diff --git a/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/main.c b/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/main.c
index 4c6a463bf1b..ec5e36eac80 100644
--- a/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/main.c
+++ b/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/main.c
@@ -103,9 +103,6 @@ static const u8 mcman_xortable[256] = {
 };
 // clang-format on
 
-#ifdef BUILDING_DONGLEMAN
-int sema_hakama_id = 0;
-#endif
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------
 void long_multiply(u32 v1, u32 v2, u32 *HI, u32 *LO)
@@ -1166,8 +1163,6 @@ int McReadPage(int port, int slot, int page, void *buf) // Export #18
 	u8 eccbuf[32];
 	u8 *pdata, *peccb;
 
-    HAKAMA_WAITSEMA();
-
 	count = (mcdi->pagesize + 127) >> 7;
 	erase_byte = (mcdi->cardflags & CF_ERASE_ZEROES) ? 0x0 : 0xFF;
 
@@ -1209,8 +1204,6 @@ int McReadPage(int port, int slot, int page, void *buf) // Export #18
 		}
 	} while (++retries < 5);
 
-    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
-
 	if (retries < 5)
 		return sceMcResSucceed;
 
diff --git a/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcman-internal.h b/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcman-internal.h
index 009619ca05c..4133cbea724 100644
--- a/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcman-internal.h
+++ b/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcman-internal.h
@@ -367,9 +367,8 @@ extern u8 mcman_sio2outbufs_PS1PDA[0x90];
 
 #ifdef BUILDING_DONGLEMAN
 extern int sema_hakama_id;
-/// El_isra: Not sure why it hangs... I still need to determine their actual purpose. disabled for now...
-#define HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA() //SignalSema(sema_hakama_id)
-#define HAKAMA_WAITSEMA() //WaitSema(sema_hakama_id)
+#define HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA() SignalSema(sema_hakama_id)
+#define HAKAMA_WAITSEMA() WaitSema(sema_hakama_id)
 #else
 #define HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA() //while(0) {} /* SignalSema wrapper for an additional semaphore used by arcade MCMAN */
 #define HAKAMA_WAITSEMA() //while(0) {} /* WaitSema wrapper for an additional semaphore used by arcade MCMAN */
diff --git a/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcsio2.c b/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcsio2.c
index 613913d0063..37eb6b3fb13 100644
--- a/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcsio2.c
+++ b/iop/memorycard/mcman/src/mcsio2.c
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@
 static flash_info_t dev9_flash_info;
 #endif
 
+#ifdef BUILDING_DONGLEMAN
+int sema_hakama_id = 0;
+#endif
+
 #if !defined(BUILDING_XFROMMAN) && !defined(BUILDING_VMCMAN)
 static sio2_transfer_data_t mcman_sio2packet;	// buffer for mcman sio2 packet
 static u8 mcman_wdmabufs[0x0b * 0x90];		// buffer array for SIO2 DMA I/O (write)
@@ -493,8 +497,10 @@ int mcman_eraseblock(int port, int slot, int block, void **pagebuf, void *eccbuf
 #endif
 	} while (++retries < 5);
 
-	if (retries >= 5)
+	if (retries >= 5) {
+        HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 		return sceMcResChangedCard;
+    }
 
 	if (pagebuf && eccbuf) { // This part leave the first ecc byte of each block page in eccbuf
 		mcman_wmemset(eccbuf, 32, 0);
@@ -536,13 +542,12 @@ int mcman_eraseblock(int port, int slot, int block, void **pagebuf, void *eccbuf
         }
 	} while (++retries < 100);
 
-    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA(); //El_isra: Original impl has two semas (still commented there) replaced with one for simplicity
 	if (p[3] == 0x66) {
-        //HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
+        HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 		return sceMcResFailReplace;
     }
 #endif
-    //HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
+    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	return sceMcResNoFormat;
 }
 
@@ -635,15 +640,15 @@ int McWritePage(int port, int slot, int page, void *pagebuf, void *eccbuf) // Ex
 	} while (++retries < 5);
 
