diff --git a/input/dnd.c b/input/dnd.c
index b03b2bb4869a2..7075cf97df188 100644
--- a/input/dnd.c
+++ b/input/dnd.c
@@ -140,6 +140,23 @@ static MP_THREAD_VOID mpv_event_loop_fn(void *arg)
     MP_THREAD_RETURN();
 }
 
+void mp_dnd_load_file(mpv_handle *mpv, int num_files, char **files, enum mp_dnd_action action)
+{
+    mpv_node *items = talloc_zero_array(NULL, mpv_node, num_files);
+    mpv_node_list list = {.values = items, .num = num_files};
+    mpv_node node = {.format = MPV_FORMAT_NODE_ARRAY, .u = {.list = &list}};
+    for (int n = 0; n < num_files; n++) {
+        items[n] = (mpv_node){.format = MPV_FORMAT_STRING,
+                              .u = {.string = files[n]}};
+    }
+
+    char *actionstr = action == DND_REPLACE ? "replace" :
+                      action == DND_APPEND ? "append" :
+                      action == DND_INSERT_NEXT ? "insert-next" :
+                      "none";
+    handle_dnd(mpv, &node, actionstr);
+}
+
 void mp_dnd_init(mpv_handle *mpv)
 {
     mp_thread mpv_event_loop;
diff --git a/input/dnd.h b/input/dnd.h
index 8bb9f0ed9d7ea..ddb0503772d2e 100644
--- a/input/dnd.h
+++ b/input/dnd.h
@@ -18,4 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "player/client.h"
 
+#include "event.h"
+
+void mp_dnd_load_file(mpv_handle *ctx, int num_files, char **files, enum mp_dnd_action action);
 void mp_dnd_init(mpv_handle *mpv);
diff --git a/osdep/mac/app_bridge_objc.h b/osdep/mac/app_bridge_objc.h
index bcde2caf8a6cd..b317e2f9cd94e 100644
--- a/osdep/mac/app_bridge_objc.h
+++ b/osdep/mac/app_bridge_objc.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "common/global.h"
 #include "input/input.h"
 #include "input/event.h"
+#include "input/dnd.h"
 #include "input/keycodes.h"
 #include "video/out/win_state.h"
 
diff --git a/osdep/mac/app_hub.swift b/osdep/mac/app_hub.swift
index 879b084ca5aad..b050bb124abe4 100644
--- a/osdep/mac/app_hub.swift
+++ b/osdep/mac/app_hub.swift
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class AppHub: NSObject {
     var isApplication: Bool { return NSApp is Application }
     var isBundle: Bool { return ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment["MPVBUNDLE"] == "true" }
     var openEvents: Int = 0
+    var openFiles: [String] = []
 
     private override init() {
         input = InputHelper()
@@ -113,9 +114,22 @@ class AppHub: NSObject {
             return strL.localizedStandardCompare(strR) == .orderedAscending
         }
         log.verbose("\(openEvents > 0 ? "Appending" : "Opening") dropped files: \(files)")
-        input.open(files: files, append: openEvents > 0)
-        openEvents += 1
+        DispatchQueue.main.async {
+            self.open(files: files, append: self.openEvents > 0)
+            self.openEvents += 1
+        }
         DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.1) { self.openEvents -= 1 }
+
+    }
+
+    func open(files: [String], append: Bool = false) {
+        openFiles += files
+        guard let mpv = mpv else { return }
+
+        input.open(files: files, append: append) { (filesPtr, action) in
+            mp_dnd_load_file(mpv, Int32(openFiles.count), &filesPtr, action)
+        }
+        openFiles = []
     }
 
     func getIcon() -> NSImage {
diff --git a/osdep/mac/input_helper.swift b/osdep/mac/input_helper.swift
index 3833dc9fc5db2..c84d71971471f 100644
--- a/osdep/mac/input_helper.swift
+++ b/osdep/mac/input_helper.swift
@@ -249,20 +249,27 @@ class InputHelper: NSObject {
         return String(utf16CodeUnits: chars, count: length)
     }
 
-    @objc func open(files: [String], append: Bool = false) {
+    @objc func handleDnd(files: [String]) {
         lock.withLock {
             guard let input = input else { return }
 
-            var action = DND_APPEND
-            if !append {
-                action = NSEvent.modifierFlags.contains(.shift) ? DND_APPEND : DND_REPLACE
+            open(files: files) { (filesPtr, action) in
+                mp_input_drop_files(input, Int32(files.count), &filesPtr, action)
             }
+        }
+    }
 
-            let filesClean = files.map { $0.hasPrefix("file:///.file/id=") ? (URL(string: $0)?.path ?? $0) : $0 }
-            var filesPtr = filesClean.map { UnsafeMutablePointer<CChar>(strdup($0)) }
-            mp_input_drop_files(input, Int32(files.count), &filesPtr, action)
-            for charPtr in filesPtr { free(UnsafeMutablePointer(mutating: charPtr)) }
+    func open(files: [String], append: Bool = false,
+              completion: (inout [UnsafeMutablePointer<CChar>?], mp_dnd_action) -> Void) {
+        var action = DND_APPEND
+        if !append {
+            action = NSEvent.modifierFlags.contains(.shift) ? DND_APPEND : DND_REPLACE
         }
+
+        let filesClean = files.map { $0.hasPrefix("file:///.file/id=") ? (URL(string: $0)?.path ?? $0) : $0 }
+        var filesPtr = filesClean.map { UnsafeMutablePointer<CChar>(strdup($0)) }
+        completion(&filesPtr, action)
+        for charPtr in filesPtr { free(UnsafeMutablePointer(mutating: charPtr)) }
     }
 
     private func useAltGr() -> Bool {
diff --git a/osdep/mac/menu_bar.swift b/osdep/mac/menu_bar.swift
index 2a830ff17b32f..e3b34a8029e24 100644
--- a/osdep/mac/menu_bar.swift
+++ b/osdep/mac/menu_bar.swift
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ class MenuBar: NSObject, EventSubscriber {
 
     @objc func openFiles() {
         guard let files = dialog.openFiles(path: currentDir) else { return }
-        appHub.input.open(files: files)
+        appHub.open(files: files)
     }
 
     @objc func openPlaylist() {
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ class MenuBar: NSObject, EventSubscriber {
 
     @objc func openUrl() {
         guard let file = dialog.openUrl() else { return }
-        appHub.input.open(files: [file])
+        appHub.open(files: [file])
     }
 
     @objc func command(_ menuItem: MenuItem) {
diff --git a/video/out/mac/view.swift b/video/out/mac/view.swift
index c341b3154a5af..f8cc6254ae975 100644
--- a/video/out/mac/view.swift
+++ b/video/out/mac/view.swift
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class View: NSView, CALayerDelegate {
             }
         }
         if files.isEmpty { return false }
-        input?.open(files: files)
+        input?.handleDnd(files: files)
         return true
     }