diff --git a/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs b/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
index f0dd87e2bd0..e93f4c0ddf1 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Connection/ConnectionManager.cs
@@ -31,9 +31,13 @@ public sealed class ConnectionManager : IConnectionManager
         [Dependency] private readonly ILocalizationManager _loc = default!;
         [Dependency] private readonly ServerDbEntryManager _serverDbEntry = default!;
 
+        private List<NetUserId> _connectedWhitelistedPlayers = new(); // DeltaV - Soft whitelist improvements
+
         public void Initialize()
         {
             _netMgr.Connecting += NetMgrOnConnecting;
+            _netMgr.Connected += OnConnected; // DeltaV - Soft whitelist improvements
+            _netMgr.Disconnect += OnDisconnected; // DeltaV - Soft whitelist improvements
             _netMgr.AssignUserIdCallback = AssignUserIdCallback;
             // Approval-based IP bans disabled because they don't play well with Happy Eyeballs.
             // _netMgr.HandleApprovalCallback = HandleApproval;
@@ -169,7 +173,8 @@ private async Task NetMgrOnConnecting(NetConnectingArgs e)
                 return (ConnectionDenyReason.Ban, message, bans);
             }
 
-            if (_cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistEnabled))
+            // DeltaV - Replace existing softwhitelist implementation
+            if (false) //_cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistEnabled))
             {
                 var min = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistMinPlayers);
                 var max = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistMaxPlayers);
@@ -186,6 +191,28 @@ private async Task NetMgrOnConnecting(NetConnectingArgs e)
                 }
             }
 
+            // DeltaV - Soft whitelist improvements
+            if (_cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistEnabled))
+            {
+                var connectedPlayers = _plyMgr.PlayerCount;
+                var connectedWhitelist = _connectedWhitelistedPlayers.Count;
+
+                var slots = _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistMinPlayers);
+
+                var nonWhitelistAllowed = slots > 0 && slots < connectedPlayers - connectedWhitelist;
+
+                if (nonWhitelistAllowed && await _db.GetWhitelistStatusAsync(userId) == false
+                                     && adminData is null)
+                {
+                    var msg = Loc.GetString(_cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistReason));
+
+                    if (slots > 0)
+                        msg += "\n" + Loc.GetString("whitelist-playercount-invalid", ("min", slots), ("max", _cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.SoftMaxPlayers)));
+
+                    return (ConnectionDenyReason.Whitelist, msg, null);
+                }
+            }
+
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -206,5 +233,31 @@ private async Task NetMgrOnConnecting(NetConnectingArgs e)
             await _db.AssignUserIdAsync(name, assigned);
             return assigned;
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     DeltaV - Soft whitelist improvements
+        ///     Handles a completed connection, and stores the player if they're whitelisted and the whitelist is enabled
+        /// </summary>
+        private async void OnConnected(object? sender, NetChannelArgs e)
+        {
+            var userId = e.Channel.UserId;
+
+            if (_cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistEnabled) && await _db.GetWhitelistStatusAsync(userId))
+            {
+                _connectedWhitelistedPlayers.Add(userId);
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     DeltaV - Soft whitelist improvements
+        ///     Handles a disconnection, and removes a stored player from the count if the whitelist is enabled
+        /// </summary>
+        private async void OnDisconnected(object? sender, NetChannelArgs e)
+        {
+            if (_cfg.GetCVar(CCVars.WhitelistEnabled))
+            {
+                _connectedWhitelistedPlayers.Remove(e.Channel.UserId);
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Resources/ConfigPresets/DeltaV/periapsis.toml b/Resources/ConfigPresets/DeltaV/periapsis.toml
index 1cf958e9a7f..a1cdf275a3f 100644
--- a/Resources/ConfigPresets/DeltaV/periapsis.toml
+++ b/Resources/ConfigPresets/DeltaV/periapsis.toml
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ preset_enabled = true
 map_enabled = true
 
 [whitelist]
-enabled     = false
-reason      = "whitelist-not-whitelisted"
-min_players = 40
+enabled     = true
+reason      = "whitelist-not-whitelisted-peri"
+min_players = 10
 
 [ooc]
 enable_during_round = true
diff --git a/Resources/Locale/en-US/deltav/connection-messages.ftl b/Resources/Locale/en-US/deltav/connection-messages.ftl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5d2ea9b1511
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Resources/Locale/en-US/deltav/connection-messages.ftl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+whitelist-not-whitelisted-peri = You are not whitelisted. To become whitelisted, apply on our forum. It can be found at https://forum.delta-v.org/