diff --git a/src/game/server/entities/character.cpp b/src/game/server/entities/character.cpp
index 42ffc9c1a..6cf162483 100644
--- a/src/game/server/entities/character.cpp
+++ b/src/game/server/entities/character.cpp
@@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@ void CCharacter::SnapCharacter(int SnappingClient, int ID)
 			AmmoCount = (!m_FreezeTime) ? m_Core.m_aWeapons[m_Core.m_ActiveWeapon].m_Ammo : 0;
 	}
 
-	if(GetPlayer()->m_Afk || GetPlayer()->IsPaused())
+	if(GetPlayer()->IsAfk() || GetPlayer()->IsPaused())
 	{
 		if(m_FreezeTime > 0 || m_FreezeTime == -1 || m_Core.m_DeepFrozen || m_Core.m_LiveFrozen)
 			Emote = EMOTE_NORMAL;
diff --git a/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp b/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp
index b275bd56c..100569b98 100644
--- a/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp
+++ b/src/game/server/gamecontext.cpp
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ void CGameContext::OnTick()
 											     GetPlayerChar(m_VoteCreator)->Team() != GetPlayerChar(i)->Team())))
 						continue;
 
-					if(m_apPlayers[i]->m_Afk && i != m_VoteCreator)
+					if(m_apPlayers[i]->IsAfk() && i != m_VoteCreator)
 						continue;
 
 					// can't vote in kick and spec votes in the beginning after joining
@@ -973,7 +973,7 @@ void CGameContext::OnTick()
 							if(i != j && (!m_apPlayers[j] || str_comp(aaBuf[j], aaBuf[i]) != 0))
 								continue;
 
-							if(m_apPlayers[j] && !m_apPlayers[j]->m_Afk && m_apPlayers[j]->GetTeam() != TEAM_SPECTATORS &&
+							if(m_apPlayers[j] && !m_apPlayers[j]->IsAfk() && m_apPlayers[j]->GetTeam() != TEAM_SPECTATORS &&
 								((Server()->Tick() - m_apPlayers[j]->m_JoinTick) / (Server()->TickSpeed() * 60) > g_Config.m_SvVoteVetoTime ||
 									(m_apPlayers[j]->GetCharacter() && m_apPlayers[j]->GetCharacter()->m_DDRaceState == DDRACE_STARTED &&
 										(Server()->Tick() - m_apPlayers[j]->GetCharacter()->m_StartTime) / (Server()->TickSpeed() * 60) > g_Config.m_SvVoteVetoTime)))
@@ -1488,6 +1488,7 @@ bool CGameContext::OnClientDataPersist(int ClientID, void *pData)
 		return false;
 	}
 	pPersistent->m_IsSpectator = m_apPlayers[ClientID]->GetTeam() == TEAM_SPECTATORS;
+	pPersistent->m_IsAfk = m_apPlayers[ClientID]->IsAfk();
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -1495,9 +1496,11 @@ void CGameContext::OnClientConnected(int ClientID, void *pData)
 {
 	CPersistentClientData *pPersistentData = (CPersistentClientData *)pData;
 	bool Spec = false;
+	bool Afk = true;
 	if(pPersistentData)
 	{
 		Spec = pPersistentData->m_IsSpectator;
+		Afk = pPersistentData->m_IsAfk;
 	}
 
 	{
@@ -1522,6 +1525,7 @@ void CGameContext::OnClientConnected(int ClientID, void *pData)
 	if(m_apPlayers[ClientID])
 		delete m_apPlayers[ClientID];
 	m_apPlayers[ClientID] = new(ClientID) CPlayer(this, NextUniqueClientID, ClientID, StartTeam);
+	m_apPlayers[ClientID]->SetAfk(Afk);
 	NextUniqueClientID += 1;
 
 #ifdef CONF_DEBUG
@@ -4361,6 +4365,6 @@ void CGameContext::OnUpdatePlayerServerInfo(char *aBuf, int BufSize, int ID)
 		"\"afk\":%s,"
 		"\"team\":%d",
 		aJsonSkin,
-		JsonBool(m_apPlayers[ID]->m_Afk),
+		JsonBool(m_apPlayers[ID]->IsAfk()),
 		m_apPlayers[ID]->GetTeam());
 }
diff --git a/src/game/server/gamecontext.h b/src/game/server/gamecontext.h
index 5cf9c4451..57f6df9a3 100644
--- a/src/game/server/gamecontext.h
+++ b/src/game/server/gamecontext.h
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ class CGameContext : public IGameServer
 	struct CPersistentClientData
 	{
 		bool m_IsSpectator;
+		bool m_IsAfk;
 	};
 
 public:
diff --git a/src/game/server/player.cpp b/src/game/server/player.cpp
index b29bcd4f8..75e65dcbc 100644
--- a/src/game/server/player.cpp
+++ b/src/game/server/player.cpp
@@ -686,16 +686,24 @@ void CPlayer::UpdatePlaytime()
 
 void CPlayer::AfkTimer()
 {
-	if(g_Config.m_SvMaxAfkTime == 0)
-		return;
+	m_Afk = g_Config.m_SvMaxAfkTime != 0 && m_LastPlaytime < time_get() - time_freq() * g_Config.m_SvMaxAfkTime;
+}
 
-	if(m_LastPlaytime < time_get() - time_freq() * g_Config.m_SvMaxAfkTime)
+void CPlayer::SetAfk(bool Afk)
+{
+	if(g_Config.m_SvMaxAfkTime == 0)
 	{
-		m_Afk = true;
+		m_Afk = false;
 		return;
 	}
 
-	m_Afk = false;
+	m_Afk = Afk;
+
+	// Ensure that the AFK state is not reset again automatically
+	if(Afk)
+		m_LastPlaytime = time_get() - time_freq() * g_Config.m_SvMaxAfkTime - 1;
+	else
+		m_LastPlaytime = time_get();
 }
 
 int CPlayer::GetDefaultEmote() const
diff --git a/src/game/server/player.h b/src/game/server/player.h
index 0251ba9ab..61f31fe97 100644
--- a/src/game/server/player.h
+++ b/src/game/server/player.h
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ private:
 	int m_Paused;
 	int64_t m_ForcePauseTime;
 	int64_t m_LastPause;
+	bool m_Afk;
 
 	int m_DefEmote;
 	int m_OverrideEmote;
@@ -181,7 +182,6 @@ public:
 	vec2 m_ShowDistance;
 	bool m_SpecTeam;
 	bool m_NinjaJetpack;
-	bool m_Afk;
 	bool m_HasFinishScore;
 
 	int m_ChatScore;
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ public:
 
 	void UpdatePlaytime();
 	void AfkTimer();
+	void SetAfk(bool Afk);
+	bool IsAfk() const { return m_Afk; }
+
 	int64_t m_LastPlaytime;
 	int64_t m_LastEyeEmote;
 	int64_t m_LastBroadcast;