diff --git a/shared-bindings/gamepad/GamePad.c b/shared-bindings/gamepad/GamePad.c
index 2c982c7d55..aa645dc662 100644
--- a/shared-bindings/gamepad/GamePad.c
+++ b/shared-bindings/gamepad/GamePad.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "py/mphal.h"
 #include "shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/digitalio/DigitalInOut.h"
+#include "shared-bindings/util.h"
 #include "GamePad.h"
 
 
@@ -93,16 +94,18 @@ gamepad_obj_t* volatile gamepad_singleton = NULL;
 //|
 STATIC mp_obj_t gamepad_make_new(const mp_obj_type_t *type, size_t n_args,
         size_t n_kw, const mp_obj_t *args) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < n_args; ++i) {
+        if (!MP_OBJ_IS_TYPE(args[i], &digitalio_digitalinout_type)) {
+            mp_raise_TypeError("Expected a DigitalInOut");
+        }
+        digitalio_digitalinout_obj_t *pin = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(args[i]);
+        raise_error_if_deinited(
+            common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_deinited(pin));
+    }
     if (!gamepad_singleton) {
         gamepad_singleton = m_new_obj(gamepad_obj_t);
         gamepad_singleton->base.type = &gamepad_type;
     }
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < n_args; ++i) {
-        if (!MP_OBJ_IS_TYPE(args[i], &digitalio_digitalinout_type)) {
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError,
-                "Expected a %q", digitalio_digitalinout_type.name));
-        }
-    }
     gamepad_init(n_args, args);
     return MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(gamepad_singleton);
 }
diff --git a/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c b/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c
index 540c882dac..88ab23fc1e 100644
--- a/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c
+++ b/shared-module/gamepad/GamePad.c
@@ -35,13 +35,12 @@
 
 
 void gamepad_init(size_t n_pins, const mp_obj_t* pins) {
-    for (size_t i=0; i<8; ++i) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < 8; ++i) {
         gamepad_singleton->pins[i] = NULL;
     }
     gamepad_singleton->pulls = 0;
-    for (size_t i=0; i<n_pins; ++i) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < n_pins; ++i) {
         digitalio_digitalinout_obj_t *pin = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(pins[i]);
-        raise_error_if_deinited(common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_deinited(pin));
         digitalio_direction_t direction = common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_get_direction(pin);
         if (direction != DIRECTION_INPUT) {
             common_hal_digitalio_digitalinout_switch_to_input(pin, PULL_UP);