diff --git a/Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/NetStateRecvGuardTests.cs b/Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/NetStateRecvGuardTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..548406ec4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/NetStateRecvGuardTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,236 @@
+using System;
+using System.Buffers;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Network;
+using System.Threading;
+using Server.Network;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Server.Tests.Network;
+
+[Collection("Sequential Server Tests")]
+public class NetStateRecvGuardTests
+{
+    private const byte TestPacketId = 0xB1;
+
+    private static unsafe void RegisterVariableLength()
+    {
+        if (IncomingPackets.GetHandler(TestPacketId) == null)
+        {
+            IncomingPackets.Register(TestPacketId, 0, false, &NoOp);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void NoOp(NetState state, SpanReader reader)
+    {
+    }
+
+    // Not 0x73: NetStateSendBufferTests registers its own no-op there first-come-wins, since the
+    // handler table is process-global, and this test needs its own handler's side effect to fire.
+    private const byte TestPingPacketId = 0x72;
+
+    private static byte _lastPing;
+
+    private static unsafe void RegisterNoOpPing()
+    {
+        if (IncomingPackets.GetHandler(TestPingPacketId) == null)
+        {
+            IncomingPackets.Register(TestPingPacketId, 2, false, &RecordPing);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void RecordPing(NetState state, SpanReader reader) => _lastPing = reader.ReadByte();
+
+    private const byte AttachAccountPacketId = 0x71;
+
+    private static unsafe void RegisterAttachAccount()
+    {
+        if (IncomingPackets.GetHandler(AttachAccountPacketId) == null)
+        {
+            IncomingPackets.Register(AttachAccountPacketId, 3, false, &AttachAccount);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Stands in for the 0x91 handler: the account attaches mid-parse, so the promotion is pending
+    // with a receive armed when the next packet in the same completion reaches the guard
+    private static void AttachAccount(NetState state, SpanReader reader) => state.Account = new MockAccount();
+
+    private static void SliceUntil(Func<bool> done)
+    {
+        var deadline = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+        while (!done() && deadline.ElapsedMilliseconds < 5000)
+        {
+            NetState.Slice();
+            Thread.Sleep(5);
+        }
+
+        Assert.True(done());
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void HandleReceive_PacketLongerThanTheRecvBuffer_IsAnError()
+    {
+        RegisterVariableLength();
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            // A 16-bit length cannot exceed a 64 KiB buffer, so the guard is unreachable there and
+            // this only ever hit the `< 3` check on a buffer that size.
+            Skip.If(ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize > ushort.MaxValue);
+
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn;
+
+            // A variable-length header claiming more than the buffer can ever hold would otherwise
+            // park the connection with nothing to arm a recv into
+            var declared = ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize; // one more than the buffer can ever hold
+            client.Send(new byte[] { TestPacketId, (byte)(declared >> 8), (byte)declared });
+            SliceUntil(() => ns._protocolState == NetState.ProtocolState.Error);
+
+            Assert.Contains("bad state", ns._disconnectReason);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void HandleReceive_PacketThatFits_WaitsForTheRest()
+    {
+        RegisterVariableLength();
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn;
+
+            var declared = ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize / 2;
+            client.Send(new byte[] { TestPacketId, (byte)(declared >> 8), (byte)declared });
+            SliceUntil(() => ns._socket.RecvBuffer.ReadableBytes == 3);
+
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn, ns._protocolState);
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+            Assert.Equal(3, ns._socket.RecvBuffer.ReadableBytes);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void HandleReceive_OversizePacket_WithAnAccount_RetriesPromotionInsteadOfErroring()
+    {
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialRecvBufferSize == 0);
+        RegisterVariableLength();
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            // _protocolState is still AwaitingSeed here, so the Account setter's gate does not fire
+            ns.Account = new MockAccount();
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.InitialRecvBufferSize, ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn;
