diff --git a/src/d_clisrv.c b/src/d_clisrv.c
index 88c855f65..411d847b5 100644
--- a/src/d_clisrv.c
+++ b/src/d_clisrv.c
@@ -1264,7 +1264,8 @@ static boolean CL_SendJoin(void)
 	netbuffer->u.clientcfg.localplayers = localplayers;
 	netbuffer->u.clientcfg.version = VERSION;
 	netbuffer->u.clientcfg.subversion = SUBVERSION;
-
+	strncpy(netbuffer->u.clientcfg.names[0], cv_playername.zstring, MAXPLAYERNAME);
+	strncpy(netbuffer->u.clientcfg.names[1], cv_playername2.zstring, MAXPLAYERNAME);
 	return HSendPacket(servernode, true, 0, sizeof (clientconfig_pak));
 }
 
@@ -3186,6 +3187,7 @@ static void Got_AddPlayer(UINT8 **p, INT32 playernum)
 	if (!splitscreen && !botingame)
 		CL_ClearPlayer(newplayernum);
 	playeringame[newplayernum] = true;
+	READSTRINGN(*p, player_names[newplayernum], MAXPLAYERNAME);
 	G_AddPlayer(newplayernum);
 	if (newplayernum+1 > doomcom->numslots)
 		doomcom->numslots = (INT16)(newplayernum+1);
@@ -3218,10 +3220,10 @@ static void Got_AddPlayer(UINT8 **p, INT32 playernum)
 		{
 			const char *address;
 			if (I_GetNodeAddress && (address = I_GetNodeAddress(node)) != NULL)
-				HU_AddChatText(va("\x82*Player %d has joined the game (node %d) (%s)", newplayernum+1, node, address), false);	// merge join notification + IP to avoid clogging console/chat.
+				HU_AddChatText(va("\x82*%s has joined the game (node %d) (%s)", player_names[newplayernum], node, address), false);	// merge join notification + IP to avoid clogging console/chat.
 		}
 		else
-			HU_AddChatText(va("\x82*Player %d has joined the game (node %d)", newplayernum+1, node), false);	// if you don't wanna see the join address.
+			HU_AddChatText(va("\x82*%s has joined the game (node %d)", player_names[newplayernum], node), false);	// if you don't wanna see the join address.
 	}
 
 	if (server && multiplayer && motd[0] != '\0')
@@ -3232,10 +3234,11 @@ static void Got_AddPlayer(UINT8 **p, INT32 playernum)
 #endif
 }
 
-static boolean SV_AddWaitingPlayers(void)
+static boolean SV_AddWaitingPlayers(const char *name, const char *name2)
 {
 	INT32 node, n, newplayer = false;
-	UINT8 buf[2];
+	UINT8 buf[2 + MAXPLAYERNAME];
+	UINT8 *p;
 	UINT8 newplayernum = 0;
 
 	// What is the reason for this? Why can't newplayernum always be 0?
@@ -3318,18 +3321,23 @@ static boolean SV_AddWaitingPlayers(void)
 
 			playernode[newplayernum] = (UINT8)node;
 
+			p = buf + 2;
 			buf[0] = (UINT8)node;
 			buf[1] = newplayernum;
 			if (playerpernode[node] < 1)
+			{
 				nodetoplayer[node] = newplayernum;
+				WRITESTRINGN(p, name, MAXPLAYERNAME);
+			}
 			else
 			{
 				nodetoplayer2[node] = newplayernum;
 				buf[1] |= 0x80;
+				WRITESTRINGN(p, name2, MAXPLAYERNAME);
 			}
 			playerpernode[node]++;
 
-			SendNetXCmd(XD_ADDPLAYER, &buf, 2);
+			SendNetXCmd(XD_ADDPLAYER, &buf, p - buf);
 
 			DEBFILE(va("Server added player %d node %d\n", newplayernum, node));
 			// use the next free slot (we can't put playeringame[newplayernum] = true here)
@@ -3391,7 +3399,7 @@ boolean SV_SpawnServer(void)
 		else doomcom->numslots = 1;
 	}
 
