diff --git a/Minecraft.Client/ClientConnection.cpp b/Minecraft.Client/ClientConnection.cpp
index a80af5d2c..df2ee6273 100644
--- a/Minecraft.Client/ClientConnection.cpp
+++ b/Minecraft.Client/ClientConnection.cpp
@@ -917,6 +917,36 @@ void ClientConnection::handleAddPlayer(shared_ptr<AddPlayerPacket> packet)
 			}
 		}
 
+		// Client-side registration: if we still have no IQNet entry for this remote
+		// player, create one so they appear in the Tab player list.
+		// Find the first available IQNet slot (customData == 0, skip slot 0 which
+		// is the host). We can't use packet->m_playerIndex directly because on
+		// dedicated servers the game-level player index starts at 0 for real
+		// players, conflicting with the IQNet host slot.
+		if (matchedQNetPlayer == nullptr)
+		{
+			for (int s = 1; s < MINECRAFT_NET_MAX_PLAYERS; ++s)
+			{
+				IQNetPlayer* qp = &IQNet::m_player[s];
+				if (qp->GetCustomDataValue() == 0 && qp->m_gamertag[0] == 0)
+				{
+					BYTE smallId = static_cast<BYTE>(s);
+					qp->m_smallId = smallId;
+					qp->m_isRemote = true;
+					qp->m_isHostPlayer = false;
+					qp->m_resolvedXuid = pktXuid;
+					wcsncpy_s(qp->m_gamertag, 32, packet->name.c_str(), _TRUNCATE);
+					if (smallId >= IQNet::s_playerCount)
+						IQNet::s_playerCount = smallId + 1;
+
+					extern CPlatformNetworkManagerStub* g_pPlatformNetworkManager;
+					g_pPlatformNetworkManager->NotifyPlayerJoined(qp);
+					matchedQNetPlayer = qp;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		if (matchedQNetPlayer != nullptr)
 		{
 			// Store packet-authoritative XUID on this network slot so later lookups by XUID
@@ -1088,28 +1118,27 @@ void ClientConnection::handleRemoveEntity(shared_ptr<RemoveEntitiesPacket> packe
 		for (int i = 0; i < packet->ids.length; i++)
 		{
 			shared_ptr<Entity> entity = getEntity(packet->ids[i]);
-			if (entity != nullptr && entity->GetType() == eTYPE_PLAYER)
+			if (entity != nullptr)
 			{
 				shared_ptr<Player> player = dynamic_pointer_cast<Player>(entity);
 				if (player != nullptr)
 				{
-					PlayerUID xuid = player->getXuid();
-					INetworkPlayer* np = g_NetworkManager.GetPlayerByXuid(xuid);
-					if (np != nullptr)
+					// Match by gamertag in the IQNet array (XUID may be 0 on dedicated servers)
+					for (int s = 1; s < MINECRAFT_NET_MAX_PLAYERS; ++s)
 					{
-						NetworkPlayerXbox* npx = (NetworkPlayerXbox*)np;
-						IQNetPlayer* qp = npx->GetQNetPlayer();
-						if (qp != nullptr)
+						IQNetPlayer* qp = &IQNet::m_player[s];
+						if (qp->GetCustomDataValue() != 0 &&
+							_wcsicmp(qp->m_gamertag, player->getName().c_str()) == 0)
 						{
 							extern CPlatformNetworkManagerStub* g_pPlatformNetworkManager;
 							g_pPlatformNetworkManager->NotifyPlayerLeaving(qp);
 							qp->m_smallId = 0;
 							qp->m_isRemote = false;
 							qp->m_isHostPlayer = false;
-							// Clear resolved id to avoid stale XUID -> player matches after disconnect.
 							qp->m_resolvedXuid = INVALID_XUID;
 							qp->m_gamertag[0] = 0;
 							qp->SetCustomDataValue(0);
+							break;
 						}
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/UIScene_InGameInfoMenu.cpp b/Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/UIScene_InGameInfoMenu.cpp
index 338d1905c..b8e184445 100644
--- a/Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/UIScene_InGameInfoMenu.cpp
+++ b/Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/UIScene_InGameInfoMenu.cpp
@@ -27,8 +27,15 @@ UIScene_InGameInfoMenu::UIScene_InGameInfoMenu(int iPad, void *initData, UILayer
 		{
 			PlayerInfo *info = BuildPlayerInfo(player);
 
+			// Skip the dedicated server's phantom host entry (slot 0, empty name)
+			if (info->m_smallId == 0 && info->m_name.empty())
+			{
+				delete info;
+				continue;
+			}
+
 			m_players.push_back(info);
-			m_playerList.addItem(info->m_name, info->m_colorState, info->m_voiceStatus); 
+			m_playerList.addItem(info->m_name, info->m_colorState, info->m_voiceStatus);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -174,8 +181,15 @@ void UIScene_InGameInfoMenu::handleReload()
 		{
 			PlayerInfo *info = BuildPlayerInfo(player);
 
+			// Skip the dedicated server's phantom host entry (slot 0, empty name)
+			if (info->m_smallId == 0 && info->m_name.empty())
+			{
+				delete info;
+				continue;
+			}
+
 			m_players.push_back(info);
-			m_playerList.addItem(info->m_name, info->m_colorState, info->m_voiceStatus); 
+			m_playerList.addItem(info->m_name, info->m_colorState, info->m_voiceStatus);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -202,23 +216,22 @@ void UIScene_InGameInfoMenu::tick()
 {
 	UIScene::tick();
 
-	// Update players by index
+	// Update players by their stored smallId (not sequential index, which can mismatch
+	// when entries like the dedicated server host are filtered from the UI list)
 	for(DWORD i = 0; i < m_players.size(); ++i)
 	{
-		INetworkPlayer *player = g_NetworkManager.GetPlayerByIndex( i );
+		INetworkPlayer *player = g_NetworkManager.GetPlayerBySmallId( m_players[i]->m_smallId );
 
 		if(player != nullptr)
 		{
 			PlayerInfo *info = BuildPlayerInfo(player);
 
-			m_players[i]->m_smallId = info->m_smallId;
-
 			if(info->m_voiceStatus != m_players[i]->m_voiceStatus)
 			{
 				m_players[i]->m_voiceStatus = info->m_voiceStatus;
 				m_playerList.setVOIPIcon(i, info->m_voiceStatus);
 			}
-			
+
 			if(info->m_colorState != m_players[i]->m_colorState)
 			{
 				m_players[i]->m_colorState = info->m_colorState;
@@ -424,11 +437,19 @@ void UIScene_InGameInfoMenu::OnPlayerChanged(void *callbackParam, INetworkPlayer
 	// If the player is joining
 	if(!leaving)
 	{
+		PlayerInfo *info = scene->BuildPlayerInfo(pPlayer);
+
+		// Skip the dedicated server's phantom host entry (slot 0, empty name)
+		if (pPlayer->GetSmallId() == 0 && info->m_name.empty())
+		{
+			delete info;
+			return;
+		}
+
 		app.DebugPrintf("<UIScene_InGameInfoMenu::OnPlayerChanged> Player \"%ls\" not found, adding\n", pPlayer->GetOnlineName());
 
-		PlayerInfo *info = scene->BuildPlayerInfo(pPlayer);
 		scene->m_players.push_back(info);
-		
+
 		// Note that the tick updates buttons every tick so it's only really important that we
 		// add the button (not the order or content)
 		scene->m_playerList.addItem(info->m_name, info->m_colorState, info->m_voiceStatus);