+
+            var declared = NetState.InitialRecvBufferSize; // as much as the initial buffer can ever hold
+            client.Send(new byte[] { TestPacketId, (byte)(declared >> 8), (byte)declared });
+            SliceUntil(() => ns._socket.RecvBuffer.ReadableBytes == 3);
+
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn, ns._protocolState);
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+
+            // The deferred promotion applies at this next completion; the header is then delivered
+            // whole to the 0xB1 no-op handler
+            client.Send(new byte[declared - 3]);
+            SliceUntil(
+                () => ns._socket.RecvBuffer.ReadableBytes == 0 &&
+                      ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize == NetState.RecvBufferSize
+            );
+
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn, ns._protocolState);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void HandleReceive_AfterABurstFillsTheInitialBuffer_KeepsReceiving()
+    {
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialRecvBufferSize == 0);
+        RegisterNoOpPing();
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn;
+
+            // One segment of pings fills the 4 KiB buffer (capacity is PhysicalSize - 1, odd, so the
+            // last ping straddles two completions); the parser consumes them all
+            var capacity = ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize - 1;
+            var pings = new byte[capacity + 1];
+            for (var i = 0; i < pings.Length; i += 2)
+            {
+                pings[i] = TestPingPacketId;
+                pings[i + 1] = (byte)(i / 2);
+            }
+
+            client.Send(pings);
+            SliceUntil(() => ns._socket.RecvBuffer.ReadableBytes == 0 && ns._receivedData);
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+
+            // Without a re-arm this ping never arrives
+            client.Send(new byte[] { TestPingPacketId, 0xEE });
+            SliceUntil(() => _lastPing == 0xEE);
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void HandleReceive_AccountAttachedMidParse_ThenOversizeHeader_WaitsForThePendingPromotion()
+    {
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialRecvBufferSize == 0);
+        RegisterAttachAccount();
+        RegisterVariableLength();
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn;
+            var declared = ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize;
+
+            // One send, one completion on loopback: the account packet promotes (deferred: a receive is
+            // armed), then the oversize header reaches the guard with that promotion pending. If the OS
+            // ever splits this into two completions instead, the first assertion block still holds — the
+            // header then hits the guard after the promotion already applied and simply waits on the
+            // 64 KiB buffer, so the test cannot flake, it just exercises the weaker path on that run.
+            client.Send(new byte[] { AttachAccountPacketId, 0x00, 0x00, TestPacketId, (byte)(declared >> 8), (byte)declared });
+            SliceUntil(() => ns.Account != null);
+
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn, ns._protocolState);
+            Assert.Equal(3, ns._socket.RecvBuffer.ReadableBytes); // the header waits, not rejected
+
+            // The next completion applies the promotion and the whole packet is delivered
+            client.Send(new byte[declared - 3]);
+            SliceUntil(
+                () => ns._socket.RecvBuffer.ReadableBytes == 0 &&
+                      ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize == NetState.RecvBufferSize
+            );
+
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/NetStateSendBufferTests.cs b/Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/NetStateSendBufferTests.cs
index 2199052d2..eba603e28 100644
--- a/Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/NetStateSendBufferTests.cs
+++ b/Projects/Server.Tests/Tests/Network/NetStateSendBufferTests.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Buffers;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Net.Sockets;
@@ -12,9 +13,11 @@ namespace Server.Tests.Network;
 [Collection("Sequential Server Tests")]
 public class NetStateSendBufferTests
 {
+    // Authentication is the 0x91 credentials check on the game server; that is where buffers promote
     private static NetState CreateAuthenticatedNetState(out Socket client)
     {
         var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out client);
+        ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_AwaitingGameServerLogin;
         ns.Account = new MockAccount();
         return ns;
     }
@@ -26,6 +29,183 @@ public class NetStateSendBufferTests
         return data;
     }
 
