diff --git a/src/core/configuration/Config.ts b/src/core/configuration/Config.ts
index abe0f0018c..fd329e6587 100644
--- a/src/core/configuration/Config.ts
+++ b/src/core/configuration/Config.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   Game,
   GameMapType,
   GameMode,
+  GameType,
   Gold,
   Player,
   PlayerInfo,
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export enum GameEnv {
 
 export interface ServerConfig {
   turnIntervalMs(): number;
+  startDelay(gameType: GameType): number;
   gameCreationRate(): number;
   lobbyMaxPlayers(
     map: GameMapType,
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ export interface NukeMagnitude {
 }
 
 export interface Config {
+  turnIntervalMs(): number;
   samHittingChance(): number;
   samWarheadHittingChance(): number;
   spawnImmunityDuration(): Tick;
@@ -90,6 +93,12 @@ export interface Config {
   instantBuild(): boolean;
   isRandomSpawn(): boolean;
   numSpawnPhaseTurns(): number;
+  numGracePeriodTurns(): number;
+  isSpawnPhase(
+    ticks: number,
+    gameType: GameType,
+    firstHumanSpawnTick?: number,
+  ): boolean;
   userSettings(): UserSettings;
   playerTeams(): TeamCountConfig;
 
diff --git a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
index 4a215da49b..c6c830f30f 100644
--- a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
+++ b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@ export abstract class DefaultServerConfig implements ServerConfig {
   turnIntervalMs(): number {
     return 100;
   }
+  // Start game immediately for single player games, with delay for multiplayer games
+  startDelay(gameType: GameType): number {
+    return gameType === GameType.Singleplayer ? 0 : 2000;
+  }
   gameCreationRate(): number {
     return 60 * 1000;
   }
@@ -273,6 +277,10 @@ export class DefaultConfig implements Config {
     return this._serverConfig;
   }
 
+  turnIntervalMs(): number {
+    return this._serverConfig.turnIntervalMs();
+  }
+
   userSettings(): UserSettings {
     if (this._userSettings === null) {
       throw new Error("userSettings is null");
@@ -625,9 +633,31 @@ export class DefaultConfig implements Config {
   boatMaxNumber(): number {
     return 3;
   }
+
   numSpawnPhaseTurns(): number {
     return this._gameConfig.gameType === GameType.Singleplayer ? 100 : 300;
   }
+  // Amount of ticks for player to change spawn placement in singleplayer
+  numGracePeriodTurns(): number {
+    return 15;
+  }
+  isSpawnPhase(
+    ticks: number,
+    gameType: GameType,
+    firstHumanSpawnTick?: number,
+  ): boolean {
+    if (ticks > this.numSpawnPhaseTurns()) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (gameType !== GameType.Singleplayer) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (!firstHumanSpawnTick) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    return ticks <= firstHumanSpawnTick + this.numGracePeriodTurns();
+  }
+
   numBots(): number {
     return this.bots();
   }
diff --git a/src/core/execution/FakeHumanExecution.ts b/src/core/execution/FakeHumanExecution.ts
index 10805d4b17..67787f7b7b 100644
--- a/src/core/execution/FakeHumanExecution.ts
+++ b/src/core/execution/FakeHumanExecution.ts
@@ -149,7 +149,8 @@ export class FakeHumanExecution implements Execution {
       this.trackTradeShipsAndRetaliate();
     }
 
-    if (ticks % this.attackRate !== this.attackTick) {
+    // Tries to spawn nations on the first tick of the match
+    if (ticks > 1 && ticks % this.attackRate !== this.attackTick) {
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/core/execution/SpawnExecution.ts b/src/core/execution/SpawnExecution.ts
index 57baff6eeb..03c699bc38 100644
--- a/src/core/execution/SpawnExecution.ts
+++ b/src/core/execution/SpawnExecution.ts
@@ -37,18 +37,21 @@ export class SpawnExecution implements Execution {
       player = this.mg.addPlayer(this.playerInfo);
     }
 
-    player.tiles().forEach((t) => player.relinquish(t));
-    getSpawnTiles(this.mg, this.tile).forEach((t) => {
-      player.conquer(t);
-    });
-
-    if (!player.hasSpawned()) {
-      this.mg.addExecution(new PlayerExecution(player));
-      if (player.type() === PlayerType.Bot) {
-        this.mg.addExecution(new BotExecution(player));
+    if (player) {
+      player.tiles().forEach((t) => player.relinquish(t));
+      getSpawnTiles(this.mg, this.tile).forEach((t) => {
+        player.conquer(t);
+      });
+
+      if (player && !player.hasSpawned()) {
+        this.mg.addExecution(new PlayerExecution(player));
+        if (player.type() === PlayerType.Bot) {
+          this.mg.addExecution(new BotExecution(player));
+        }
+
+        player.setHasSpawned(true);
       }
     }
-    player.setHasSpawned(true);
   }
 
   isActive(): boolean {
diff --git a/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts b/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts
index 2c23ad8641..f3dc53e142 100644
--- a/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ export class GameImpl implements Game {
   private _height: number;
   _terraNullius: TerraNulliusImpl;
 
