diff --git a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/PlayerReference.cs b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/PlayerReference.cs
index 75bfc19a4f..bf8c04a552 100644
--- a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/PlayerReference.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/PlayerReference.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 		public string Palette;
 		public string Race;
 		public bool OwnsWorld = false;
-		public bool NonCombatant = false;
+		public bool NonCombatant = false;
+		public bool Playable = false;
 		public Color Color = Color.FromArgb(238,238,238);
 		public Color Color2 = Color.FromArgb(44,28,24);
 		
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Network/Session.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Network/Session.cs
index d3552b0449..321d59e82d 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Network/Session.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Network/Session.cs
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Network
 			public int Index;
 			public string Bot;	// trait name of the bot to initialize in this slot, or null otherwise.
 			public bool Closed;	// host has explicitly closed this slot.
+			public string MapPlayer;	// playerReference to bind against.
 			
 			// todo: more stuff?
 		}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
index c0b318ea79..47f57bfecc 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
@@ -115,9 +115,25 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 			} ) { IsBackground = true }.Start();
 		}
 
+		static Session.Slot MakeSlotFromPlayerReference(PlayerReference pr)
+		{
+			if (!pr.Playable) return null;
+			return new Session.Slot
+			{
+				MapPlayer = pr.Name,
+				Bot = null,	/* todo: allow the map to specify a bot class? */
+				Closed = false,
+			};
+		}
+
 		static void LoadMap()
 		{
 			Map = new Map(ModData.AvailableMaps[lobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Map].Package);
+			lobbyInfo.Slots = Map.Players
+				.Select(p => MakeSlotFromPlayerReference(p.Value))
+				.Where(s => s != null)
+				.Select((s, i) => { s.Index = i; return s; })
+				.ToList();
 		}
 
 		static int ChooseFreePlayerIndex()
@@ -423,7 +439,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 					};
 				}
 				break;
-				case "Chat": case "TeamChat":
+
+				case "Chat": 
+				case "TeamChat":
 					foreach (var c in conns.Except(conn).ToArray())
 						DispatchOrdersToClient(c, GetClient(conn).Index, 0, so.Serialize());
 				break;
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/CreateMapPlayers.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/CreateMapPlayers.cs
index 9e07f36eae..9500670223 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/CreateMapPlayers.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/CreateMapPlayers.cs
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
  */
 #endregion
 
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Linq;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using OpenRA.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/LocalPlayerFromMap.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/LocalPlayerFromMap.cs
index 2a842b071e..182df4364f 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/LocalPlayerFromMap.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/LocalPlayerFromMap.cs
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@
  * as published by the Free Software Foundation. For more information,
  * see LICENSE.
  */
-#endregion
-
-using System.Collections.Generic;
+#endregion
+
 using System.Linq;
 using OpenRA.Traits;