+    private static unsafe void RegisterNoOpPing()
+    {
+        if (IncomingPackets.GetHandler(0x73) == null)
+        {
+            IncomingPackets.Register(0x73, 2, false, &NoOp);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void NoOp(NetState state, SpanReader reader)
+    {
+    }
+
+    private static void SliceUntil(Func<bool> done)
+    {
+        var deadline = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+        while (!done() && deadline.ElapsedMilliseconds < 5000)
+        {
+            NetState.Slice();
+            Thread.Sleep(5);
+        }
+
+        Assert.True(done());
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void Account_InTheGameServerState_PromotesBothBuffers()
+    {
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize == 0);
+        RegisterNoOpPing();
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize, ns._socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.InitialRecvBufferSize, ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_AwaitingGameServerLogin;
+            ns.Account = new MockAccount();
+
+            // Send promotes at once; nothing was in flight so no buffer retires
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.SendBufferSize, ns._socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+            Assert.False(ns._sendBufferGrown);
+
+            // Recv promotes at the next completion
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn;
+            client.Send(new byte[] { 0x73, 0x01 });
+            SliceUntil(() => ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize == NetState.RecvBufferSize);
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void Account_OnTheLoginServer_KeepsTheInitialBuffers()
+    {
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize == 0);
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.LoginServer_AwaitingLogin;
+            ns.Account = new MockAccount();
+
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize, ns._socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.InitialRecvBufferSize, ns._socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void Send_BeyondTheInitialBuffer_BeforeCredentials_IsExhausted()
+    {
+        // Nothing promotes before credentials verify: the 4 KiB ring is the whole pre-auth budget
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize == 0);
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            var data = Pattern(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize + 512, 7);
+            ns.Send(data);
+
+            Assert.Contains("exhausted", ns._disconnectReason, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize, ns._socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+
+            // A graceful server-side close half-closes and waits for the peer's own FIN; closing the
+            // peer here stands in for the client eventually going away, so Running can be observed.
+            // Once it completes the NetState is disposed and _socket goes null, so nothing below
+            // this point may touch it.
+            client.Close();
+            SliceUntil(() => !ns.Running);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void Send_BeyondTheInitialBuffer_WithCredentials_PromotesOnDemand()
+    {
+        // The late-verdict path from Account_AssignedAfterTheStateFlipped_StillPromotes: an account
+        // attached while the setter's own gate does not fire must still let the send path promote
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize == 0);
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            ns.Account = new MockAccount(); // _protocolState is still AwaitingSeed: the setter does not promote
+            var data = Pattern(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize + 512, 7);
+            ns.Send(data);
+
+            Assert.True(ns.Running);
+            Assert.Equal(string.Empty, ns._disconnectReason);
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.SendBufferSize, ns._socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+            Assert.False(ns._sendBufferGrown); // promotion is not growth: nothing to shrink later
+            Assert.Equal(data, ReadAll(client, data.Length));
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void Send_BacklogBeforeCredentials_IsExhaustedInsteadOfPromoted()
+    {
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize == 0);
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            // No Slice() between sends: nothing drains, so a second write finds a non-empty initial buffer
+            var half = Pattern(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize / 2, 11);
+            ns.Send(half);
+            ns.Send(half);
+            ns.Send(half); // cannot fit, buffer not empty, no account: refused
+
