY if a device exists
+					CV_SetValue(&cv_usejoystick2, cv_usejoystick2.value);
+
 				CONS_Debug(DBG_GAMELOGIC, "Joystick1 device index: %d\n", JoyInfo.oldjoy);
 				CONS_Debug(DBG_GAMELOGIC, "Joystick2 device index: %d\n", JoyInfo2.oldjoy);
 
diff --git a/src/sdl/sdlmain.h b/src/sdl/sdlmain.h
index b858e1f6f..810c7dce1 100644
--- a/src/sdl/sdlmain.h
+++ b/src/sdl/sdlmain.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ extern SDL_bool framebuffer;
 #define SDL2STUB() CONS_Printf("SDL2: stubbed: %s:%d\n", __func__, __LINE__)
 #endif
 
+// So m_menu knows whether to store cv_usejoystick value or string
+#define JOYSTICK_HOTPLUG
+
 /**	\brief	The JoyInfo_s struct
 
   info about joystick