diff --git a/src/d_player.h b/src/d_player.h
index 0c2e0e19b..0223ca143 100644
--- a/src/d_player.h
+++ b/src/d_player.h
@@ -729,6 +729,8 @@ struct player_t
 	UINT8 justDI;			// Turn-lockout timer to briefly prevent unintended turning after DI, resets when actionable or no input
 	boolean flipDI;			// Bananas flip the DI direction. Was a bug, but it made bananas much more interesting.
 
+	UINT8 cangrabitems;
+
 	SINT8 drift;			// (-5 to 5) - Drifting Left or Right, plus a bigger counter = sharper turn
 	fixed_t driftcharge;	// Charge your drift so you can release a burst of speed
 	UINT16 driftboost;		// (0 to 125 baseline) - Boost you get from drifting
diff --git a/src/g_game.c b/src/g_game.c
index 392d6f72b..0b305c3d1 100644
--- a/src/g_game.c
+++ b/src/g_game.c
@@ -2241,6 +2241,8 @@ void G_PlayerReborn(INT32 player, boolean betweenmaps)
 	UINT8 botdiffincrease;
 	boolean botrival;
 
+	boolean cangrabitems;
+
 	SINT8 xtralife;
 
 	uint8_t public_key[PUBKEYLENGTH];
@@ -2342,6 +2344,8 @@ void G_PlayerReborn(INT32 player, boolean betweenmaps)
 	bot = players[player].bot;
 	botdifficulty = players[player].botvars.difficulty;
 
+	cangrabitems = players[player].cangrabitems;
+
 	botdiffincrease = players[player].botvars.diffincrease;
 	botrival = players[player].botvars.rival;
 
@@ -2425,6 +2429,13 @@ void G_PlayerReborn(INT32 player, boolean betweenmaps)
 		bigwaypointgap = 0;
 
 		tallyactive = false;
+
+		cangrabitems = 0;
+		if (gametyperules & GTR_SPHERES
+			|| gametyperules & GTR_CATCHER
+			|| G_TimeAttackStart()
+			|| gametype == GT_TUTORIAL)
+			cangrabitems = EARLY_ITEM_FLICKER;
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -2567,6 +2578,8 @@ void G_PlayerReborn(INT32 player, boolean betweenmaps)
 	p->charflags = charflags;
 	p->lastfakeskin = lastfakeskin;
 
+	p->cangrabitems = cangrabitems;
+
 	memcpy(players[player].availabilities, availabilities, sizeof(availabilities));
 	p->followitem = followitem;
 
diff --git a/src/k_kart.c b/src/k_kart.c
index ef3e2e6fa..80aa7cd4b 100644
--- a/src/k_kart.c
+++ b/src/k_kart.c
@@ -4235,6 +4235,8 @@ void K_CheckpointCrossAward(player_t *player)
 		return;
 
 	player->exp += K_GetExpAdjustment(player);
+	if (!player->cangrabitems)
+		player->cangrabitems = 1;
 	K_AwardPlayerRings(player, (player->bot ? 20 : 10), true);
 }
 
@@ -9605,6 +9607,8 @@ void K_KartPlayerThink(player_t *player, ticcmd_t *cmd)
 			player->invincibilitytimer--;
 	}
 
+	if (player->cangrabitems && player->cangrabitems <= EARLY_ITEM_FLICKER)
+		player->cangrabitems++;
 
 	if (!player->invincibilitytimer)
 		player->invincibilityextensions = 0;
diff --git a/src/k_kart.h b/src/k_kart.h
index 00b0e44c3..b634b96eb 100644
--- a/src/k_kart.h
+++ b/src/k_kart.h
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ Make sure this matches the actual number of states
 
 #define SCAMDIST (2000)
 
+#define EARLY_ITEM_FLICKER (NUMTRANSMAPS)
+
 // 2023-08-26 +ang20 to Sal's OG values to make them friendlier - Tyron
 #define STUMBLE_STEEP_VAL (ANG60 + ANG20)
 #define STUMBLE_STEEP_VAL_AIR (ANG30 + ANG10 + ANG20)
diff --git a/src/lua_playerlib.c b/src/lua_playerlib.c
index f4a53be32..f89958b2b 100644
--- a/src/lua_playerlib.c
+++ b/src/lua_playerlib.c
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@ static int player_get(lua_State *L)
 		lua_pushinteger(L, plr->justDI);
 	else if (fastcmp(field,"flipdi"))
 		lua_pushboolean(L, plr->flipDI);
+	else if (fastcmp(field,"cangrabitems"))
+		lua_pushinteger(L, plr->cangrabitems);
 	else if (fastcmp(field,"analoginput"))
 		lua_pushboolean(L, plr->analoginput);
 	else if (fastcmp(field,"transfer"))
@@ -884,6 +886,8 @@ static int player_set(lua_State *L)
 		plr->justDI = luaL_checkinteger(L, 3);
 	else if (fastcmp(field,"flipdi"))
 		plr->flipDI = luaL_checkboolean(L, 3);
+	else if (fastcmp(field,"cangrabitems"))
+		plr->cangrabitems = luaL_checkinteger(L, 3);
 	else if (fastcmp(field,"incontrol"))
 		plr->incontrol = luaL_checkinteger(L, 3);
 	else if (fastcmp(field,"progressivethrust"))
diff --git a/src/objects/random-item.c b/src/objects/random-item.c
index 244fcf2bb..cd4cf8570 100644
--- a/src/objects/random-item.c
+++ b/src/objects/random-item.c
@@ -115,6 +115,38 @@ void Obj_RandomItemVisuals(mobj_t *mobj)
 	if (mobj->type != MT_RANDOMITEM)
 		return;
 
