diff --git a/src/blackcore/context_runtime.cpp b/src/blackcore/context_runtime.cpp
index 30c6e39e3..01c868276 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/context_runtime.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/context_runtime.cpp
@@ -448,7 +448,11 @@ namespace BlackCore
             if (this->m_contextSettings)
             {
                 connect(this->m_contextSettings, &IContextSettings::changedSettings, this->m_contextSimulator, &IContextSimulator::settingsChanged);
-                this->m_contextSimulator->loadSimulatorPluginFromSettings();
+                if (!this->m_contextSimulator->loadSimulatorPluginFromSettings())
+                {
+                    qWarning() << "No simulator plugin loaded";
+                    this->sendStatusMessage(CStatusMessage::getWarningMessage("No simulator plugin loaded", CStatusMessage::TypeSimulator));
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/blackcore/context_simulator_impl.cpp b/src/blackcore/context_simulator_impl.cpp
index 97f165d12..0635da8b0 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/context_simulator_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/context_simulator_impl.cpp
@@ -150,17 +150,21 @@ namespace BlackCore
         Q_ASSERT(this->getIContextSettings());
         if (!this->getIContextSettings()) return false;
 
-        CSimulatorInfoList plugin = this->getAvailableSimulatorPlugins();
-        if (plugin.size() == 1)
+        CSimulatorInfoList plugins = this->getAvailableSimulatorPlugins();
+        if (plugins.size() == 1)
         {
             // load, independent from settings, we have only driver
-            return this->loadSimulatorPlugin(plugin.front());
+            return this->loadSimulatorPlugin(plugins.front());
         }
-        else if (plugin.size() > 1)
+        else if (plugins.size() > 1)
         {
-            return this->loadSimulatorPlugin(
-                       this->getIContextSettings()->getSimulatorSettings().getSelectedPlugin()
-                   );
+            if (this->loadSimulatorPlugin(
+                        this->getIContextSettings()->getSimulatorSettings().getSelectedPlugin()
+                    )) return true;
+
+            // we have plugins, but none got loaded
+            // just load first one
+            return this->loadSimulatorPlugin(plugins.front());
         }
         else
         {