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize, ns._socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+            Assert.Contains("exhausted", ns._disconnectReason, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+            // A graceful server-side close waits for the queued bytes to drain and then for the
+            // peer's own FIN; closing the peer here stands in for the client eventually going away.
+            // Once it completes the NetState is disposed and _socket goes null, so nothing below
+            // this point may touch it.
+            client.Close();
+            SliceUntil(() => !ns.Running);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [SkippableFact]
+    public void Account_AssignedAfterTheStateFlipped_StillPromotes()
+    {
+        Skip.If(NetState.InitialSendBufferSize == 0);
+        var ns = PacketTestUtilities.CreateTestNetState(out var client);
+        try
+        {
+            ns._protocolState = NetState.ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn;
+            ns.Account = new MockAccount();
+            Assert.Equal(NetState.SendBufferSize, ns._socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            ns.Dispose();
+            client.Close();
+        }
+    }
+
     // A random prefix lands under the target; zeros (2 bits each) walk it up a byte at a time
     private static byte[] CompressesToExactly(int compressedLength, int seed)
     {
@@ -448,4 +628,58 @@ public class NetStateSendBufferTests
         // growth off; budget untouched
         Assert.Equal(1L, NetState.CoerceSendBufferGrowthBudget(1, sendBufferSize, sendBufferSize));
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void CoerceMaxBufferSlabs_ClampsToOneSlabPerConnection()
+    {
+        var maxConnections = NetState.SocketManager.MaxSockets;
+
+        // fewer than one slab is meaningless
+        Assert.Equal(1, NetState.CoerceMaxBufferSlabs(0));
+        Assert.Equal(1, NetState.CoerceMaxBufferSlabs(-4));
+
+        // more slabs than connections cannot make a slab any smaller
+        Assert.Equal(maxConnections, NetState.CoerceMaxBufferSlabs(maxConnections * 2));
+
+        Assert.Equal(128, NetState.CoerceMaxBufferSlabs(128));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void CoerceInitialBufferSlabs_ClampsToTheSlabCount()
+    {
+        var slabs = NetState.BasePoolSlabCount(128);
+        Assert.True(slabs > 1);
+
+        Assert.Equal(1, NetState.CoerceInitialBufferSlabs(0, slabs));
+        Assert.Equal(1, NetState.CoerceInitialBufferSlabs(-1, slabs));
+
+        // a pool never holds more slabs than it has
+        Assert.Equal(slabs, NetState.CoerceInitialBufferSlabs(slabs + 1, slabs));
+
+        Assert.Equal(4, NetState.CoerceInitialBufferSlabs(4, slabs));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Ring_RegisteredBufferTable_MatchesTheConfiguredSlabCount()
+    {
+        var manager = NetState.SocketManager;
+        var maxBufferSlabs = NetState.CoerceMaxBufferSlabs(ServerConfiguration.GetSetting("network.maxBufferSlabs", NetState.DefaultMaxBufferSlabs));
+
+        // A table smaller than this throws at manager construction. Connections start on the
+        // transport minimum until the game server promotes them, so the formula must count those too.
+        // Mirrors what production passes: the request, not the effective size the manager may coerce
+        // down to (RequiredRegisteredBuffers treats a non-zero request as a pool either way).
+        Assert.Equal(
+            RingSocketManager.RequiredRegisteredBuffers(
+                manager.MaxSockets,
+                NetState.SendBufferSize,
+                manager.MaxSendBufferSize,
+                manager.SendBufferGrowthBudget,
+                maxBufferSlabs,
+                IORingBuffer.MinimumSize,
+                IORingBuffer.MinimumSize
+            ),
+            NetState.Ring.MaxRegisteredBuffers
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.Network.cs b/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.Network.cs
index e393446b1..287fa78a4 100644
--- a/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.Network.cs
+++ b/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.Network.cs
@@ -29,18 +29,26 @@ namespace Server.Network;
 public partial class NetState
 {
     // Buffer sizes
-    private const int RecvBufferSize = 1024 * 64;    // 64KB recv buffers
+    internal const int RecvBufferSize = 1024 * 64;    // 64KB recv buffers
     private const int DefaultSendBufferSize = 1024 * 256;  // 256KB send buffers
     private const int MinSendBufferSize = 1024 * 64;       // Platform allocation granularity
     private const int DefaultMaxSendBufferSize = 1024 * 1024 * 2;          // 2 MB
     private const long DefaultSendBufferGrowthBudget = 1024L * 1024 * 256; // 256 MB
     private const int DefaultMemoryCeilingPercent = 80;
+    private const int DefaultInitialBufferSlabs = 1;   // one slab of each base pool warm at boot
+    internal const int DefaultMaxBufferSlabs = 128;    // 32 connections per slab at MaxConnections
 
