diff --git a/RLBotCS/ManagerTools/MatchStarter.cs b/RLBotCS/ManagerTools/MatchStarter.cs
index e8934bd..2b963a9 100644
--- a/RLBotCS/ManagerTools/MatchStarter.cs
+++ b/RLBotCS/ManagerTools/MatchStarter.cs
@@ -428,12 +428,7 @@ private bool SpawnCars(MatchConfigurationT matchConfig, bool force = false)
             {
                 case PlayerClass.CustomBot:
                     bridge.TryWrite(
-                        new SpawnBot(
-                            playerConfig,
-                            BotSkill.Custom,
-                            (uint)(i - indexOffset),
-                            true
-                        )
+                        new SpawnBot(playerConfig, BotSkill.Custom, (uint)(i - indexOffset))
                     );
 
                     break;
@@ -451,7 +446,7 @@ private bool SpawnCars(MatchConfigurationT matchConfig, bool force = false)
                     };
 
                     bridge.TryWrite(
-                        new SpawnBot(playerConfig, skillEnum, (uint)(i - indexOffset), false)
+                        new SpawnBot(playerConfig, skillEnum, (uint)(i - indexOffset))
                     );
 
                     break;
diff --git a/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeMessage/SpawnBot.cs b/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeMessage/SpawnBot.cs
index a4d30b5..38e429e 100644
--- a/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeMessage/SpawnBot.cs
+++ b/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeMessage/SpawnBot.cs
@@ -6,12 +6,8 @@
 
 namespace RLBotCS.Server.BridgeMessage;
 
-record SpawnBot(
-    PlayerConfigurationT Config,
-    BotSkill Skill,
-    uint DesiredIndex,
-    bool IsCustomBot
-) : IBridgeMessage
+record SpawnBot(PlayerConfigurationT Config, BotSkill Skill, uint DesiredIndex)
+    : IBridgeMessage
 {
     public void HandleMessage(BridgeContext context)
     {
@@ -41,7 +37,7 @@ public void HandleMessage(BridgeContext context)
                 CommandId = commandId,
                 SpawnId = Config.SpawnId,
                 DesiredPlayerIndex = DesiredIndex,
-                IsCustomBot = IsCustomBot,
+                IsCustomBot = Skill == BotSkill.Custom,
                 IsBot = true,
             }
         );
diff --git a/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeMessage/StateSetLoadout.cs b/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeMessage/StateSetLoadout.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40395a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RLBotCS/Server/BridgeMessage/StateSetLoadout.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+using Bridge.Models.Command;
+using Bridge.Models.Message;
+using Bridge.State;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using rlbot.flat;
+using RLBotCS.Conversion;
+
+namespace RLBotCS.Server.BridgeMessage;
+
+record StateSetLoadout(PlayerLoadoutT Loadout, uint Index) : IBridgeMessage
+{
+    public void HandleMessage(BridgeContext context)
+    {
+        PlayerMetadata? meta = context
+            .GameState.PlayerMapping.GetKnownPlayers()
+            .FirstOrDefault(kp => Index == kp.PlayerIndex);
+        if (meta == null)
+            return;
+
+        // todo: Psyonix bot support -
+        // requires additional work to figure out the proper BotSkill
+        if (!meta.IsCustomBot)
+        {
+            context.Logger.LogWarning(
+                "Player {0} is not controlled by RLBot, cannot set loadout.",
+                meta.PlayerIndex
+            );
+            return;
+        }
+
+        context.MatchCommandSender.AddDespawnCommand(meta.ActorId);
+
+        Loadout.LoadoutPaint ??= new LoadoutPaintT();
+
+        var player = context.GameState.GameCars[meta.PlayerIndex];
+        Loadout loadout = FlatToModel.ToLoadout(Loadout, player.Team);
+
+        ushort commandId = context.MatchCommandSender.AddBotSpawnCommand(
+            player.Name,
+            (int)player.Team,
+            BotSkill.Custom,
+            loadout
+        );
+
+        context.GameState.PlayerMapping.AddPendingSpawn(
+            new SpawnTracker
+            {
+                CommandId = commandId,
+                SpawnId = meta.SpawnId,
+                DesiredPlayerIndex = meta.PlayerIndex,
+                IsCustomBot = true,
+                IsBot = true,
+            }
+        );
+
+        context.MatchCommandSender.Send();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersServer.cs b/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersServer.cs
index 9f601f0..2504d37 100644
--- a/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersServer.cs
+++ b/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersServer.cs
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ private void AddSession(TcpClient client)
                 session.Cleanup();
             }
         });
-        sessionThread.Start();
 
