diff --git a/Content.Client/UserInterface/Systems/Info/InfoUIController.cs b/Content.Client/UserInterface/Systems/Info/InfoUIController.cs
index 1e431b17fc..3706e89092 100644
--- a/Content.Client/UserInterface/Systems/Info/InfoUIController.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/UserInterface/Systems/Info/InfoUIController.cs
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 using Content.Client.Gameplay;
 using Content.Client.Info;
-using Content.Shared.CCVar;
 using Content.Shared.Guidebook;
 using Content.Shared.Info;
 using Robust.Client.Console;
 using Robust.Client.UserInterface.Controllers;
 using Robust.Client.UserInterface.Controls;
-using Robust.Shared.Configuration;
 using Robust.Shared.Network;
 using Robust.Shared.Prototypes;
 
@@ -14,21 +12,27 @@ namespace Content.Client.UserInterface.Systems.Info;
 
 public sealed class InfoUIController : UIController, IOnStateExited<GameplayState>
 {
-    [Dependency] private readonly IConfigurationManager _cfg = default!;
     [Dependency] private readonly IClientConsoleHost _consoleHost = default!;
     [Dependency] private readonly INetManager _netManager = default!;
     [Dependency] private readonly IPrototypeManager _prototype = default!;
+    [Dependency] private readonly ILogManager _logMan = default!;
 
     private RulesPopup? _rulesPopup;
     private RulesAndInfoWindow? _infoWindow;
+    private ISawmill _sawmill = default!;
+
+    [ValidatePrototypeId<GuideEntryPrototype>]
+    private const string DefaultRuleset = "DefaultRuleset";
+
+    public ProtoId<GuideEntryPrototype> RulesEntryId = DefaultRuleset;
 
     public override void Initialize()
     {
         base.Initialize();
 
-
+        _sawmill = _logMan.GetSawmill("rules");
         _netManager.RegisterNetMessage<RulesAcceptedMessage>();
-        _netManager.RegisterNetMessage<ShowRulesPopupMessage>(OnShowRulesPopupMessage);
+        _netManager.RegisterNetMessage<SendRulesInformationMessage>(OnRulesInformationMessage);
 
         _consoleHost.RegisterCommand("fuckrules",
             "",
@@ -39,9 +43,12 @@ public sealed class InfoUIController : UIController, IOnStateExited<GameplayStat
         });
     }
 
-    private void OnShowRulesPopupMessage(ShowRulesPopupMessage message)
+    private void OnRulesInformationMessage(SendRulesInformationMessage message)
     {
-        ShowRules(message.PopupTime);
+        RulesEntryId = message.CoreRules;
+
+        if (message.ShouldShowRules)
+            ShowRules(message.PopupTime);
     }
 
     public void OnStateExited(GameplayState state)
@@ -84,8 +91,13 @@ public sealed class InfoUIController : UIController, IOnStateExited<GameplayStat
 
     public GuideEntryPrototype GetCoreRuleEntry()
     {
-        var guide = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesFile);
-        var guideEntryPrototype = _prototype.Index<GuideEntryPrototype>(guide);
+        if (!_prototype.TryIndex(RulesEntryId, out var guideEntryPrototype))
+        {
+            guideEntryPrototype = _prototype.Index<GuideEntryPrototype>(DefaultRuleset);
+            _sawmill.Error($"Couldn't find the following prototype: {RulesEntryId}. Falling back to {DefaultRuleset}, please check that the server has the rules set up correctly");
+            return guideEntryPrototype;
+        }
+
         return guideEntryPrototype;
     }
 
diff --git a/Content.Server/Info/RulesManager.cs b/Content.Server/Info/RulesManager.cs
index 168e5846b9..f4d9e57bd4 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Info/RulesManager.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Info/RulesManager.cs
@@ -18,22 +18,25 @@ public sealed class RulesManager
     public void Initialize()
     {
         _netManager.Connected += OnConnected;
-        _netManager.RegisterNetMessage<ShowRulesPopupMessage>();
+        _netManager.RegisterNetMessage<SendRulesInformationMessage>();
         _netManager.RegisterNetMessage<RulesAcceptedMessage>(OnRulesAccepted);
     }
 
     private async void OnConnected(object? sender, NetChannelArgs e)
     {
-        if (IPAddress.IsLoopback(e.Channel.RemoteEndPoint.Address) && _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesExemptLocal))
-            return;
+         var isLocalhost = IPAddress.IsLoopback(e.Channel.RemoteEndPoint.Address) &&
+                               _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesExemptLocal);
 
         var lastRead = await _dbManager.GetLastReadRules(e.Channel.UserId);
-        if (lastRead > LastValidReadTime)
-            return;
+        var hasCooldown = lastRead > LastValidReadTime;
 
