diff --git a/src/applications/gqrx/mainwindow.cpp b/src/applications/gqrx/mainwindow.cpp
index bb14e27e1..c5f3e473f 100644
--- a/src/applications/gqrx/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/applications/gqrx/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1629,6 +1629,8 @@ void MainWindow::startIqRecording(const QString& recdir)
             toString("%1/gqrx_yyyyMMdd_hhmmss_%2_%3_fc.'raw'")
             .arg(recdir).arg(freq).arg(sr/dec);
 
+    ui->actionIoConfig->setDisabled(true);
+    ui->actionLoadSettings->setDisabled(true);
     // start recorder; fails if recording already in progress
     if (rx->start_iq_recording(lastRec.toStdString()))
     {
@@ -1659,6 +1661,8 @@ void MainWindow::stopIqRecording()
         ui->statusBar->showMessage(tr("Error stopping I/Q recoder"));
     else
         ui->statusBar->showMessage(tr("I/Q data recoding stopped"), 5000);
+    ui->actionIoConfig->setDisabled(false);
+    ui->actionLoadSettings->setDisabled(false);
 }
 
 void MainWindow::startIqPlayback(const QString& filename, float samprate, qint64 center_freq)
@@ -1701,6 +1705,9 @@ void MainWindow::startIqPlayback(const QString& filename, float samprate, qint64
 
     // FIXME: would be nice with good/bad status
     ui->statusBar->showMessage(tr("Playing %1").arg(filename));
+    ui->actionIoConfig->setDisabled(true);
+    ui->actionLoadSettings->setDisabled(true);
+    ui->actionSaveSettings->setDisabled(true);
 
     on_actionDSP_triggered(true);
 }
@@ -1714,6 +1721,9 @@ void MainWindow::stopIqPlayback()
     }
 
     ui->statusBar->showMessage(tr("I/Q playback stopped"), 5000);
+    ui->actionIoConfig->setDisabled(false);
+    ui->actionLoadSettings->setDisabled(false);
+    ui->actionSaveSettings->setDisabled(false);
 
     // restore original input device
     auto indev = m_settings->value("input/device", "").toString();
diff --git a/src/qtgui/iq_tool.cpp b/src/qtgui/iq_tool.cpp
index bbc1fda09..9f632993a 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/iq_tool.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/iq_tool.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,20 @@ void CIqTool::on_listWidget_currentTextChanged(const QString &currentText)
 
 }
 
+/*! \brief Show/hide/enable/disable GUI controls */
+
+void CIqTool::switchControlsState(enum IqToolState state)
+{
+    ui->recButton->setEnabled(state != STATE_PLAYING);
+
+    ui->playButton->setEnabled(state != STATE_RECORDING);
+    ui->slider->setEnabled(state != STATE_RECORDING);
+
+    ui->listWidget->setEnabled(state == STATE_IDLE);
+    ui->recDirEdit->setEnabled(state == STATE_IDLE);
+    ui->recDirButton->setEnabled(state == STATE_IDLE);
+}
+
 /*! \brief Start/stop playback */
 void CIqTool::on_playButton_clicked(bool checked)
 {
@@ -125,8 +139,7 @@ void CIqTool::on_playButton_clicked(bool checked)
         }
         else
         {
-            ui->listWidget->setEnabled(false);
-            ui->recButton->setEnabled(false);
+            switchControlsState(STATE_PLAYING);
             emit startPlayback(recdir->absoluteFilePath(current_file),
                                (float)sample_rate, center_freq);
         }
@@ -134,8 +147,7 @@ void CIqTool::on_playButton_clicked(bool checked)
     else
     {
         emit stopPlayback();
-        ui->listWidget->setEnabled(true);
-        ui->recButton->setEnabled(true);
+        switchControlsState(STATE_IDLE);
         ui->slider->setValue(0);
     }
 }
@@ -148,9 +160,7 @@ void CIqTool::on_playButton_clicked(bool checked)
  */
 void CIqTool::cancelPlayback()
 {
-    ui->playButton->setChecked(false);
-    ui->listWidget->setEnabled(true);
-    ui->recButton->setEnabled(true);
+    switchControlsState(STATE_IDLE);
     is_playing = false;
 }
 
@@ -172,7 +182,7 @@ void CIqTool::on_recButton_clicked(bool checked)
 
     if (checked)
     {
-        ui->playButton->setEnabled(false);
+        switchControlsState(STATE_RECORDING);
         emit startRecording(recdir->path());
 
         refreshDir();
@@ -180,7 +190,7 @@ void CIqTool::on_recButton_clicked(bool checked)
     }
     else
     {
-        ui->playButton->setEnabled(true);
+        switchControlsState(STATE_IDLE);
         emit stopRecording();
     }
 }
@@ -195,8 +205,7 @@ void CIqTool::on_recButton_clicked(bool checked)
  */
 void CIqTool::cancelRecording()
 {
-    ui->recButton->setChecked(false);
-    ui->playButton->setEnabled(true);
+    switchControlsState(STATE_IDLE);
     is_recording = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qtgui/iq_tool.h b/src/qtgui/iq_tool.h
index cb8da0f5b..c524bb7f2 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/iq_tool.h
+++ b/src/qtgui/iq_tool.h
@@ -82,9 +82,16 @@ private slots:
     void timeoutFunction(void);
 
 private:
+    enum IqToolState
+    {
+        STATE_IDLE = 0,
+        STATE_PLAYING,
+        STATE_RECORDING
+    };
     void refreshDir(void);
     void refreshTimeWidgets(void);
     void parseFileName(const QString &filename);
+    void switchControlsState(enum IqToolState state);
 
 private:
     Ui::CIqTool *ui;