diff --git a/Gameleap/code/mw4/Code/MW4/MW4Shell.cpp b/Gameleap/code/mw4/Code/MW4/MW4Shell.cpp
index c5670abb..62ab4097 100644
--- a/Gameleap/code/mw4/Code/MW4/MW4Shell.cpp
+++ b/Gameleap/code/mw4/Code/MW4/MW4Shell.cpp
@@ -1828,7 +1828,8 @@ int MW4Shell::SetNetworkMissionParamater(void * instance, int numParms, void **d
 		case PLAYER_LIMIT_PARAMETER:
 			params->m_playerLimit = INTPARM(1);
 			Min_Clamp(params->m_playerLimit, Network::GetInstance()->GetPlayerCount());
-			Environment.NetworkMaxPlayers = params->m_playerLimit;
+			// Add camera slots on top of the pilot limit so cameraships can still connect
+			Environment.NetworkMaxPlayers = params->m_playerLimit + (CTCL_GetTeslaCountAll() - CTCL_GetTeslaCount());
 			gos_NetServerCommands(gos_Commend_UpdateMaxPlayers,0);
 			break;
 
@@ -13307,17 +13308,16 @@ void CTCL_API CTCL_DefaultHostSetup(int nMode)
     params->m_allowdecaltransfer = 0;
     if (g_bCOOP) {
       Environment.NetworkMaxPlayers = 16;
-      //if (CTCL_GetTeslaCount() < CTCL_GetTeslaCountAll()) {
-          // any cameraship installed... so 1 more player can join
-          //params->m_maxPlayers = 9;
-          //params->m_maxBots = 8;
-      //} else {
+      // Reserve extra DirectPlay slots for camera seats (tracked separately from pilots in CTCL)
+      // Original commented-out intent preserved and now implemented for non-COOP below
           params->m_maxPlayers = 9;
           params->m_maxBots = 8;
-      //}
     } else {
     params->m_maxPlayers = 16;
-    Environment.NetworkMaxPlayers = 16;
+    // Reserve extra DirectPlay slots for cameraships: they share the session but are tracked
+    // separately from pilot seats in CTCL (CTCL_GetTeslaCountAll - CTCL_GetTeslaCount = camera count).
+    // Without this, cameraship connection is rejected by DirectPlay because slot 17 doesn't exist.
+    Environment.NetworkMaxPlayers = params->m_maxPlayers + (CTCL_GetTeslaCountAll() - CTCL_GetTeslaCount());
     params->m_maxBots = 16;
     }
     params->m_allow3rdPerson = 1;
diff --git a/Gameleap/mw4/Content/ShellScripts/ConLobby.script b/Gameleap/mw4/Content/ShellScripts/ConLobby.script
index 983efc6c..2dd68f7f 100644
--- a/Gameleap/mw4/Content/ShellScripts/ConLobby.script
+++ b/Gameleap/mw4/Content/ShellScripts/ConLobby.script
@@ -2721,7 +2721,8 @@ main
             }
         }
 // MSL 5.06
-        if nLaunchState == 0 && (nTempPlayerCount > 16)
+// RT 07/19/26: raised cap from 16 to 17 to allow 16 pilots + 1 cameraship
+        if nLaunchState == 0 && (nTempPlayerCount > 17)
         {
             o_error_string.text = "Too many player/bots"
             nLaunchState = -7