diff --git a/src/core/player.cpp b/src/core/player.cpp
index df1547e34..9da140d2c 100644
--- a/src/core/player.cpp
+++ b/src/core/player.cpp
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ Player::~Player() {
   settings_.endGroup();
 }
 
-void Player::CreateEngine(Engine::EngineType enginetype) {
+Engine::EngineType Player::CreateEngine(Engine::EngineType enginetype) {
 
   Engine::EngineType use_enginetype(Engine::None);
 
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ void Player::CreateEngine(Engine::EngineType enginetype) {
     qFatal("Failed to create engine!");
   }
 
+  return use_enginetype;
+
 }
 
 void Player::Init() {
diff --git a/src/core/player.h b/src/core/player.h
index ceb72981a..85e6ddca0 100644
--- a/src/core/player.h
+++ b/src/core/player.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class Player : public PlayerInterface {
     PreviousBehaviour_Restart = 2
   };
 
-  void CreateEngine(Engine::EngineType enginetype);
+  Engine::EngineType CreateEngine(Engine::EngineType enginetype);
   void Init();
 
   EngineBase *engine() const { return engine_.get(); }
diff --git a/src/engine/vlcengine.cpp b/src/engine/vlcengine.cpp
index 6e3e88906..bd48a990a 100644
--- a/src/engine/vlcengine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/vlcengine.cpp
@@ -69,14 +69,17 @@ bool VLCEngine::Init() {
 
   // Create the VLC instance
   instance_ = libvlc_new(sizeof(args) / sizeof(*args), args);
+  if (!instance_) return false;
   HandleErrors();
 
   // Create the media player
   player_ = libvlc_media_player_new(instance_);
+  if (!player_) return false;
   HandleErrors();
 
   // Add event handlers
   libvlc_event_manager_t *player_em = libvlc_media_player_event_manager(player_);
+  if (!player_em) return false;
   HandleErrors();
 
   AttachCallback(player_em, libvlc_MediaPlayerEncounteredError, StateChangedCallback);
diff --git a/src/engine/xineengine.cpp b/src/engine/xineengine.cpp
index 4de6911c5..67c693872 100644
--- a/src/engine/xineengine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/xineengine.cpp
@@ -121,9 +121,10 @@ bool XineEngine::Init() {
     qLog(Error) << "Invalid output detected:" << output_ << " - Resetting to default.";
     output_ = DefaultOutput();
   }
+
   audioport_ = xine_open_audio_driver(xine_, (output_.isEmpty() || output_ == kAutoOutput ? nullptr : output_.toUtf8().constData()), nullptr);
   if (!audioport_) {
-    emit Error("Xine was unable to initialize any audio drivers.");
+    qLog(Error) << "Xine was unable to initialize any audio drivers.";
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -353,7 +354,7 @@ void XineEngine::ReloadSettings() {
 
   Engine::Base::ReloadSettings();
 
-  if (output_ == "") output_ = DefaultOutput();
+  if (output_.isEmpty()) output_ = DefaultOutput();
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/settings/backendsettingspage.cpp b/src/settings/backendsettingspage.cpp
index 4562e9b1e..73b924411 100644
--- a/src/settings/backendsettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/settings/backendsettingspage.cpp
@@ -85,23 +85,23 @@ void BackendSettingsPage::Load() {
 
   ui_->combobox_engine->clear();
 #ifdef HAVE_GSTREAMER
-  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("gstreamer"), EngineDescription(Engine::GStreamer), Engine::GStreamer);
+  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("gstreamer"), EngineDescription(Engine::GStreamer), QVariant::fromValue(Engine::GStreamer));
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_XINE
-  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("xine"), EngineDescription(Engine::Xine), Engine::Xine);
+  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("xine"), EngineDescription(Engine::Xine), QVariant::fromValue(Engine::Xine));
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_VLC
-  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("vlc"), EngineDescription(Engine::VLC), Engine::VLC);
+  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("vlc"), EngineDescription(Engine::VLC), QVariant::fromValue(Engine::VLC));
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_PHONON
-  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("speaker"), EngineDescription(Engine::Phonon), Engine::Phonon);
+  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("speaker"), EngineDescription(Engine::Phonon), QVariant::fromValue(Engine::Phonon));
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_DEEZER
-  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("deezer"), EngineDescription(Engine::Deezer), Engine::Deezer);
+  ui_->combobox_engine->addItem(IconLoader::Load("deezer"), EngineDescription(Engine::Deezer), QVariant::fromValue(Engine::Deezer));
 #endif
 
