diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
index 46020f4f96..42921d9a09 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		public static WorldRenderer worldRenderer;
 		public static Controller controller;
 
-		static int localPlayerIndex = 1;
+		static int localPlayerIndex;
 
 		public static Dictionary<int, Player> players = new Dictionary<int, Player>();
 
@@ -32,12 +32,14 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 		static ISoundEngine soundEngine;
 
-		public static void Initialize(string mapName, Renderer renderer, int2 clientSize)
+		public static void Initialize(string mapName, Renderer renderer, int2 clientSize, int localPlayer)
 		{
 			Rules.LoadRules( mapName );
 
 			for( int i = 0 ; i < 8 ; i++ )
-				players.Add(i, new Player(i, string.Format("Multi{0}", i), Race.Soviet));
+				players.Add(i, new Player(i, string.Format("Multi{0}", i), Race.Soviet));
+
+			localPlayerIndex = localPlayer;
 
 			var mapFile = new IniFile( FileSystem.Open( mapName ) );
 			map = new Map( mapFile );
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
index ee82338c86..e6e04ea724 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			renderer = new Renderer(this, GetResolution(settings), windowed);
 			SheetBuilder.Initialize(renderer);
 
-			Game.Initialize(settings.GetValue("map", "scg11eb.ini"), renderer, new int2(ClientSize));
+			Game.Initialize(settings.GetValue("map", "scg11eb.ini"), renderer, new int2(ClientSize),
+				settings.GetValue("player", 1));
 
 			SequenceProvider.ForcePrecache();