+  private firstHumanSpawnTick: number;
+
   allianceRequests: AllianceRequestImpl[] = [];
   alliances_: AllianceImpl[] = [];
 
@@ -338,7 +340,17 @@ export class GameImpl implements Game {
   }
 
   inSpawnPhase(): boolean {
-    return this._ticks <= this.config().numSpawnPhaseTurns();
+    if (!this.firstHumanSpawnTick) {
+      const humanSpawned = Array.from(this._players.values()).some(
+        (p) => p.type() === PlayerType.Human && p.hasSpawned(),
+      );
+      if (humanSpawned) this.firstHumanSpawnTick = this._ticks;
+    }
+    return this._config.isSpawnPhase(
+      this.ticks(),
+      this.config().gameConfig().gameType,
+      this.firstHumanSpawnTick,
+    );
   }
 
   ticks(): number {
diff --git a/src/core/game/GameView.ts b/src/core/game/GameView.ts
index c525129d10..d3f77d8674 100644
--- a/src/core/game/GameView.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/GameView.ts
@@ -475,6 +475,8 @@ export class GameView implements GameMap {
 
   private _map: GameMap;
 
+  private firstHumanSpawnTick: number;
+
   constructor(
     public worker: WorkerClient,
     private _config: Config,
@@ -655,7 +657,17 @@ export class GameView implements GameMap {
     return this.lastUpdate.tick;
   }
   inSpawnPhase(): boolean {
-    return this.ticks() <= this._config.numSpawnPhaseTurns();
+    if (!this.firstHumanSpawnTick) {
+      const humanSpawned = this.playerViews().some(
+        (p) => p.type() === PlayerType.Human && p.hasSpawned(),
+      );
+      if (humanSpawned) this.firstHumanSpawnTick = this.ticks();
+    }
+    return this.config().isSpawnPhase(
+      this.ticks(),
+      this.config().gameConfig().gameType,
+      this.firstHumanSpawnTick,
+    );
   }
   config(): Config {
     return this._config;
diff --git a/src/server/GameManager.ts b/src/server/GameManager.ts
index 0cd4420da7..2096fa3fa5 100644
--- a/src/server/GameManager.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameManager.ts
@@ -88,14 +88,15 @@ export class GameManager {
         if (!game.hasStarted()) {
           // Prestart tells clients to start loading the game.
           game.prestart();
-          // Start game on delay to allow time for clients to connect.
+          // Start game immediately for single player games, with delay for multiplayer games
+          const startDelay = this.config.startDelay(game.gameConfig.gameType);
           setTimeout(() => {
             try {
               game.start();
             } catch (error) {
               this.log.error(`error starting game ${id}: ${error}`);
             }
-          }, 2000);
+          }, startDelay);
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/tests/util/Setup.ts b/tests/util/Setup.ts
index 963b134c13..1622df5412 100644
--- a/tests/util/Setup.ts
+++ b/tests/util/Setup.ts
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export async function setup(
     gameMap: GameMapType.Asia,
     gameMapSize: GameMapSize.Normal,
     gameMode: GameMode.FFA,
-    gameType: GameType.Singleplayer,
+    gameType: GameType.Public,
     difficulty: Difficulty.Medium,
     disableNPCs: false,
     donateGold: false,
diff --git a/tests/util/TestServerConfig.ts b/tests/util/TestServerConfig.ts
index 6f20fa1cd6..d1a5f58748 100644
--- a/tests/util/TestServerConfig.ts
+++ b/tests/util/TestServerConfig.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { JWK } from "jose";
 import { GameEnv, ServerConfig } from "../../src/core/configuration/Config";
-import { GameMapType } from "../../src/core/game/Game";
+import { GameMapType, GameType } from "../../src/core/game/Game";
 import { GameID } from "../../src/core/Schemas";
 
 export class TestServerConfig implements ServerConfig {
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ export class TestServerConfig implements ServerConfig {
   numWorkers(): number {
     throw new Error("Method not implemented.");
   }
+  startDelay(gameType: GameType): number {
+    throw new Error("Method not implemented.");
+  }
   workerIndex(gameID: GameID): number {
     throw new Error("Method not implemented.");
   }