+	// Fade items in as we cross the first checkpoint, but don't touch their visibility otherwise!
+	if (!((mobj->flags & MF_NOCLIPTHING) || mobj->fuse))
+	{
+		UINT8 maxgrab = 0;
+
+		for (UINT8 i = 0; i <= r_splitscreen; i++)
+		{
+			maxgrab = max(maxgrab, players[displayplayers[i]].cangrabitems);
+		}
+
+		if (maxgrab == 0)
+			mobj->renderflags |= RF_DONTDRAW;
+		else
+			mobj->renderflags &= ~RF_DONTDRAW;
+
+		if (maxgrab > 0 && maxgrab <= EARLY_ITEM_FLICKER)
+		{
+			UINT8 maxtranslevel = NUMTRANSMAPS;
+
+			UINT8 trans = maxgrab;
+			if (trans > maxtranslevel)
+				trans = maxtranslevel;
+			trans = NUMTRANSMAPS - trans;
+
+			mobj->renderflags &= ~(RF_TRANSMASK);
+
+			if (trans != 0)
+				mobj->renderflags |= (trans << RF_TRANSSHIFT);
+		}
+	}
+
+
 	// Respawn flow, documented by a dumb asshole:
 	// P_TouchSpecialThing -> P_ItemPop sets fuse, NOCLIPTHING and DONTDRAW.
 	// P_FuseThink does visual flicker, and when fuse is 0, unsets NOCLIPTHING/DONTDRAW/etc...
diff --git a/src/p_inter.c b/src/p_inter.c
index 02fe7393e..2e0a7d5a1 100644
--- a/src/p_inter.c
+++ b/src/p_inter.c
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ boolean P_CanPickupItem(player_t *player, UINT8 weapon)
 	if (weapon != PICKUP_EGGBOX && player->instaWhipCharge)
 		return false;
 
+	if (weapon == PICKUP_ITEMBOX && !player->cangrabitems)
+		return false;
+
 	if (weapon == PICKUP_RINGORSPHERE)
 	{
 		if (player->stunned > 0)
diff --git a/src/p_saveg.cpp b/src/p_saveg.cpp
index 0b03a974f..dfaf82e5a 100644
--- a/src/p_saveg.cpp
+++ b/src/p_saveg.cpp
@@ -461,6 +461,8 @@ static void P_NetArchivePlayers(savebuffer_t *save)
 		WRITEUINT8(save->p, players[i].justDI);
 		WRITEUINT8(save->p, players[i].flipDI);
 
+		WRITEUINT8(save->p, players[i].cangrabitems);
+
 		WRITESINT8(save->p, players[i].drift);
 		WRITEFIXED(save->p, players[i].driftcharge);
 		WRITEUINT16(save->p, players[i].driftboost);
@@ -1101,6 +1103,8 @@ static void P_NetUnArchivePlayers(savebuffer_t *save)
 		players[i].justDI = READUINT8(save->p);
 		players[i].flipDI = (boolean)READUINT8(save->p);
 
+		players[i].cangrabitems = READUINT8(save->p);
+
 		players[i].drift = READSINT8(save->p);
 		players[i].driftcharge = READFIXED(save->p);
 		players[i].driftboost = READUINT16(save->p);
diff --git a/src/p_user.c b/src/p_user.c
index c29b5e84d..abd2138e4 100644
--- a/src/p_user.c
+++ b/src/p_user.c
@@ -2359,6 +2359,8 @@ static void P_UpdatePlayerAngle(player_t *player)
 		angle_t targetAngle = (player->cmd.angle) << TICCMD_REDUCE;
 		angle_t targetDelta = targetAngle - (player->mo->angle);
 
+#define SOLVERANGLECHEATS
+
 #ifdef SOLVERANGLECHEATS
 		// Corrections via fake turn go through easing.
 		// That means undoing them takes the same amount of time as doing them.