diff --git a/src/osd/sdl/sdlwork.c b/src/osd/sdl/sdlwork.c
index 58163ea8905..d5f42d91033 100644
--- a/src/osd/sdl/sdlwork.c
+++ b/src/osd/sdl/sdlwork.c
@@ -428,6 +428,11 @@ osd_work_item *osd_work_item_queue_multiple(osd_work_queue *queue, osd_work_call
 				return NULL;
 			item->event = NULL;
 			item->queue = queue;
+			item->done = FALSE;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			atomic_exchange32(&item->done, FALSE); // needs to be set this way to prevent data race/usage of uninitialized memory on Linux
 		}
 
 		// fill in the basics
@@ -436,7 +441,6 @@ osd_work_item *osd_work_item_queue_multiple(osd_work_queue *queue, osd_work_call
 		item->param = parambase;
 		item->result = NULL;
 		item->flags = flags;
-		atomic_exchange32(&item->done, FALSE);
 
 		// advance to the next
 		lastitem = item;
diff --git a/src/osd/windows/winwork.c b/src/osd/windows/winwork.c
index 6f3927585fd..97162fdaa23 100644
--- a/src/osd/windows/winwork.c
+++ b/src/osd/windows/winwork.c
@@ -438,6 +438,11 @@ osd_work_item *osd_work_item_queue_multiple(osd_work_queue *queue, osd_work_call
 				return NULL;
 			item->event = NULL;
 			item->queue = queue;
+			item->done = FALSE;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			atomic_exchange32(&item->done, FALSE); // needs to be set this way to prevent data race/usage of uninitialized memory on Linux
 		}
 
 		// fill in the basics
@@ -445,8 +450,7 @@ osd_work_item *osd_work_item_queue_multiple(osd_work_queue *queue, osd_work_call
 		item->callback = callback;
 		item->param = parambase;
 		item->result = NULL;
-		item->flags = flags;
-		atomic_exchange32(&item->done, FALSE);
+		item->flags = flags;		
 
 		// advance to the next
 		lastitem = item;