diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/OnlinePlayScreen.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/OnlinePlayScreen.cs
index 3aef05c26e..25b02e5084 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/OnlinePlayScreen.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/OnlinePlayScreen.cs
@@ -31,17 +31,19 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay
     [Cached]
     public abstract class OnlinePlayScreen : OsuScreen, IHasSubScreenStack
     {
-        public override bool CursorVisible => (screenStack.CurrentScreen as IOnlinePlaySubScreen)?.CursorVisible ?? true;
+        public override bool CursorVisible => (screenStack?.CurrentScreen as IOnlinePlaySubScreen)?.CursorVisible ?? true;
 
         // this is required due to PlayerLoader eventually being pushed to the main stack
         // while leases may be taken out by a subscreen.
         public override bool DisallowExternalBeatmapRulesetChanges => true;
 
-        private readonly MultiplayerWaveContainer waves;
+        private MultiplayerWaveContainer waves;
 
-        private readonly OsuButton createButton;
-        private readonly LoungeSubScreen loungeSubScreen;
-        private readonly ScreenStack screenStack;
+        private OsuButton createButton;
+
+        private ScreenStack screenStack;
+
+        private LoungeSubScreen loungeSubScreen;
 
         private readonly IBindable<bool> isIdle = new BindableBool();
 
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay
         private readonly Bindable<FilterCriteria> currentFilter = new Bindable<FilterCriteria>(new FilterCriteria());
 
         [Cached]
-        private OngoingOperationTracker ongoingOperationTracker { get; set; }
+        private readonly OngoingOperationTracker ongoingOperationTracker = new OngoingOperationTracker();
 
         [Resolved(CanBeNull = true)]
         private MusicController music { get; set; }
@@ -66,11 +68,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay
         [Resolved]
         protected IAPIProvider API { get; private set; }
 
+        [Resolved(CanBeNull = true)]
+        private IdleTracker idleTracker { get; set; }
+
         [Resolved(CanBeNull = true)]
         private OsuLogo logo { get; set; }
 
-        private readonly Drawable header;
-        private readonly Drawable headerBackground;
+        private Drawable header;
+        private Drawable headerBackground;
 
         protected OnlinePlayScreen()
         {
@@ -79,6 +84,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay
             RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both;
             Padding = new MarginPadding { Horizontal = -HORIZONTAL_OVERFLOW_PADDING };
 
+            RoomManager = CreateRoomManager();
+        }
+
+        private readonly IBindable<APIState> apiState = new Bindable<APIState>();
+
+        [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
+        private void load()
+        {
             var backgroundColour = Color4Extensions.FromHex(@"3e3a44");
 
             InternalChild = waves = new MultiplayerWaveContainer
@@ -145,27 +158,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay
                         };
                         button.Action = () => OpenNewRoom();
                     }),
-                    RoomManager = CreateRoomManager(),
-                    ongoingOperationTracker = new OngoingOperationTracker()
+                    RoomManager,
+                    ongoingOperationTracker,
                 }
             };
 
-            screenStack.ScreenPushed += screenPushed;
-            screenStack.ScreenExited += screenExited;
-
-            screenStack.Push(loungeSubScreen = CreateLounge());
-        }
-
-        private readonly IBindable<APIState> apiState = new Bindable<APIState>();
-
-        [BackgroundDependencyLoader(true)]
-        private void load(IdleTracker idleTracker)
-        {
-            apiState.BindTo(API.State);
-            apiState.BindValueChanged(onlineStateChanged, true);
-
-            if (idleTracker != null)
-                isIdle.BindTo(idleTracker.IsIdle);
+            // a lot of the functionality in this class depends on loungeSubScreen being in a ready to go state.
+            // as such, we intentionally load this inline so it is ready alongside this screen.
+            LoadComponent(loungeSubScreen = CreateLounge());
         }
 
         private void onlineStateChanged(ValueChangedEvent<APIState> state) => Schedule(() =>
@@ -180,7 +180,20 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay
         protected override void LoadComplete()
         {
             base.LoadComplete();
-            isIdle.BindValueChanged(idle => UpdatePollingRate(idle.NewValue), true);
+
+            screenStack.ScreenPushed += screenPushed;
+            screenStack.ScreenExited += screenExited;
+
+            screenStack.Push(loungeSubScreen);
+
+            apiState.BindTo(API.State);
+            apiState.BindValueChanged(onlineStateChanged, true);
+
+            if (idleTracker != null)
+            {
+                isIdle.BindTo(idleTracker.IsIdle);
+                isIdle.BindValueChanged(idle => UpdatePollingRate(idle.NewValue), true);
+            }
         }
 
         protected override IReadOnlyDependencyContainer CreateChildDependencies(IReadOnlyDependencyContainer parent)