diff --git a/src/d_clisrv.c b/src/d_clisrv.c
index 417fbade4..aa692c3bc 100644
--- a/src/d_clisrv.c
+++ b/src/d_clisrv.c
@@ -3935,6 +3935,11 @@ static void HandleConnect(SINT8 node)
 	// If a server filled out, then it'd overwrite the host and turn everyone into weird husks.....
 	// It's too much effort to legimately fix right now. Just prevent it from reaching that state.
 	UINT8 maxplayers = min((dedicated ? MAXPLAYERS-1 : MAXPLAYERS), cv_maxconnections.value);
+	UINT8 connectedplayers = 0;
+
+	for (UINT8 i = dedicated ? 1 : 0; i < MAXPLAYERS; i++)
+		if (playernode[i] != UINT8_MAX) // We use this to count players because it is affected by SV_AddWaitingPlayers when more than one client joins on the same tic, unlike playeringame and D_NumPlayers. UINT8_MAX denotes no node for that player
+			connectedplayers++;
 
 	if (bannednode && bannednode[node].banid != SIZE_MAX)
 	{
@@ -3992,7 +3997,7 @@ static void HandleConnect(SINT8 node)
 	{
 		SV_SendRefuse(node, M_GetText("The server is not accepting\njoins for the moment."));
 	}
-	else if (D_NumPlayers() >= maxplayers)
+	else if (connectedplayers >= maxplayers)
 	{
 		SV_SendRefuse(node, va(M_GetText("Maximum players reached: %d"), maxplayers));
 	}
@@ -4000,7 +4005,7 @@ static void HandleConnect(SINT8 node)
 	{
 		SV_SendRefuse(node, M_GetText("Too many players from\nthis node."));
 	}
-	else if (netgame && D_NumPlayers() + netbuffer->u.clientcfg.localplayers > maxplayers)
+	else if (netgame && connectedplayers + netbuffer->u.clientcfg.localplayers > maxplayers)
 	{
 		SV_SendRefuse(node, va(M_GetText("Number of local players\nwould exceed maximum: %d"), maxplayers));
 	}