diff --git a/audio/drivers/wasapi.c b/audio/drivers/wasapi.c
index d2144c584c..8348256af8 100644
--- a/audio/drivers/wasapi.c
+++ b/audio/drivers/wasapi.c
@@ -589,7 +589,6 @@ static void *wasapi_init(const char *dev_id, unsigned rate, unsigned latency,
       unsigned u1, unsigned *u2)
 {
    HRESULT hr;
-   bool com_initialized      = false;
    UINT32 frame_count        = 0;
    REFERENCE_TIME dev_period = 0;
    BYTE *dest                = NULL;
@@ -601,11 +600,6 @@ static void *wasapi_init(const char *dev_id, unsigned rate, unsigned latency,
 
    WASAPI_CHECK(w, "Out of memory", return NULL);
 
-   hr = CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED);
-   WASAPI_HR_CHECK(hr, "CoInitializeEx", goto error);
-
-   com_initialized = true;
-
    w->device = wasapi_init_device(dev_id);
    if (!w->device && dev_id)
       w->device = wasapi_init_device(NULL);
@@ -685,8 +679,6 @@ error:
    if (w->buffer)
       fifo_free(w->buffer);
    free(w);
-   if (com_initialized)
-      CoUninitialize();
 
    return NULL;
 }
@@ -898,7 +890,6 @@ static void wasapi_free(void *wh)
       _IAudioClient_Stop(w->client);
    WASAPI_RELEASE(w->client);
    WASAPI_RELEASE(w->device);
-   CoUninitialize();
    if (w->buffer)
       fifo_free(w->buffer);
    free(w);
diff --git a/audio/drivers/xaudio.c b/audio/drivers/xaudio.c
index 594d3124d4..4549a5f8d4 100644
--- a/audio/drivers/xaudio.c
+++ b/audio/drivers/xaudio.c
@@ -201,11 +201,6 @@ static xaudio2_t *xaudio2_new(unsigned samplerate, unsigned channels,
 {
    xaudio2_t *handle = NULL;
    WAVEFORMATEX wfx  = {0};
-#if !defined(_XBOX) && !defined(__WINRT__)
-   HRESULT hr        = CoInitialize(NULL);
-   if (FAILED(hr))
-      return NULL;
-#endif
 
 #if defined(__cplusplus) && !defined(CINTERFACE)
    handle = new xaudio2;
@@ -256,9 +251,6 @@ static xaudio2_t *xaudio2_new(unsigned samplerate, unsigned channels,
 
 error:
    xaudio2_free(handle);
-#if !defined(_XBOX) && !defined(__WINRT__)
-   CoUninitialize();
-#endif
    return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -408,10 +400,6 @@ static void xa_free(void *data)
    if (xa->xa)
       xaudio2_free(xa->xa);
    free(xa);
-
-#if !defined(_XBOX) && !defined(__WINRT__)
-   CoUninitialize();
-#endif
 }
 
 static size_t xa_write_avail(void *data)
diff --git a/frontend/frontend.c b/frontend/frontend.c
index b144761490..04a03b448d 100644
--- a/frontend/frontend.c
+++ b/frontend/frontend.c
@@ -109,6 +109,14 @@ int rarch_main(int argc, char *argv[], void *data)
    const ui_application_t *ui_application = NULL;
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(HAVE_MAIN) && defined(_WIN32) && !defined(_XBOX) && !defined(__WINRT__)
+   if (FAILED(CoInitialize(NULL)))
+   {
+      RARCH_ERR("FATAL: Failed to initialize the COM interface\n");
+      return 1;
+   }
+#endif
+
    rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_PREINIT, NULL);
    frontend_driver_init_first(args);
    rarch_ctl(RARCH_CTL_INIT, NULL);
@@ -157,6 +165,10 @@ int rarch_main(int argc, char *argv[], void *data)
       ui_application->run(args);
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(HAVE_MAIN) && defined(_WIN32) && !defined(_XBOX) && !defined(__WINRT__)
+   CoUninitialize();
+#endif
+
    return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/gfx/display_servers/dispserv_win32.c b/gfx/display_servers/dispserv_win32.c
index cf1c494779..a19b469ab8 100644
--- a/gfx/display_servers/dispserv_win32.c
+++ b/gfx/display_servers/dispserv_win32.c
@@ -83,12 +83,6 @@ static void* win32_display_server_init(void)
       return NULL;
 
 #ifdef HAS_TASKBAR_EXT
-   if (FAILED(CoInitialize(NULL)))
-   {
-      RARCH_ERR("COM initialization failed, ITaskbarList3 disabled\n");
-      return dispserv;
-   }
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
    /* When compiling in C++ mode, GUIDs are references instead of pointers */
    hr = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_TaskbarList, NULL,
@@ -130,8 +124,6 @@ static void win32_display_server_destroy(void *data)
       ITaskbarList3_Release(g_taskbarList);
       g_taskbarList = NULL;
    }
-
-   CoUninitialize();
 #endif
 
    if (dispserv)
diff --git a/input/drivers/dinput.c b/input/drivers/dinput.c
index f82cbf2a7a..32caea6426 100644
--- a/input/drivers/dinput.c
+++ b/input/drivers/dinput.c
@@ -98,8 +98,6 @@ void dinput_destroy_context(void)
 
    IDirectInput8_Release(g_dinput_ctx);
    g_dinput_ctx = NULL;
-
-   CoUninitialize();
 }
 
 bool dinput_init_context(void)
@@ -107,12 +105,6 @@ bool dinput_init_context(void)
    if (g_dinput_ctx)
       return true;
 
-   if (FAILED(CoInitialize(NULL)))
-   {
-      RARCH_ERR("[DINPUT]: Failed to initialize the COM interface\n");
-      return false;
-   }
-
    /* Who said we shouldn't have same call signature in a COM API? <_< */
 #ifdef __cplusplus
    if (!(SUCCEEDED(DirectInput8Create(
@@ -131,7 +123,6 @@ bool dinput_init_context(void)
 
 error:
    RARCH_ERR("[DINPUT]: Failed to initialize DirectInput.\n");
-   CoUninitialize();
    return false;
 }