         _context.Sessions.Add(clientId, (sessionChannel.Writer, sessionThread, 0));
+        sessionThread.Start();
     }
 
     private async Task HandleIncomingMessages()
diff --git a/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersSession.cs b/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersSession.cs
index 6fe642e..3ddd266 100644
--- a/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersSession.cs
+++ b/RLBotCS/Server/FlatBuffersSession.cs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ private async Task<bool> ParseClientMessage(TypedPayload message)
             case DataType.ConnectionSettings when !_connectionEstablished:
                 var readyMsg = ConnectionSettings.GetRootAsConnectionSettings(byteBuffer);
 
-                _agentId = readyMsg.AgentId;
+                _agentId = readyMsg.AgentId ?? "";
                 _wantsBallPredictions = readyMsg.WantsBallPredictions;
                 _wantsComms = readyMsg.WantsComms;
                 _closeBetweenMatches = readyMsg.CloseBetweenMatches;
@@ -135,26 +135,37 @@ await _rlbotServer.WriteAsync(
 
                 var setLoadout = SetLoadout.GetRootAsSetLoadout(byteBuffer).UnPack();
 
-                // ensure the provided index is a bot we control,
-                // and map the index to the spawn id
-                PlayerIdPair? maybeIdPair = _playerIdPairs.FirstOrDefault(idPair =>
-                    idPair.Index == setLoadout.Index
-                );
-
-                if (maybeIdPair is { } pair)
+                if (_isReady)
                 {
-                    await _rlbotServer.WriteAsync(
-                        new SpawnLoadout(setLoadout.Loadout, pair.SpawnId)
+                    // state setting is enabled,
+                    // allow setting the loadout of any bots post-init
+                    await _bridge.WriteAsync(
+                        new StateSetLoadout(setLoadout.Loadout, setLoadout.Index)
                     );
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    var owned = string.Join(", ", _playerIdPairs.Select(p => p.Index));
-                    Logger.LogWarning(
-                        $"Client sent loadout unowned player"
-                            + $"(index(es) owned: {owned},"
-                            + $"index got: {setLoadout.Index})"
+                    // ensure the provided index is a bot we control,
+                    // and map the index to the spawn id
+                    PlayerIdPair? maybeIdPair = _playerIdPairs.FirstOrDefault(idPair =>
+                        idPair.Index == setLoadout.Index
                     );
+
+                    if (maybeIdPair is { } pair)
+                    {
+                        await _rlbotServer.WriteAsync(
+                            new SpawnLoadout(setLoadout.Loadout, pair.SpawnId)
+                        );
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        var owned = string.Join(", ", _playerIdPairs.Select(p => p.Index));
+                        Logger.LogWarning(
+                            $"Client tried to set loadout of player it does not own "
+                                + $"(index(es) owned: {owned},"
+                                + $" got: {setLoadout.Index})"
+                        );
+                    }
                 }
 
                 break;
@@ -201,16 +212,17 @@ await _rlbotServer.WriteAsync(
 
                 // ensure the provided index is a bot we control
                 if (
-                    !_playerIdPairs.Any(playerInfo =>
+                    !_stateSettingIsEnabled
+                    && !_playerIdPairs.Any(playerInfo =>
                         playerInfo.Index == playerInputMsg.PlayerIndex
                     )
                 )
                 {
                     var owned = string.Join(", ", _playerIdPairs.Select(p => p.Index));
                     Logger.LogWarning(
-                        $"Client sent player input unowned player"
-                            + $"(index(es) owned: {owned},"
-                            + $"index got: {playerInputMsg.PlayerIndex})"
+                        $"Client tried to set loadout of player it does not own"
+                            + $" (index(es) owned: {owned},"
+                            + $" got: {playerInputMsg.PlayerIndex})"
                     );
                     break;
                 }
diff --git a/RLBotCS/lib/Bridge.dll b/RLBotCS/lib/Bridge.dll
index 2817557..e44442a 100644
Binary files a/RLBotCS/lib/Bridge.dll and b/RLBotCS/lib/Bridge.dll differ