diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h
index 9902a18c009..48605f92209 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h
@@ -39,11 +39,27 @@ class ReplayGameInfo : public GameInfo
 	GameSlot m_ReplaySlot[MAX_SLOTS];
 
 public:
-	ReplayGameInfo()
+	ReplayGameInfo() : m_localSlotNum(-1)
 	{
 		for (Int i = 0; i< MAX_SLOTS; ++i)
 			setSlotPointer(i, &m_ReplaySlot[i]);
 	}
+
+	virtual void reset() override
+	{
+		GameInfo::reset();
+		m_localSlotNum = -1;
+	}
+
+	virtual Int getLocalSlotNum() const override
+	{
+		return isInGame() ? m_localSlotNum : -1;
+	}
+
+	void setLocalSlotNum(Int slotNum) { m_localSlotNum = slotNum; }
+
+private:
+	Int m_localSlotNum;
 };
 
 enum RecorderModeType CPP_11(: Int) {
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
index 91c44c437c8..21d7801a694 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
@@ -926,6 +926,8 @@ Bool RecorderClass::readReplayHeader(ReplayHeader& header, const AsciiString& fi
 		m_file = nullptr;
 		return FALSE;
 	}
+	// TheSuperHackers @bugfix bobtista 17/09/2026 Preserve the recorded local slot, including -1 for no local player.
+	m_gameInfo.setLocalSlotNum(header.localPlayerIndex);
 	if (header.localPlayerIndex >= 0)
 	{
 		Int localIP = m_gameInfo.getSlot(header.localPlayerIndex)->getIP();
@@ -1202,16 +1204,17 @@ Bool RecorderClass::playbackFile(AsciiString filename)
 	}
 #endif
 
-	Bool isMultiplayer = m_gameInfo.getSlot(header.localPlayerIndex)->getIP() != 0;
-	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
 	REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL = m_gameInfo.getCRCInterval();
-	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
 
 	Int difficulty = 0;
 	m_file->read(&difficulty, sizeof(difficulty));
 
 	m_file->read(&m_originalGameMode, sizeof(m_originalGameMode));
 
+	const Bool isMultiplayer = m_originalGameMode == GAME_LAN || m_originalGameMode == GAME_INTERNET;
+	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
+	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
+
 	Int rankPoints = 0;
 	m_file->read(&rankPoints, sizeof(rankPoints));
 
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
index 932caa24f82..118cc3a898b 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
@@ -1315,7 +1315,8 @@ void GameLogic::tryStartNewGame( Bool loadingSaveGame )
 			d.setInt(TheKey_multiplayerStartIndex, slot->getStartPos());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isLocalPlayer());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP());
-			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isHuman() && (slot->getName().compare(TheGameInfo->getSlot(TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum())->getName().str()) == 0));
+			const Bool isLocalPlayer = slot->isHuman() && i == TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum();
+			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, isLocalPlayer);
 
 /*
 			if (slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP())
@@ -1336,9 +1337,8 @@ void GameLogic::tryStartNewGame( Bool loadingSaveGame )
 				}
 			}
 
-			AsciiString slotNameAscii;
-			slotNameAscii.translate(slot->getName());
-			if (slot->isHuman() && TheGameInfo->getSlotNum(slotNameAscii) == TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum()) {
+			if (isLocalPlayer)
+			{
 				localSlot = i;
 			}
 			TheSidesList->addSide(&d);
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h
index 2149dd2caf0..766aa3b9216 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/Recorder.h
@@ -39,11 +39,27 @@ class ReplayGameInfo : public GameInfo
 	GameSlot m_ReplaySlot[MAX_SLOTS];
 
 public:
-	ReplayGameInfo()
+	ReplayGameInfo() : m_localSlotNum(-1)
 	{
 		for (Int i = 0; i< MAX_SLOTS; ++i)
 			setSlotPointer(i, &m_ReplaySlot[i]);
 	}
+
+	virtual void reset() override
+	{
+		GameInfo::reset();
+		m_localSlotNum = -1;
+	}
+
+	virtual Int getLocalSlotNum() const override
+	{
+		return isInGame() ? m_localSlotNum : -1;
+	}
+
+	void setLocalSlotNum(Int slotNum) { m_localSlotNum = slotNum; }
+
+private:
+	Int m_localSlotNum;
 };
 
 enum RecorderModeType CPP_11(: Int) {
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
index 8b9ecc5acbb..68b31530c64 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
@@ -928,6 +928,8 @@ Bool RecorderClass::readReplayHeader(ReplayHeader& header, const AsciiString& fi
 		m_file = nullptr;
 		return FALSE;
 	}
+	// TheSuperHackers @bugfix bobtista 17/09/2026 Preserve the recorded local slot, including -1 for no local player.
+	m_gameInfo.setLocalSlotNum(header.localPlayerIndex);
 	if (header.localPlayerIndex >= 0)
 	{
 		Int localIP = m_gameInfo.getSlot(header.localPlayerIndex)->getIP();
@@ -1205,16 +1207,17 @@ Bool RecorderClass::playbackFile(AsciiString filename)
 	}
 #endif
 
-	Bool isMultiplayer = m_gameInfo.getSlot(header.localPlayerIndex)->getIP() != 0;
-	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
 	REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL = m_gameInfo.getCRCInterval();
-	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
 
 	Int difficulty = 0;
 	m_file->read(&difficulty, sizeof(difficulty));
 
 	m_file->read(&m_originalGameMode, sizeof(m_originalGameMode));
 
+	const Bool isMultiplayer = m_originalGameMode == GAME_LAN || m_originalGameMode == GAME_INTERNET;
+	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
+	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
+
 	Int rankPoints = 0;
 	m_file->read(&rankPoints, sizeof(rankPoints));
 
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
index 60bae04f186..dec2e14cc76 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
@@ -1476,7 +1476,8 @@ void GameLogic::tryStartNewGame( Bool loadingSaveGame )
 			d.setInt(TheKey_multiplayerStartIndex, slot->getStartPos());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isLocalPlayer());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP());
-			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isHuman() && (slot->getName().compare(TheGameInfo->getSlot(TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum())->getName().str()) == 0));
+			const Bool isLocalPlayer = slot->isHuman() && i == TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum();
+			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, isLocalPlayer);
 
 /*
 			if (slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP())
@@ -1497,9 +1498,8 @@ void GameLogic::tryStartNewGame( Bool loadingSaveGame )
 				}
 			}
 
-			AsciiString slotNameAscii;
-			slotNameAscii.translate(slot->getName());
-			if (slot->isHuman() && TheGameInfo->getSlotNum(slotNameAscii) == TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum()) {
+			if (isLocalPlayer)
+			{
 				localSlot = i;
 			}
 			TheSidesList->addSide(&d);