diff --git a/Source/Client/Networking/HostUtil.cs b/Source/Client/Networking/HostUtil.cs
index 0b736217e..9359d67ac 100644
--- a/Source/Client/Networking/HostUtil.cs
+++ b/Source/Client/Networking/HostUtil.cs
@@ -201,11 +201,7 @@ private static void StartLocalServer()
         {
             Multiplayer.LocalServer.running = true;
 
-            Multiplayer.localServerThread = new Thread(Multiplayer.LocalServer.Run)
-            {
-                Name = "Local server thread"
-            };
-            Multiplayer.localServerThread.Start();
+            Multiplayer.localServerThread = Multiplayer.LocalServer.StartServer("Local server thread");
 
             const string text = "Server started.";
             Messages.Message(text, MessageTypeDefOf.SilentInput, false);
diff --git a/Source/Common/FreezeManager.cs b/Source/Common/FreezeManager.cs
index 8091344c3..044317293 100644
--- a/Source/Common/FreezeManager.cs
+++ b/Source/Common/FreezeManager.cs
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ public FreezeManager(MultiplayerServer server)
 
         public void Tick()
         {
+            // Old fix for #991, disabled — superseded by the loop join in TryStop.
+            // var hostUsername = Server.hostUsername;
+            // ServerPlayer hostPlayer = null;
+            // foreach (var p in Server.PlayingPlayers)
+            // {
+            //     if (hostUsername != null && p.Username == hostUsername)
+            //     {
+            //         hostPlayer = p;
+            //         break;
+            //     }
+            // }
             var hostPlayer = Server.PlayingPlayers.FirstOrDefault(p => p.IsHost);
 
             if (hostPlayer != null)
diff --git a/Source/Common/MultiplayerServer.cs b/Source/Common/MultiplayerServer.cs
index 7d3940f8b..7edba604c 100644
--- a/Source/Common/MultiplayerServer.cs
+++ b/Source/Common/MultiplayerServer.cs
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ static MultiplayerServer()
             InitDataState.Requested;
 
         public volatile bool running;
+        public Thread? serverThread;
+        // Atomic latch: TryStop may be called both from a handler and from Run's
+        // exit; teardown must run only once.
+        private int stopFlag;
 
         public bool ArbiterPlaying => PlayingPlayers.Any(p => p.IsArbiter && p.status == PlayerStatus.Playing);
         public ServerPlayer HostPlayer => PlayingPlayers.First(p => p.IsHost);
@@ -200,8 +204,27 @@ private void TickNet()
                 serverTimePerTick = StandardTimePerTick * 4f;
         }
 
+        public Thread StartServer(string threadName = "Server thread")
+        {
+            serverThread = new Thread(Run) { Name = threadName };
+            serverThread.Start();
+            return serverThread;
+        }
+
+        // Waits for the server loop to end before tearing down, so nulling
+        // instance can't race with Tick (#991). Callers must clear running first.
+        // Never joins the loop thread itself, which would deadlock Run -> TryStop.
         public void TryStop()
         {
+            if (serverThread is { } thread && thread != Thread.CurrentThread)
+            {
+                if (!thread.Join(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)))
+                    ServerLog.Error("Server loop thread did not stop within 5 seconds, proceeding with shutdown");
+            }
+
+            if (Interlocked.CompareExchange(ref stopFlag, 1, 0) != 0)
+                return;
+
             ServerLog.Detail("Server shutting down...");
 
             playerManager.OnServerStop();
diff --git a/Source/Server/Server.cs b/Source/Server/Server.cs
index 30890e715..dfb0f799d 100644
--- a/Source/Server/Server.cs
+++ b/Source/Server/Server.cs
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
     server.netManagers.Add(lan);
 }
 
-new Thread(server.Run) { Name = "Server thread" }.Start();
+server.StartServer();
 
 while (server.running)
 {
diff --git a/Source/Tests/FreezeManagerTest.cs b/Source/Tests/FreezeManagerTest.cs
index af79c35e8..3697fa81d 100644
--- a/Source/Tests/FreezeManagerTest.cs
+++ b/Source/Tests/FreezeManagerTest.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using System.Threading;
 using Multiplayer.Common;
 
 namespace Tests;
@@ -115,6 +116,46 @@ public void HostAbsent_NoPlayers_NotFrozenStaysNotFrozen()
         Assert.That(server.freezeManager.Frozen, Is.False);
     }
 
+    [Test]
+    public void TryStop_JoinsServerLoopThread()
+    {
+        // The #991 shutdown race is closed by having TryStop wait for the server
+        // loop to finish before nulling the static instance. A fake loop verifies
+        // the wait really happens: TryStop must not return before the loop did.
+        var loopFinished = false;
+        var fakeLoop = new Thread(() =>
+        {
+            Thread.Sleep(100);
+            loopFinished = true;
+        }) { IsBackground = true };
+        server.serverThread = fakeLoop;
+        fakeLoop.Start();
+
+        server.TryStop();
+
+        Assert.That(loopFinished, Is.True);
+        Assert.That(fakeLoop.IsAlive, Is.False);
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void TryStop_FromLoopThreadItself_DoesNotDeadlock()
+    {
+        // Run() calls TryStop at its own exit; self-joining would hang forever.
+        var completed = false;
+        var loopThread = new Thread(() =>
+        {
+            server.serverThread = Thread.CurrentThread;
+            server.TryStop(); // same thread as the loop we must not join
+            completed = true;
+        }) { IsBackground = true };
+        loopThread.Start();
+
+        // If self-join deadlocked, the loop thread would never reach completed=true
+        // and the join with timeout below would observe an alive thread.
+        Assert.That(loopThread.Join(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)), Is.True);
+        Assert.That(completed, Is.True);
+    }
+
     [Test]
     public void HostReconnects_ResumesNormalBehavior()
     {
diff --git a/Source/Tests/ServerTest.cs b/Source/Tests/ServerTest.cs
index 4cfff8bd5..53974c27a 100644
--- a/Source/Tests/ServerTest.cs
+++ b/Source/Tests/ServerTest.cs
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ private MultiplayerServer MakeServer(out int port)
         port = liteNet.netManagers[0].manager.LocalPort;
 
         var serverThread = new Thread(server.Run) { IsBackground = true };
+        // Register the loop thread so TryStop's join contract is exercised here too.
+        server.serverThread = serverThread;
         serverThread.Start();
 
         teardownActions.Add(() =>