diff --git a/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs b/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
index e4c7cf0be2e937..c2b30b23bece71 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using Content.Server.Administration.Managers;
 using Content.Server.Chat.Managers;
 using Content.Server.Database;
 using Content.Server.GameTicking;
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ public sealed partial class ConnectionManager : IConnectionManager
         [Dependency] private readonly IGameTiming _gameTiming = default!;
         [Dependency] private readonly ILogManager _logManager = default!;
         [Dependency] private readonly IChatManager _chatManager = default!;
+        [Dependency] private readonly IAdminManager _adminManager = default!;
 
         private ISawmill _sawmill = default!;
         private readonly Dictionary<NetUserId, TimeSpan> _temporaryBypasses = [];
@@ -270,7 +272,14 @@ session.Status is SessionStatus.Connected or SessionStatus.InGame
                             ticker.PlayerGameStatuses.TryGetValue(userId, out var status) &&
                             status == PlayerGameStatus.JoinedGame;
             var adminBypass = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.AdminBypassMaxPlayers) && adminData != null;
-            if ((_plyMgr.PlayerCount >= _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.SoftMaxPlayers) && !adminBypass) && !wasInGame)
+            var softPlayerCount = _plyMgr.PlayerCount;
+
+            if (!_cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.AdminsCountForMaxPlayers))
+            {
+                softPlayerCount -= _adminManager.ActiveAdmins.Count();
+            }
+
+            if ((softPlayerCount >= _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.SoftMaxPlayers) && !adminBypass) && !wasInGame)
             {
                 return (ConnectionDenyReason.Full, Loc.GetString("soft-player-cap-full"), null);
             }
@@ -287,7 +296,7 @@ session.Status is SessionStatus.Connected or SessionStatus.InGame
 
                 foreach (var whitelist in _whitelists)
                 {
-                    if (!IsValid(whitelist, _plyMgr.PlayerCount))
+                    if (!IsValid(whitelist, softPlayerCount))
                     {
                         // Not valid for current player count.
                         continue;
diff --git a/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.Admin.cs b/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.Admin.cs
index 28bebfbe8a6521..c422a5a02a1d73 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.Admin.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/CCVar/CCVars.Admin.cs
@@ -149,6 +149,15 @@ public sealed partial class CCVars
     public static readonly CVarDef<bool> AdminBypassMaxPlayers =
         CVarDef.Create("admin.bypass_max_players", true, CVar.SERVERONLY);
 
+    /// <summary>
+    ///     Determines whether admins count towards the total playercount when determining whether the server is over <see cref="SoftMaxPlayers"/>
+    ///     Ideally this should be used in conjuction with <see cref="AdminBypassPlayers"/>.
+    ///     This also applies to playercount limits in whitelist conditions
+    ///     If false, then admins will not be considered when checking whether the playercount is already above the soft player cap
+    /// </summary>
+    public static readonly CVarDef<bool> AdminsCountForMaxPlayers =
+        CVarDef.Create("admin.admins_count_for_max_players", false, CVar.SERVERONLY);
+
     /// <summary>
     ///     Determine if custom rank names are used.
     ///     If it is false, it'd use the actual rank name regardless of the individual's title.