diff --git a/src/engine/server.h b/src/engine/server.h
index 010e3edf0..54c63da66 100644
--- a/src/engine/server.h
+++ b/src/engine/server.h
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ public:
 
 	virtual void GetMapInfo(char *pMapName, int MapNameSize, int *pMapSize, SHA256_DIGEST *pSha256, int *pMapCrc) = 0;
 
+	virtual bool WouldClientNameChange(int ClientID, const char *pNameRequest) = 0;
 	virtual void SetClientName(int ClientID, char const *pName) = 0;
 	virtual void SetClientClan(int ClientID, char const *pClan) = 0;
 	virtual void SetClientCountry(int ClientID, int Country) = 0;
diff --git a/src/engine/server/server.cpp b/src/engine/server/server.cpp
index 0a33c08f1..bcb0d8f78 100644
--- a/src/engine/server/server.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/server/server.cpp
@@ -329,82 +329,96 @@ CServer::CServer() :
 	Init();
 }
 
-int CServer::TrySetClientName(int ClientID, const char *pName)
+bool CServer::IsClientNameAvailable(int ClientID, const char *pNameRequest)
 {
-	char aTrimmedName[64];
-
-	// trim the name
-	str_copy(aTrimmedName, str_utf8_skip_whitespaces(pName), sizeof(aTrimmedName));
-	str_utf8_trim_right(aTrimmedName);
-
 	// check for empty names
-	if(!aTrimmedName[0])
-		return -1;
+	if(!pNameRequest[0])
+		return false;
 
 	// check for names starting with /, as they can be abused to make people
 	// write chat commands
-	if(aTrimmedName[0] == '/')
-		return -1;
+	if(pNameRequest[0] == '/')
+		return false;
 
 	// make sure that two clients don't have the same name
 	for(int i = 0; i < MAX_CLIENTS; i++)
 	{
 		if(i != ClientID && m_aClients[i].m_State >= CClient::STATE_READY)
 		{
-			if(str_utf8_comp_confusable(aTrimmedName, m_aClients[i].m_aName) == 0)
-				return -1;
+			if(str_utf8_comp_confusable(pNameRequest, m_aClients[i].m_aName) == 0)
+				return false;
 		}
 	}
 
-	char aBuf[256];
-	str_format(aBuf, sizeof(aBuf), "'%s' -> '%s'", pName, aTrimmedName);
-	Console()->Print(IConsole::OUTPUT_LEVEL_ADDINFO, "server", aBuf);
-	pName = aTrimmedName;
-
-	// set the client name
-	str_copy(m_aClients[ClientID].m_aName, pName, MAX_NAME_LENGTH);
-	return 0;
+	return true;
 }
 
-void CServer::SetClientName(int ClientID, const char *pName)
+bool CServer::SetClientNameImpl(int ClientID, const char *pNameRequest, bool Set)
 {
-	if(ClientID < 0 || ClientID >= MAX_CLIENTS || m_aClients[ClientID].m_State < CClient::STATE_READY)
-		return;
+	dbg_assert(0 <= ClientID && ClientID < MAX_CLIENTS, "invalid client id");
+	if(m_aClients[ClientID].m_State < CClient::STATE_READY)
+		return false;
 
-	if(!pName)
-		return;
-
-	CNameBan *pBanned = IsNameBanned(pName, m_aNameBans.base_ptr(), m_aNameBans.size());
-	if(pBanned)
+	if(Set)
 	{
-		if(m_aClients[ClientID].m_State == CClient::STATE_READY)
+		CNameBan *pBanned = IsNameBanned(pNameRequest, m_aNameBans.base_ptr(), m_aNameBans.size());
+		if(pBanned)
 		{
-			char aBuf[256];
-			if(pBanned->m_aReason[0])
+			if(m_aClients[ClientID].m_State == CClient::STATE_READY)
 			{
-				str_format(aBuf, sizeof(aBuf), "Kicked (your name is banned: %s)", pBanned->m_aReason);
+				char aBuf[256];
+				if(pBanned->m_aReason[0])
+				{
+					str_format(aBuf, sizeof(aBuf), "Kicked (your name is banned: %s)", pBanned->m_aReason);
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					str_copy(aBuf, "Kicked (your name is banned)", sizeof(aBuf));
+				}
+				Kick(ClientID, aBuf);
 			}
-			else
-			{
-				str_copy(aBuf, "Kicked (your name is banned)", sizeof(aBuf));
-			}
-			Kick(ClientID, aBuf);
+			return true;
 		}
-		return;
 	}
 