     // Transport ceiling; larger values overflow its tier enumeration
     private const int TransportMaxSendBufferSize = 1024 * 1024 * 256; // 256 MB
     private const int MaxConnections = 4096;         // Max concurrent connections
 
+    internal static int SendBufferSize { get; private set; }
     internal static int MaxSendBufferSize { get; private set; }
+
+    // Pre-auth buffers are the smallest the platform can map; a platform whose floor is not below
+    // the base size (the Windows legacy mapping path) starts sockets on base
+    internal static int InitialRecvBufferSize { get; private set; }
+    internal static int InitialSendBufferSize { get; private set; }
     private static long _sendBufferGrowthBudget;
     private static int _memoryCeilingPercent;
 
@@ -51,6 +59,7 @@ public partial class NetState
     private static long _lastTierCapacityBytes;
     private static int _lastTierInUse;
     private static int _lastTierRetainFloor;
+    private static long _lastBaseCapacityBytes;
 
     private static readonly Queue<NetState> _disposed = [];
     private static readonly TimeSpan ConnectingSocketIdleLimit = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(5000); // 5 seconds
@@ -141,23 +150,46 @@ public partial class NetState
 
         // Per-connection send buffer: the lever for "send buffer exhausted" disconnects, and the
         // per-connection memory ceiling.
-        var sendBufferSize = GetSendBufferSize();
-        MaxSendBufferSize = GetPowerOfTwoSetting("network.sendBufferMaxSize", DefaultMaxSendBufferSize, sendBufferSize);
+        SendBufferSize = GetSendBufferSize();
+        MaxSendBufferSize = GetPowerOfTwoSetting("network.sendBufferMaxSize", DefaultMaxSendBufferSize, SendBufferSize);
         _sendBufferGrowthBudget = CoerceSendBufferGrowthBudget(
             ServerConfiguration.GetOrUpdateSetting("network.sendBufferGrowthBudget", DefaultSendBufferGrowthBudget),
-            sendBufferSize,
+            SendBufferSize,
             MaxSendBufferSize
         );
         // 0 disables the ceiling
         _memoryCeilingPercent = Math.Clamp(ServerConfiguration.GetOrUpdateSetting("network.memoryCeilingPercent", DefaultMemoryCeilingPercent), 0, 100);
         _availableMemoryBytes = GC.GetGCMemoryInfo().TotalAvailableMemoryBytes;
 
-        const int maxBufferSlabs = 32;
+        // Divides MaxConnections into base-pool slabs; both pools still reach MaxConnections, so
+        // this sets slab granularity, not a connection or memory ceiling.
+        var maxBufferSlabs = CoerceMaxBufferSlabs(
+            ServerConfiguration.GetOrUpdateSetting("network.maxBufferSlabs", DefaultMaxBufferSlabs)
+        );
+
+        // Slabs of each base pool held from boot; the pools grow and trim from here
+        var initialBufferSlabs = CoerceInitialBufferSlabs(
+            ServerConfiguration.GetOrUpdateSetting("network.initialBufferSlabs", DefaultInitialBufferSlabs),
+            BasePoolSlabCount(maxBufferSlabs)
+        );
+
+        // Until the game server verifies credentials a connection holds the smallest buffers the
+        // platform can map; a flood can fill these pools but never reaches the base pools. This is a
+        // request: the manager raises it to the platform floor and turns the pool off if that leaves
+        // no room below the base size (the Windows legacy mapping path floors at 64 KiB, which can
+        // equal RecvBufferSize). The effective sizes are read back below once the manager knows them.
+        var initialBufferSize = IORingBuffer.MinimumSize;
+
+        // Both calls take the same slab count; the manager throws if the table is smaller. Sized by
+        // the request, not the effective size the manager may coerce down to - conservative, never small.
         var ring = IORingGroup.Create(
             queueSize: MaxConnections * 2,
             maxConnections: MaxConnections,
             maxOutstandingSends: maxOutstandingSends,
-            maxRegisteredBuffers: RingSocketManager.RequiredRegisteredBuffers(MaxConnections, sendBufferSize, MaxSendBufferSize, _sendBufferGrowthBudget, maxBufferSlabs)
+            maxRegisteredBuffers: RingSocketManager.RequiredRegisteredBuffers(
+                MaxConnections, SendBufferSize, MaxSendBufferSize, _sendBufferGrowthBudget, maxBufferSlabs,
+                initialBufferSize, initialBufferSize
+            )
         );
 
         // Create socket manager which handles buffer pools and socket lifecycle
@@ -165,13 +197,28 @@ public partial class NetState
             ring,
             maxSockets: MaxConnections,
             recvBufferSize: RecvBufferSize,
-            sendBufferSize: sendBufferSize,
-            initialBufferSlabs: 8,
+            sendBufferSize: SendBufferSize,
+            initialBufferSlabs: initialBufferSlabs,
             maxBufferSlabs: maxBufferSlabs,
             maxSendBufferSize: MaxSendBufferSize,
-            sendBufferGrowthBudget: _sendBufferGrowthBudget
+            sendBufferGrowthBudget: _sendBufferGrowthBudget,
+            initialRecvBufferSize: initialBufferSize,
+            initialSendBufferSize: initialBufferSize
         );
 
+        InitialRecvBufferSize = _socketManager.InitialRecvBufferSize;
+        InitialSendBufferSize = _socketManager.InitialSendBufferSize;
+
+        if (InitialRecvBufferSize == 0 || InitialSendBufferSize == 0)
+        {
+            logger.Information(
+                "Pre-auth buffers off where the platform floor ({Minimum} bytes) leaves no room below the base size (recv {Recv}, send {Send})",
+                IORingBuffer.MinimumSize,
+                RecvBufferSize,
+                SendBufferSize
+            );
+        }
+
         _maintenanceTimer = Timer.DelayCall(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1), TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1), MaintainSendBuffers);
     }
 
