diff --git a/src/d_clisrv.c b/src/d_clisrv.c
index 004f5ba3..2ec9fcc4 100644
--- a/src/d_clisrv.c
+++ b/src/d_clisrv.c
@@ -3137,16 +3137,68 @@ static boolean SV_AddWaitingPlayers(void)
 		{
 			newplayer = true;
 
-			// search for a free playernum
-			// we can't use playeringame since it is not updated here
-			for (; newplayernum < MAXPLAYERS; newplayernum++)
-			{
-				for (n = 0; n < MAXNETNODES; n++)
-					if (nodetoplayer[n] == newplayernum || nodetoplayer2[n] == newplayernum)
+			if (netgame)
+				// !!!!!!!!! EXTREMELY SUPER MEGA GIGA ULTRA ULTIMATELY TERRIBLY IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!
+				//
+				// The line just after that comment is an awful, horrible, terrible, TERRIBLE hack.
+				//
+				// Basically, the fix I did in order to fix the download freezes happens
+				// to cause situations in which a player number does not match
+				// the node number associated to that player.
+				// That is totally normal, there is absolutely *nothing* wrong with that.
+				// Really. Player 7 being tied to node 29, for instance, is totally fine.
+				//
+				// HOWEVER. A few (broken) parts of the netcode do the TERRIBLE mistake
+				// of mixing up the concepts of node and player, resulting in
+				// incorrect handling of cases where a player is tied to a node that has
+				// a different number (which is a totally normal case, or at least should be).
+				// This incorrect handling can go as far as literally
+				// anyone from joining your server at all, forever.
+				//
+				// Given those two facts, there are two options available
+				// in order to let this download freeze fix be:
+				//  1) Fix the broken parts that assume a node is a player or similar bullshit.
+				//  2) Change the part this comment is located at, so that any player who joins
+				//     is given the same number as their associated node.
+				//
+				// No need to say, 1) is by far the obvious best, whereas 2) is a terrible hack.
+				// Unfortunately, after trying 1), I most likely didn't manage to find all
+				// of those broken parts, and thus 2) has become the only safe option that remains.
+				//
+				// So I did this hack.
+				//
+				// If it isn't clear enough, in order to get rid of this ugly hack,
+				// you will have to fix all parts of the netcode that
+				// make a confusion between nodes and players.
+				//
+				// And if it STILL isn't clear enough, a node and a player
+				// is NOT the same thing. Never. NEVER. *NEVER*.
+				//
+				// And if someday you make the terrible mistake of
+				// daring to have the unforgivable idea to try thinking
+				// that a node might possibly be the same as a player,
+				// or that a player should have the same number as its node,
+				// be sure that I will somehow know about it and
+				// hunt you down tirelessly and make you regret it,
+				// even if you live on the other side of the world.
+				//
+				// TODO:            vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
+				// \todo >>>>>>>>>> Remove this horrible hack as soon as possible <<<<<<<<<<
+				// TODO:            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+				//
+				// !!!!!!!!! EXTREMELY SUPER MEGA GIGA ULTRA ULTIMATELY TERRIBLY IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!
+				newplayernum = node; // OMFG SAY WELCOME TO TEH NEW HACK FOR FIX FIL DOWNLOAD!!1!
+			else // Don't use the hack if we don't have to
+				// search for a free playernum
+				// we can't use playeringame since it is not updated here
+				for (; newplayernum < MAXPLAYERS; newplayernum++)
+				{
+					for (n = 0; n < MAXNETNODES; n++)
+						if (nodetoplayer[n] == newplayernum || nodetoplayer2[n] == newplayernum)
+							break;
+					if (n == MAXNETNODES)
 						break;
-				if (n == MAXNETNODES)
-					break;
-			}
+				}
 
 			// should never happen since we check the playernum
 			// before accepting the join
diff --git a/src/i_tcp.c b/src/i_tcp.c
index 5681a9d4..3d55236e 100644
--- a/src/i_tcp.c
+++ b/src/i_tcp.c
@@ -498,8 +498,7 @@ static void cleanupnodes(void)
 
 	// Why can't I start at zero?
 	for (j = 1; j < MAXNETNODES; j++)
-		//if (!(nodeingame[j] || SV_SendingFile(j)))
-		if (!nodeingame[j])
+		if (!(nodeingame[j] || SV_SendingFile(j)))
 			nodeconnected[j] = false;
 }