+	// trim the name
+	char aTrimmedName[MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
+	str_copy(aTrimmedName, str_utf8_skip_whitespaces(pNameRequest), sizeof(aTrimmedName));
+	str_utf8_trim_right(aTrimmedName);
+
 	char aNameTry[MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
-	str_copy(aNameTry, pName, sizeof(aNameTry));
-	if(TrySetClientName(ClientID, aNameTry))
+	str_copy(aNameTry, aTrimmedName, sizeof(aNameTry));
+
+	if(!IsClientNameAvailable(ClientID, aNameTry))
 	{
 		// auto rename
 		for(int i = 1;; i++)
 		{
-			str_format(aNameTry, sizeof(aNameTry), "(%d)%s", i, pName);
-			if(TrySetClientName(ClientID, aNameTry) == 0)
+			str_format(aNameTry, sizeof(aNameTry), "(%d)%s", i, aTrimmedName);
+			if(IsClientNameAvailable(ClientID, aNameTry))
 				break;
 		}
 	}
+
+	bool Changed = str_comp(m_aClients[ClientID].m_aName, aNameTry) != 0;
+
+	if(Set)
+	{
+		// set the client name
+		str_copy(m_aClients[ClientID].m_aName, aNameTry, MAX_NAME_LENGTH);
+	}
+
+	return Changed;
+}
+
+bool CServer::WouldClientNameChange(int ClientID, const char *pNameRequest)
+{
+	return SetClientNameImpl(ClientID, pNameRequest, false);
+}
+
+void CServer::SetClientName(int ClientID, const char *pName)
+{
+	SetClientNameImpl(ClientID, pName, true);
 }
 
 void CServer::SetClientClan(int ClientID, const char *pClan)
diff --git a/src/engine/server/server.h b/src/engine/server/server.h
index 8cc7236f0..56913e109 100644
--- a/src/engine/server/server.h
+++ b/src/engine/server/server.h
@@ -258,8 +258,10 @@ public:
 
 	CServer();
 
-	int TrySetClientName(int ClientID, const char *pName);
+	bool IsClientNameAvailable(int ClientID, const char *pNameRequest);
+	bool SetClientNameImpl(int ClientID, const char *pNameRequest, bool Set);
 
+	virtual bool WouldClientNameChange(int ClientID, const char *pNameRequest);
 	virtual void SetClientName(int ClientID, const char *pName);
 	virtual void SetClientClan(int ClientID, char const *pClan);
 	virtual void SetClientCountry(int ClientID, int Country);
diff --git a/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp b/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp
index 4de416b08..edce59e2c 100644
--- a/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp
+++ b/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp
@@ -2173,9 +2173,10 @@ void CGameContext::OnMessage(int MsgID, CUnpacker *pUnpacker, int ClientID)
 			// set infos
 			char aOldName[MAX_NAME_LENGTH];
 			str_copy(aOldName, Server()->ClientName(ClientID), sizeof(aOldName));
-			Server()->SetClientName(ClientID, pMsg->m_pName);
-			if(str_comp(aOldName, Server()->ClientName(ClientID)) != 0)
+			if(Server()->WouldClientNameChange(ClientID, pMsg->m_pName) && !ProcessSpamProtection(ClientID))
 			{
+				Server()->SetClientName(ClientID, pMsg->m_pName);
+
 				char aChatText[256];
 				str_format(aChatText, sizeof(aChatText), "'%s' changed name to '%s'", aOldName, Server()->ClientName(ClientID));
 				SendChat(-1, CGameContext::CHAT_ALL, aChatText);