@@ -193,27 +240,79 @@ public partial class NetState
         var stats = _socketManager.Maintain();
         var changed = stats.TierCapacityBytes != _lastTierCapacityBytes ||
                       stats.TierInUse != _lastTierInUse ||
-                      stats.TierRetainFloor != _lastTierRetainFloor;
+                      stats.TierRetainFloor != _lastTierRetainFloor ||
+                      stats.BaseCapacityBytes != _lastBaseCapacityBytes;
         _lastTierCapacityBytes = stats.TierCapacityBytes;
         _lastTierInUse = stats.TierInUse;
         _lastTierRetainFloor = stats.TierRetainFloor;
+        _lastBaseCapacityBytes = stats.BaseCapacityBytes;
 
         // Quiet unless something moved
-        if (changed || stats.BuffersReleased > 0 || stats.GrowthRefusals > 0 || capRefusals > 0 || ceilingRefusals > 0)
+        if (changed || stats.BuffersReleased > 0 || stats.BaseBuffersReleased > 0 || stats.GrowthRefusals > 0 ||
+            capRefusals > 0 || ceilingRefusals > 0)
         {
             logger.Debug(
-                "Send buffer tiers: {Capacity} bytes of tier capacity, {InUse} buffers in use, floor {Floor} buffers, released {Released}, refused: budget {BudgetRefusals}, at max {CapRefusals}, ceiling {CeilingRefusals}",
+                "Send buffer tiers: {Capacity} bytes of tier capacity, {InUse} buffers in use, floor {Floor} buffers, released {Released}, refused: budget {BudgetRefusals}, at max {CapRefusals}, ceiling {CeilingRefusals}, base {BaseCapacity} bytes, released {BaseReleased}",
                 stats.TierCapacityBytes,
                 stats.TierInUse,
                 stats.TierRetainFloor,
                 stats.BuffersReleased,
                 stats.GrowthRefusals,
                 capRefusals,
-                ceilingRefusals
+                ceilingRefusals,
+                stats.BaseCapacityBytes,
+                stats.BaseBuffersReleased
             );
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Slabs each base pool is divided into, after the transport applies its minimum slab size.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static int BasePoolSlabCount(int maxBufferSlabs) =>
+        RingSocketManager.BasePoolSlabCount(MaxConnections, maxBufferSlabs);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Clamps the base-pool slab divisor. Fewer than one slab is meaningless, and more slabs than
+    /// connections cannot make a slab any smaller.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static int CoerceMaxBufferSlabs(int configured)
+    {
+        var slabs = Math.Clamp(configured, 1, MaxConnections);
+
+        if (slabs != configured)
+        {
+            logger.Warning(
+                "network.maxBufferSlabs {Configured} is outside 1..{Maximum}; using {Adjusted}",
+                configured,
+                MaxConnections,
+                slabs
+            );
+        }
+
+        return slabs;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Clamps the slabs of each base pool held from boot; a pool never holds more slabs than it has.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static int CoerceInitialBufferSlabs(int configured, int slabCount)
+    {
+        var slabs = Math.Clamp(configured, 1, slabCount);
+
+        if (slabs != configured)
+        {
+            logger.Warning(
+                "network.initialBufferSlabs {Configured} is outside 1..{Maximum}; using {Adjusted}",
+                configured,
+                slabCount,
+                slabs
+            );
+        }
+
+        return slabs;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Reads the configured send buffer size, coerced to a power of two of at least the platform
     /// allocation granularity. IORingBuffer requires this and would otherwise throw at socket
diff --git a/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.cs b/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.cs
index af0101ded..21ddfaf57 100755
--- a/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.cs
+++ b/Projects/Server/Network/NetState/NetState.cs
@@ -227,7 +227,39 @@ public partial class NetState : IComparable<NetState>, IValueLinkListNode<NetSta
     public IAccount Account
     {
         get => _account;
-        set => _account = value;
+        set
+        {
+            _account = value;
+
+            // 0x91 credentials just verified: the character list and the world-entry burst follow.
+            // The login-server pass stays on the initial buffers; it never sends more than a server list.
+            // An off-loop password check can land its verdict after HandleReceive already flipped the
+            // state to LoggedIn, so both states promote; both calls below are no-ops once applied.
+            if (value != null && _protocolState is ProtocolState.GameServer_AwaitingGameServerLogin or ProtocolState.GameServer_LoggedIn)
+            {
+                PromoteBuffers();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void PromoteBuffers()
+    {
+        if (_socket == null)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (!_socketManager.TryPromoteSendBuffer(_socket) && _socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize < SendBufferSize)
+        {
+            // The send path promotes on demand and disconnects if that fails too
+            logger.Debug("{NetState}: send buffer promotion deferred to the send path", this);
+        }
+
+        if (!_socketManager.TryPromoteRecvBuffer(_socket) && _socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize < RecvBufferSize)
+        {
+            // The oversize-packet guard in HandlePacket gets one more try where the small buffer matters
+            logger.Debug("{NetState}: recv buffer promotion deferred", this);
+        }
     }
 
