diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCasePlayerLoader.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCasePlayerLoader.cs
index de839a21af..6ec3bd108b 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCasePlayerLoader.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/TestCasePlayerLoader.cs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
         {
             Beatmap.Value = new DummyWorkingBeatmap(game);
 
-            AddStep("load dummy beatmap", () => Add(loader = new PlayerLoader(new Player
+            AddStep("load dummy beatmap", () => Add(loader = new PlayerLoader(() => new Player
             {
                 AllowPause = false,
                 AllowLeadIn = false,
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual
 
             AddStep("load slow dummy beatmap", () =>
             {
-                SlowLoadPlayer slow;
+                SlowLoadPlayer slow = null;
 
-                Add(loader = new PlayerLoader(slow = new SlowLoadPlayer
+                Add(loader = new PlayerLoader(() => slow = new SlowLoadPlayer
                 {
                     AllowPause = false,
                     AllowLeadIn = false,
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
index 41f2caf40e..6a5f9656d1 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ namespace osu.Game
                 Beatmap.Value = BeatmapManager.GetWorkingBeatmap(databasedBeatmap);
                 Beatmap.Value.Mods.Value = databasedScoreInfo.Mods;
 
-                currentScreen.Push(new PlayerLoader(new ReplayPlayer(databasedScore)));
+                currentScreen.Push(new PlayerLoader(() => new ReplayPlayer(databasedScore)));
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Multi/Match/MatchSubScreen.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Multi/Match/MatchSubScreen.cs
index 982f54f7c8..5cd5d9e76a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Multi/Match/MatchSubScreen.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Multi/Match/MatchSubScreen.cs
@@ -167,10 +167,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Multi.Match
             {
                 default:
                 case GameTypeTimeshift _:
-                    var player = new TimeshiftPlayer(room, room.Playlist.First().ID);
-                    player.Exited += _ => leaderboard.RefreshScores();
+                    pushGameplayScreen?.Invoke(new PlayerLoader(() => {
+                        var player = new TimeshiftPlayer(room, room.Playlist.First().ID);
+                        player.Exited += _ => leaderboard.RefreshScores();
 
-                    pushGameplayScreen?.Invoke(new PlayerLoader(player));
+                        return player;
+                    }));
                     break;
             }
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs
index bf44a60473..ded25f013a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2007-2018 ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>.
 // Licensed under the MIT Licence - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ppy/osu/master/LICENCE
 
+using System;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 {
     public class PlayerLoader : ScreenWithBeatmapBackground
     {
+        private readonly Func<Player> createPlayer;
         private static readonly Vector2 background_blur = new Vector2(15);
 
         private Player player;
@@ -35,15 +37,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 
         private Task loadTask;
 
-        public PlayerLoader(Player player)
+        public PlayerLoader(Func<Player> createPlayer)
         {
-            this.player = player;
+            this.createPlayer = createPlayer;
+        }
 
-            player.RestartRequested = () =>
-            {
-                hideOverlays = true;
-                ValidForResume = true;
-            };
+        private void restartRequested()
+        {
+            hideOverlays = true;
+            ValidForResume = true;
         }
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                 }
             });
 
-            loadTask = LoadComponentAsync(player, playerLoaded);
+            loadNewPlayer();
         }
 
         private void playerLoaded(Player player) => info.Loading = false;
@@ -85,15 +87,22 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             info.Loading = true;
 
             //we will only be resumed if the player has requested a re-run (see ValidForResume setting above)
-            loadTask = LoadComponentAsync(player = new Player
-            {
-                RestartCount = player.RestartCount + 1,
-                RestartRequested = player.RestartRequested,
-            }, playerLoaded);
+            loadNewPlayer();
 
             this.Delay(400).Schedule(pushWhenLoaded);
         }
 
+        private void loadNewPlayer()
+        {
+            var restartCount = player?.RestartCount + 1 ?? 0;
+
+            player = createPlayer();
+            player.RestartCount = restartCount;
+            player.RestartRequested = restartRequested;
+
+            loadTask = LoadComponentAsync(player, playerLoaded);
+        }
+
         private void contentIn()
         {
             Content.ScaleTo(1, 650, Easing.OutQuint);
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/PlaySongSelect.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/PlaySongSelect.cs
index cbe22d968a..a7de93b11d 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/PlaySongSelect.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/PlaySongSelect.cs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
 
             SampleConfirm?.Play();
 
-            LoadComponentAsync(player = new PlayerLoader(new Player()), l =>
+            LoadComponentAsync(player = new PlayerLoader(() => new Player()), l =>
             {
                 if (IsCurrentScreen) Push(player);
             });