diff --git a/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs b/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
index 5e2552a552..afc4b43b85 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Immutable;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Content.Server.Administration.Managers;
 using Content.Server.Database;
 using Content.Server.Preferences.Managers;
 using Content.Shared;
 using Content.Shared.CCVar;
+using Robust.Server.Player;
 using Robust.Shared.Configuration;
 using Robust.Shared.IoC;
 using Robust.Shared.Network;
@@ -22,6 +24,8 @@ namespace Content.Server.Connection
     /// </summary>
     public sealed class ConnectionManager : IConnectionManager
     {
+        [Dependency] private readonly IServerDbManager _dbManager = default!;
+        [Dependency] private readonly IPlayerManager _plyMgr = default!;
         [Dependency] private readonly IServerNetManager _netMgr = default!;
         [Dependency] private readonly IServerDbManager _db = default!;
         [Dependency] private readonly IConfigurationManager _cfg = default!;
@@ -70,6 +74,12 @@ The ban reason is: ""{ban.Reason}""
                 hwId = null;
             }
 
+            if (_plyMgr.PlayerCount >= _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.SoftMaxPlayers) && await _dbManager.GetAdminDataForAsync(e.UserId) is null)
+            {
+                e.Deny("The server is full!");
+                return;
+            }
+
             var ban = await _db.GetServerBanAsync(addr, userId, hwId);
             if (ban != null)
             {
diff --git a/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs b/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs
index e4785ac74a..843ff1c2e3 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs
@@ -99,12 +99,15 @@ namespace Content.Shared.CCVar
         /// <summary>
         ///     When enabled, guests will be assigned permanent UIDs and will have their preferences stored.
         /// </summary>
-        public static readonly CVarDef<bool>
-            GamePersistGuests = CVarDef.Create("game.persistguests", true, CVar.ARCHIVE | CVar.SERVERONLY);
+        public static readonly CVarDef<bool> GamePersistGuests =
+            CVarDef.Create("game.persistguests", true, CVar.ARCHIVE | CVar.SERVERONLY);
 
         public static readonly CVarDef<bool> GameDiagonalMovement =
             CVarDef.Create("game.diagonalmovement", true, CVar.ARCHIVE);
 
+        public static readonly CVarDef<int> SoftMaxPlayers =
+            CVarDef.Create("game.soft_max_players", 30, CVar.SERVERONLY | CVar.ARCHIVE);
+
         /*
          * Suspicion
          */