     public string Assistant { get; set; }
@@ -525,6 +557,19 @@ public partial class NetState : IComparable<NetState>, IValueLinkListNode<NetSta
             return false;
         }
 
+        if (_socket.SendBuffer.PhysicalSize < SendBufferSize)
+        {
+            // Promotion is unbudgeted and is not growth, so neither the ceiling nor the shrink
+            // bookkeeping applies. Before credentials verify nothing promotes: the 4 KiB ring is the
+            // whole pre-auth send budget, and a connection that exceeds it is dropped as exhausted.
+            if (_account == null)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            return _socketManager.TryPromoteSendBuffer(_socket);
+        }
+
         if (!UnderMemoryCeiling())
         {
             _ceilingRefusals++;
@@ -1084,6 +1129,13 @@ public partial class NetState : IComparable<NetState>, IValueLinkListNode<NetSta
                     break;
                 }
             }
+
+            // A completion that fills the buffer arms no receive; whatever the loop consumed is free
+            // space again. No-op while a receive is armed or the buffer is still full.
+            if (_running)
+            {
+                _socket.ResumeReceive();
+            }
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
@@ -1137,6 +1189,22 @@ public partial class NetState : IComparable<NetState>, IValueLinkListNode<NetSta
             }
         }
 
+        // Can never complete: the buffer holds PhysicalSize - 1 bytes (one slot tells full from
+        // empty) and a recv arms only into free space
+        if (packetLength >= _socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize)
+        {
+            // A verified account whose promotion could not be applied earlier gets one more try here,
+            // where the small buffer actually matters; the swap lands before the next completion's event
+            if (_account != null && _socket.RecvBuffer.PhysicalSize < RecvBufferSize &&
+                _socketManager.TryPromoteRecvBuffer(_socket))
+            {
+                return ParserState.AwaitingPartialPacket;
+            }
+
+            LogInfo($"Received packet 0x{packetId:X2} declaring {packetLength} bytes, more than the receive buffer holds.");
+            return ParserState.Error;
+        }
+
         // Not enough data, let's wait for more to come in
         if (length < packetLength)
         {
diff --git a/Projects/Server/Server.csproj b/Projects/Server/Server.csproj
index 44fe1b91b..ad1a069c1 100644
--- a/Projects/Server/Server.csproj
+++ b/Projects/Server/Server.csproj
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     </Target>
     <ItemGroup>
         <ProjectReference Include="..\Logger\Logger.csproj" />
-        <PackageReference Include="IORingGroup" Version="1.0.12" />
+        <PackageReference Include="IORingGroup" Version="1.0.13" />
         <PackageReference Include="CommunityToolkit.HighPerformance" Version="8.4.2" />
         <PackageReference Include="LibDeflate.Bindings" Version="1.0.4" />
         <PackageReference Include="System.IO.Hashing" Version="10.0.12" />
diff --git a/dev-docs/server-requirements.md b/dev-docs/server-requirements.md
index db9c0907b..1447ebf67 100644
--- a/dev-docs/server-requirements.md
+++ b/dev-docs/server-requirements.md
@@ -68,13 +68,34 @@ Optional systems can add substantially more. The pathfinding prebake
 (`pathfinding.prebakeMaps`) peaks above 1 GB of heap while baking. Budget for it or leave it off on
 small hosts.
 
