diff --git a/src/network/core/tcp_admin.h b/src/network/core/tcp_admin.h
index e14cd060d8..c65856c062 100644
--- a/src/network/core/tcp_admin.h
+++ b/src/network/core/tcp_admin.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ enum PacketAdminType : uint8_t {
 /** Status of an admin. */
 enum AdminStatus {
 	ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE,      ///< The admin is not connected nor active.
+	ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE,  ///< The admin is connected and working on authentication.
 	ADMIN_STATUS_ACTIVE,        ///< The admin is active.
 	ADMIN_STATUS_END,           ///< Must ALWAYS be on the end of this list!! (period)
 };
diff --git a/src/network/network_admin.cpp b/src/network/network_admin.cpp
index f2a035cc00..6f72e5f7d1 100644
--- a/src/network/network_admin.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_admin.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::~ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler()
 /* static */ void ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Send()
 {
 	for (ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler *as : ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Iterate()) {
-		if (as->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE && std::chrono::steady_clock::now() > as->connect_time + ADMIN_AUTHORISATION_TIMEOUT) {
+		if (as->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE && std::chrono::steady_clock::now() > as->connect_time + ADMIN_AUTHORISATION_TIMEOUT) {
 			Debug(net, 2, "[admin] Admin did not send its authorisation within {} seconds", std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(ADMIN_AUTHORISATION_TIMEOUT).count());
 			as->CloseConnection(true);
 			continue;
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::SendError(NetworkErrorCode er
 /** Send the protocol version to the admin. */
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::SendProtocol()
 {
+	this->status = ADMIN_STATUS_ACTIVE;
+
 	auto p = std::make_unique<Packet>(this, ADMIN_PACKET_SERVER_PROTOCOL);
 
 	/* announce the protocol version */
@@ -491,7 +493,7 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::SendRcon(uint16_t colour, con
 
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_RCON(Packet &p)
 {
-	if (this->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
+	if (this->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 
 	std::string command = p.Recv_string(NETWORK_RCONCOMMAND_LENGTH);
 
@@ -505,7 +507,7 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_RCON(Packet &p)
 
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_GAMESCRIPT(Packet &p)
 {
-	if (this->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
+	if (this->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 
 	std::string json = p.Recv_string(NETWORK_GAMESCRIPT_JSON_LENGTH);
 
@@ -517,7 +519,7 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_GAMESCRIPT(Pack
 
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_PING(Packet &p)
 {
-	if (this->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
+	if (this->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 
 	uint32_t d1 = p.Recv_uint32();
 
@@ -647,8 +649,6 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_JOIN(Packet &p)
 		return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_ILLEGAL_PACKET);
 	}
 
-	this->status = ADMIN_STATUS_ACTIVE;
-
 	Debug(net, 3, "[admin] '{}' ({}) has connected", this->admin_name, this->admin_version);
 
 	return this->SendProtocol();
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_QUIT(Packet &)
 
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_UPDATE_FREQUENCY(Packet &p)
 {
-	if (this->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
+	if (this->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 
 	AdminUpdateType type = (AdminUpdateType)p.Recv_uint16();
 	AdminUpdateFrequency freq = (AdminUpdateFrequency)p.Recv_uint16();
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_UPDATE_FREQUENC
 
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_POLL(Packet &p)
 {
-	if (this->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
+	if (this->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 
 	AdminUpdateType type = (AdminUpdateType)p.Recv_uint8();
 	uint32_t d1 = p.Recv_uint32();
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_POLL(Packet &p)
 
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_CHAT(Packet &p)
 {
-	if (this->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
+	if (this->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 
 	NetworkAction action = (NetworkAction)p.Recv_uint8();
 	DestType desttype = (DestType)p.Recv_uint8();
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_CHAT(Packet &p)
 
 NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkAdminSocketHandler::Receive_ADMIN_EXTERNAL_CHAT(Packet &p)
 {
-	if (this->status == ADMIN_STATUS_INACTIVE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
+	if (this->status <= ADMIN_STATUS_AUTHENTICATE) return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 
 	std::string source = p.Recv_string(NETWORK_CHAT_LENGTH);
 	TextColour colour = (TextColour)p.Recv_uint16();