-	return SV_AddWaitingPlayers();
+	return SV_AddWaitingPlayers(cv_playername.zstring, cv_playername2.zstring);
 }
 
 void SV_StopServer(void)
@@ -3462,6 +3470,9 @@ static size_t TotalTextCmdPerTic(tic_t tic)
   */
 static void HandleConnect(SINT8 node)
 {
+	char names[MAXSPLITSCREENPLAYERS][MAXPLAYERNAME + 1];
+	INT32 i;
+
 	if (bannednode && bannednode[node])
 		SV_SendRefuse(node, M_GetText("You have been banned\nfrom the server"));
 	else if (netbuffer->u.clientcfg.version != VERSION
@@ -3481,6 +3492,16 @@ static void HandleConnect(SINT8 node)
 		boolean newnode = false;
 #endif
 
+		for (i = 0; i < netbuffer->u.clientcfg.localplayers - playerpernode[node]; i++)
+		{
+			strlcpy(names[i], netbuffer->u.clientcfg.names[i], MAXPLAYERNAME + 1);
+			if (!EnsurePlayerNameIsGood(names[i], -1))
+			{
+				SV_SendRefuse(node, "Bad player name");
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+
 		// client authorised to join
 		nodewaiting[node] = (UINT8)(netbuffer->u.clientcfg.localplayers - playerpernode[node]);
 		if (!nodeingame[node])
@@ -3521,7 +3542,7 @@ static void HandleConnect(SINT8 node)
 				SV_SendSaveGame(node); // send a complete game state
 				DEBFILE("send savegame\n");
 			}
-			SV_AddWaitingPlayers();
+			SV_AddWaitingPlayers(names[0], names[1]);
 			player_joining = true;
 		}
 #else
diff --git a/src/d_clisrv.h b/src/d_clisrv.h
index 1656b8e8a..d7c210895 100644
--- a/src/d_clisrv.h
+++ b/src/d_clisrv.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include "d_ticcmd.h"
 #include "d_netcmd.h"
+#include "d_net.h"
 #include "tables.h"
 #include "d_player.h"
 
@@ -324,6 +325,7 @@ typedef struct
 	UINT8 subversion; // Contains build version
 	UINT8 localplayers;
 	UINT8 mode;
+	char names[MAXSPLITSCREENPLAYERS][MAXPLAYERNAME];
 } ATTRPACK clientconfig_pak;
 
 #define MAXSERVERNAME 32
diff --git a/src/d_netcmd.c b/src/d_netcmd.c
index 20b1ef19b..b14f92b33 100644
--- a/src/d_netcmd.c
+++ b/src/d_netcmd.c
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ void D_RegisterClientCommands(void)
   * \sa CleanupPlayerName, SetPlayerName, Got_NameAndColor
   * \author Graue <graue@oceanbase.org>
   */
-static boolean IsNameGood(char *name, INT32 playernum)
+boolean EnsurePlayerNameIsGood(char *name, INT32 playernum)
 {
 	INT32 ix;
 
@@ -920,14 +920,14 @@ static boolean IsNameGood(char *name, INT32 playernum)
 			if (len > 1)
 			{
 				name[len-1] = '\0';
-				if (!IsNameGood (name, playernum))
+				if (!EnsurePlayerNameIsGood (name, playernum))
 					return false;
 			}
 			else if (len == 1) // Agh!
 			{
 				// Last ditch effort...
 				sprintf(name, "%d", M_RandomKey(10));
-				if (!IsNameGood (name, playernum))
+				if (!EnsurePlayerNameIsGood (name, playernum))
 					return false;
 			}
 			else
@@ -1056,12 +1056,12 @@ static void CleanupPlayerName(INT32 playernum, const char *newname)
   * \param newname   New name for that player. Should be good, but won't
   *                  necessarily be if the client is maliciously modified or
   *                  buggy.
-  * \sa CleanupPlayerName, IsNameGood
+  * \sa CleanupPlayerName, EnsurePlayerNameIsGood
   * \author Graue <graue@oceanbase.org>
   */
 static void SetPlayerName(INT32 playernum, char *newname)
 {
-	if (IsNameGood(newname, playernum))
+	if (EnsurePlayerNameIsGood(newname, playernum))
 	{
 		if (strcasecmp(newname, player_names[playernum]) != 0)
 		{
diff --git a/src/d_netcmd.h b/src/d_netcmd.h
index b5ca9d374..e789e5b50 100644
--- a/src/d_netcmd.h
+++ b/src/d_netcmd.h
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ typedef union {
 // add game commands, needs cleanup
 void D_RegisterServerCommands(void);
 void D_RegisterClientCommands(void);
+boolean EnsurePlayerNameIsGood(char *name, INT32 playernum);
 void D_SendPlayerConfig(void);
 void Command_ExitGame_f(void);
 void Command_Retry_f(void);