-Network buffers are 64 KB receive plus a configurable send buffer per connection. Send memory is
-`network.sendBufferSize` at rest and can grow to `network.sendBufferMaxSize` under load. Shared
-send-buffer tier memory is capped by `network.sendBufferGrowthBudget`, and growth is refused when
-process memory exceeds `network.memoryCeilingPercent` of available memory. The worst case is the
-base send-buffer size times the connection count, plus the shared growth budget: at the defaults,
-100 players is roughly 32 MB at rest, and the growth budget can add up to another 256 MB under
-load.
+Network buffers come from four pools that grow and shrink with the population rather than being
+sized for a full shard. A connection that has not yet presented valid credentials holds a 4 KB
+receive and a 4 KB send buffer (the platform's page size). On Windows Server 2012 R2 / 2016 the
+transport's legacy mapping path floors at 64 KB: the pre-auth receive pool is off there (its base is
+64 KB), while the pre-auth send buffer starts at 64 KB under the 256 KB base. Everything the server
+sends before that must fit in that ring — a connection that overruns it is dropped; the stock login
+sequence uses under 2 KB. Otherwise, when the game server verifies the account the connection is
+promoted to a 64 KB receive buffer and a `network.sendBufferSize` send buffer from the base pools,
+and nothing ever moves back. A flood of unauthenticated connections tops out at about 32 MB across
+the full 4096-connection cap where the platform minimum is 4 KB (the transport's retained slabs and
+the base pools used by logged-in players are separate), and never allocates a base-pool slab.
+At boot the network holds `network.initialBufferSlabs` slab(s) of each pool — at the defaults one
+2 MB receive slab, one 8 MB send slab and two 128 KB pre-auth slabs, about 10 MB — and allocates
+another slab only when the population needs one. Each slab covers 32 connections at the
+4096-connection maximum. After 15 quiet minutes idle slabs are trimmed back towards current usage,
+never past the last 15 minutes' peak, at one slab per pool per minute and never below
+`network.initialBufferSlabs`. Only the newest slab is trimmed, and buffers are handed out from the
+oldest slab first, so ordinary churn empties the newest slabs; a shard that drops from 4096 players
+to a handful takes about two hours to shrink fully, longer if a long-lived connection still holds a
+buffer in a newer slab.
+
+Send memory per authenticated connection is `network.sendBufferSize` at rest and can grow to
+`network.sendBufferMaxSize` under load. Shared send-buffer tier memory is capped by
+`network.sendBufferGrowthBudget`, and growth is refused when process memory exceeds
+`network.memoryCeilingPercent` of available memory. The worst case is the receive and base
+send-buffer sizes times the number of logged-in connections, plus the shared growth budget: a full
+4096 logged-in connections is roughly 1.25 GB of base buffers, and the growth budget can add up to
+another 256 MB.
 
 ModernUO runs **Workstation GC**, which is the right default for small hosts. Do not switch to
 Server GC on a 2-core box.
@@ -118,6 +139,8 @@ See the README for the full supported list. Two things are worth calling out:
 | `network.sendBufferMaxSize` | 2 MB (`2097152`) | Ceiling a single connection's send buffer can grow to under load. Lower it on memory-constrained hosts; raise it if slow clients are disconnected with "send buffer exhausted". |
 | `network.sendBufferGrowthBudget` | 256 MB (`268435456`) | Cap on the shared memory the larger send-buffer tiers may use. Lower it on memory-constrained hosts. |
 | `network.memoryCeilingPercent` | 80% | Refuse send-buffer growth once the process is above this share of available memory; 0 turns the check off. |
+| `network.initialBufferSlabs` | `1` | Slabs of each base pool held from boot, and the floor the trim never goes below. Raise it on a large shard to pre-warm the pools instead of paying for a slab as the population climbs. |
+| `network.maxBufferSlabs` | `128` | Divides the connection maximum into base-pool slabs: a slab holds `MaxConnections / maxBufferSlabs` connections, 32 at the default. Raise it for finer slabs on a small host (the slab floor is 16 buffers); lowering it makes each slab, and the boot allocation, larger. It is not a connection or memory cap — both pools still reach the connection maximum. |
 | `autoArchive.*` retention | 24h/30d/12m | Reduce if disk is tight. |
 
 ## Am I undersized?