-        var message = new ShowRulesPopupMessage();
-        message.PopupTime = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesWaitTime);
-        _netManager.ServerSendMessage(message, e.Channel);
+        var showRulesMessage = new SendRulesInformationMessage
+        {
+            PopupTime = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesWaitTime),
+            CoreRules = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesFile),
+            ShouldShowRules = !isLocalhost && !hasCooldown
+        };
+        _netManager.ServerSendMessage(showRulesMessage, e.Channel);
     }
 
     private async void OnRulesAccepted(RulesAcceptedMessage message)
diff --git a/Content.Server/Info/ShowRulesCommand.cs b/Content.Server/Info/ShowRulesCommand.cs
index b13b8d11a5..eb3fb08db0 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Info/ShowRulesCommand.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Info/ShowRulesCommand.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ namespace Content.Server.Info;
 [AdminCommand(AdminFlags.Admin)]
 public sealed class ShowRulesCommand : IConsoleCommand
 {
+    [Dependency] private readonly INetManager _net = default!;
+    [Dependency] private readonly IConfigurationManager _configuration = default!;
+    [Dependency] private readonly IPlayerManager _player = default!;
+
     public string Command => "showrules";
     public string Description => "Opens the rules popup for the specified player.";
     public string Help => "showrules <username> [seconds]";
@@ -25,8 +29,7 @@ public sealed class ShowRulesCommand : IConsoleCommand
             case 1:
             {
                 target = args[0];
-                var configurationManager = IoCManager.Resolve<IConfigurationManager>();
-                seconds = configurationManager.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesWaitTime);
+                seconds = _configuration.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesWaitTime);
                 break;
             }
             case 2:
@@ -48,15 +51,14 @@ public sealed class ShowRulesCommand : IConsoleCommand
         }
 
 
-        var message = new ShowRulesPopupMessage { PopupTime = seconds };
-
-        if (!IoCManager.Resolve<IPlayerManager>().TryGetSessionByUsername(target, out var player))
+        if (!_player.TryGetSessionByUsername(target, out var player))
         {
             shell.WriteError("Unable to find a player with that name.");
            return;
         }
 
-        var netManager = IoCManager.Resolve<INetManager>();
-        netManager.ServerSendMessage(message, player.Channel);
+        var coreRules = _configuration.GetCVar(CCVars.RulesFile);
+        var message = new SendRulesInformationMessage { PopupTime = seconds, CoreRules = coreRules, ShouldShowRules = true};
+        _net.ServerSendMessage(message, player.Channel);
     }
 }
diff --git a/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs b/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs
index e3f0f65438..a9cc2d11da 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.cs
@@ -1856,7 +1856,7 @@ namespace Content.Shared.CCVar
         /// Don't show rules to localhost/loopback interface.
         /// </summary>
         public static readonly CVarDef<bool> RulesExemptLocal =
-            CVarDef.Create("rules.exempt_local", false, CVar.SERVERONLY);
+            CVarDef.Create("rules.exempt_local", true, CVar.SERVERONLY);
 
 
         /*
diff --git a/Content.Shared/Info/RulesMessages.cs b/Content.Shared/Info/RulesMessages.cs
index ac7400238f..999e5441da 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Info/RulesMessages.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Info/RulesMessages.cs
@@ -5,22 +5,28 @@ using Robust.Shared.Serialization;
 namespace Content.Shared.Info;
 
 /// <summary>
-///  Sent by the server to show the rules to the client instantly.
+///  Sent by the server when the client connects to sync the client rules and displaying a popup with them if necessitated.
 /// </summary>
-public sealed class ShowRulesPopupMessage : NetMessage
+public sealed class SendRulesInformationMessage : NetMessage
 {
     public override MsgGroups MsgGroup => MsgGroups.Command;
 
     public float PopupTime { get; set; }
+    public string CoreRules { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+    public bool ShouldShowRules { get; set; }
 
     public override void ReadFromBuffer(NetIncomingMessage buffer, IRobustSerializer serializer)
     {
         PopupTime = buffer.ReadFloat();
+        CoreRules = buffer.ReadString();
+        ShouldShowRules = buffer.ReadBoolean();
     }
 
     public override void WriteToBuffer(NetOutgoingMessage buffer, IRobustSerializer serializer)
     {
         buffer.Write(PopupTime);
+        buffer.Write(CoreRules);
+        buffer.Write(ShouldShowRules);
     }
 }