diff --git a/port/src/net/net.c b/port/src/net/net.c
index f8221f436..3aaf1a143 100644
--- a/port/src/net/net.c
+++ b/port/src/net/net.c
@@ -783,6 +783,7 @@ void netPlayersAllocate(void)
 		cl->player = g_Vars.players[cl->playernum];
 		cl->config = &g_PlayerConfigsArray[cl->playernum];
 		cl->config->client = cl;
+		cl->config->handicap = 0x80;
 		cl->player->client = cl;
 		cl->player->isremote = (cl != g_NetLocalClient);
 	}
diff --git a/src/game/mplayer/mplayer.c b/src/game/mplayer/mplayer.c
index 373f35312..f20f53c7d 100644
--- a/src/game/mplayer/mplayer.c
+++ b/src/game/mplayer/mplayer.c
@@ -143,11 +143,18 @@ struct extplayerconfig g_PlayerExtCfg[MAX_LOCAL_PLAYERS] = {
  * value 0 will return 0.1
  * value 127 will return 1
  * value 255 will return 10
+ * in a netgame it's always 1
  */
 f32 mpHandicapToDamageScale(u8 value)
 {
 	f32 tmp;
 
+#ifndef PLATFORM_N64
+	if (g_NetMode) {
+		return 1.f;
+	}
+#endif
+
 	if (value < 127) {
 		return (value / 127.0f) * (value / 127.0f) * 0.9f + 0.1f;
 	}