   enginetype_current_ = enginetype;
-  output_current_ = s_.value("output", "").toString();
+  output_current_ = s_.value("output", QString()).toString();
   device_current_ = s_.value("device", QVariant());
 
   ui_->combobox_engine->setCurrentIndex(ui_->combobox_engine->findData(enginetype));
@@ -191,10 +191,12 @@ void BackendSettingsPage::Load_Engine(Engine::EngineType enginetype) {
 
   if (engine()->type() != enginetype) {
     qLog(Debug) << "Switching engine.";
-    dialog()->app()->player()->CreateEngine(enginetype);
-    dialog()->app()->player()->ReloadSettings();
+    Engine::EngineType new_enginetype = dialog()->app()->player()->CreateEngine(enginetype);
     dialog()->app()->player()->Init();
     dialog()->set_output_changed(false);
+    if (new_enginetype != enginetype) {
+      ui_->combobox_engine->setCurrentIndex(ui_->combobox_engine->findData(engine()->type()));
+    }
   }
 
   engineloaded_ = true;
@@ -207,7 +209,7 @@ void BackendSettingsPage::Load_Output(QString output, QVariant device) {
 
   if (!EngineInitialised()) return;
 
-  if (output == "") output = engine()->DefaultOutput();
+  if (output.isEmpty()) output = engine()->DefaultOutput();
 
   ui_->combobox_output->clear();
   int i = 0;
@@ -228,7 +230,7 @@ void BackendSettingsPage::Load_Output(QString output, QVariant device) {
   }
   if (!found) { // Output is invalid for this engine, reset to default output.
     output = engine()->DefaultOutput();
-    device = (engine()->CustomDeviceSupport(output) == true ? QVariant("") : QVariant());
+    device = (engine()->CustomDeviceSupport(output) ? QString() : QVariant());
     for (int i = 0; i < ui_->combobox_output->count(); ++i) {
       EngineBase::OutputDetails o = ui_->combobox_output->itemData(i).value<EngineBase::OutputDetails>();
       if (o.name == output) {
@@ -270,7 +272,7 @@ void BackendSettingsPage::Load_Device(QString output, QVariant device) {
 #ifdef Q_OS_WIN
   if (engine()->type() != Engine::GStreamer)
 #endif
-    ui_->combobox_device->addItem(IconLoader::Load("soundcard"), "Automatically select", QVariant(""));
+    ui_->combobox_device->addItem(IconLoader::Load("soundcard"), "Automatically select", QVariant());
 
   for (DeviceFinder *f : dialog()->app()->enginedevice()->device_finders_) {
     if (!f->outputs().contains(output)) continue;
@@ -283,7 +285,7 @@ void BackendSettingsPage::Load_Device(QString output, QVariant device) {
   if (devices > 0) ui_->combobox_device->setEnabled(true);
 
   if (engine()->CustomDeviceSupport(output)) {
-    ui_->combobox_device->addItem(IconLoader::Load("soundcard"), "Custom", QVariant(""));
+    ui_->combobox_device->addItem(IconLoader::Load("soundcard"), "Custom", QVariant());
     ui_->lineedit_device->setEnabled(true);
   }
   else {
@@ -380,7 +382,6 @@ void BackendSettingsPage::Save() {
 void BackendSettingsPage::Cancel() {
   if (engine() && engine()->type() != enginetype_current_) { // Reset engine back to the original because user cancelled.
     dialog()->app()->player()->CreateEngine(enginetype_current_);
-    dialog()->app()->player()->ReloadSettings();
     dialog()->app()->player()->Init();
   }
 }