diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/Controlify.java b/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/Controlify.java
index c58086f..0e779f3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/Controlify.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/Controlify.java
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ public class Controlify implements ControlifyApi {
             }
         }
 
+        ClientTickEvents.START_CLIENT_TICK.register(this::tick);
+
         // listen for new controllers
         GLFW.glfwSetJoystickCallback((jid, event) -> {
             try {
@@ -119,7 +121,11 @@ public class Controlify implements ControlifyApi {
         if (nativeOnboardingFuture != null) return nativeOnboardingFuture;
 
         if (config().globalSettings().vibrationOnboarded) {
-            return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(config().globalSettings().loadVibrationNatives);
+            boolean loadNatives = config().globalSettings().loadVibrationNatives;
+            if (loadNatives && !SDL2NativesManager.isInitialised()) {
+                SDL2NativesManager.initialise();
+            }
+            return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(loadNatives);
         }
 
         nativeOnboardingFuture = new CompletableFuture<>();
@@ -180,8 +186,6 @@ public class Controlify implements ControlifyApi {
             config().saveIfDirty();
         }
 
-        ClientTickEvents.START_CLIENT_TICK.register(this::tick);
-
         FabricLoader.getInstance().getEntrypoints("controlify", ControlifyEntrypoint.class).forEach(entrypoint -> {
             try {
                 entrypoint.onControllersDiscovered(this);
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/controller/sdl2/SDL2NativesManager.java b/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/controller/sdl2/SDL2NativesManager.java
index d3d75b8..af5c063 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/controller/sdl2/SDL2NativesManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/isxander/controlify/controller/sdl2/SDL2NativesManager.java
@@ -31,9 +31,11 @@ public class SDL2NativesManager {
     private static final String NATIVE_LIBRARY_URL = "https://maven.isxander.dev/releases/dev/isxander/sdl2-jni-natives/%s/".formatted(SDL2_VERSION);
 
     private static boolean loaded = false;
+    private static boolean initialised = false;
 
     public static void initialise() {
-        if (loaded) return;
+        if (initialised) return;
+        initialised = true;
 
         DebugLog.log("Initialising SDL2 native library");
 
@@ -124,6 +126,10 @@ public class SDL2NativesManager {
         return loaded;
     }
 
+    public static boolean isInitialised() {
+        return initialised;
+    }
+
     private record Target(Util.OS os, boolean is64Bit, boolean isARM) {
         public static final Target CURRENT = Util.make(() -> {
             Util.OS os = Util.getPlatform();