 #if !defined(BUILDING_XFROMMAN) && !defined(BUILDING_VMCMAN)
-    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA(); // El_isra: simplify original impl
 	if (p[3] == 0x66) {
-        //HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
+        HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 		return sceMcResFailReplace;
     }
 
-    //HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
+    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	return sceMcResNoFormat;
 #else
+    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	return sceMcResFailReplace;
 #endif
 }
@@ -653,6 +658,9 @@ int mcman_readpage(int port, int slot, int page, void *buf, void *eccbuf)
 {
 #if !defined(BUILDING_XFROMMAN) && !defined(BUILDING_VMCMAN)
 	register int index, count, retries, r, i;
+
+    HAKAMA_WAITSEMA();
+
 	register MCDevInfo *mcdi = &mcman_devinfos[port][slot];
 	u8 *pbuf = (u8 *)buf;
 	u8 *pecc = (u8 *)eccbuf;
@@ -716,8 +724,10 @@ int mcman_readpage(int port, int slot, int page, void *buf, void *eccbuf)
 
 	} while (++retries < 5);
 
-	if (retries < 5)
+	if (retries < 5) {
+        HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 		return sceMcResSucceed;
+    }
 #elif defined(BUILDING_VMCMAN)
 	if (!mcman_iomanx_backing_read(port, slot, page, buf, eccbuf)) {
 		return sceMcResSucceed;
@@ -740,6 +750,7 @@ int mcman_readpage(int port, int slot, int page, void *buf, void *eccbuf)
 		return sceMcResSucceed;
 	}
 #endif
+    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	return sceMcResChangedCard;
 }
 
@@ -795,8 +806,8 @@ int McGetCardSpec(int port, int slot, s16 *pagesize, u16 *blocksize, int *cardsi
 		*flags |= CF_USE_ECC;
 #endif
 	DPRINTF("McGetCardSpec sio2cmd pagesize=%d blocksize=%u cardsize=%d flags%x\n", *pagesize, *blocksize, *cardsize, *flags);
-    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 
+    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	return sceMcResSucceed;
 }
 
@@ -936,19 +947,19 @@ int mcman_probePS2Card(int port, int slot) //2
         DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card: SecrAuthDongle(2, %d, %d)\n", slot, mcman_getcnum(port, slot));
         if (SecrAuthDongle(2, slot, mcman_getcnum(port, slot)) == 0) {
             DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card SecrAuthDongle Failed\n");
-
+            HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
             return sceMcResFailAuth;
         }
     }
 	else if (SecrAuthCard(port + 2, slot, mcman_getcnum(port, slot)) == 0) {
 	    	DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card sio2cmd failed (auth failed)\n");
-
+            HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	    	return sceMcResFailAuth;
 	    }
 #else
 	    if (SecrAuthCard(port + 2, slot, mcman_getcnum(port, slot)) == 0) {
 	    	DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card sio2cmd failed (auth failed)\n");
-
+            HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	    	return sceMcResFailAuth;
 	    }
 #endif
@@ -967,6 +978,7 @@ int mcman_probePS2Card(int port, int slot) //2
 
 	if (retries >= 5) {
 		DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card sio2cmd failed (mc detection failed)\n");
+        HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 		return sceMcResFailDetect;
 	}
 #endif
@@ -991,11 +1003,12 @@ int mcman_probePS2Card(int port, int slot) //2
 
 	if (retries >= 5) {
 		DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card sio2cmd failed (mc detection failed)\n");
-
+        HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 		return sceMcResFailDetect2;
 	}
 #endif
 
+    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA(); //Here we signal before returning bc devinfo will internally read a page, wich also waits for hakama
 	r = mcman_setdevinfos(port, slot);
 	if (r == 0) {
 		DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card sio2cmd card changed!\n");
@@ -1007,7 +1020,7 @@ int mcman_probePS2Card(int port, int slot) //2
 	}
 
 	DPRINTF("mcman_probePS2Card sio2cmd succeeded\n");
-
+    HAKAMA_SIGNALSEMA();
 	return r;
 }