diff --git a/changelog.txt b/changelog.txt
index e802dfa..ebe710a 100644
--- a/changelog.txt
+++ b/changelog.txt
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ add: Cinematic Rendering Pipeline CVars
       1 - 1/4 pixel count, 9 samples total
       2 - 1/16 pixel count, 25 samples total
 
+fix: the new demo player now drops zombie snapshots and snapshots from before a server time rewind
+  these problematic snapshots happen right before and after gamestate changes
+
 chg: dropped 32-bit support
 
 chg: dropped Linux/FreeBSD client
diff --git a/code/client/cl_demo.cpp b/code/client/cl_demo.cpp
index dcdef99..ae1a570 100644
--- a/code/client/cl_demo.cpp
+++ b/code/client/cl_demo.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
 ===========================================================================
-Copyright (C) 2022 Gian 'myT' Schellenbaum
+Copyright (C) 2022-2024 Gian 'myT' Schellenbaum
 
 This file is part of Challenge Quake 3 (CNQ3).
 
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ struct parser_t {
 	int nextFullSnapshotTime;  // when server time is bigger, write a full snapshot
 	int serverCommandSequence; // the command number of the latest command we decoded
 	int progress;
+	int numGamestates;
 };
 
 struct demoIndex_t {
@@ -435,7 +436,8 @@ static void ParseServerCommand()
 
 	const int commandNumber = MSG_ReadLong(inMsg);
 	const char* const s = MSG_ReadString(inMsg);
-	if (commandNumber <= parser.serverCommandSequence) {
+	if (commandNumber <= parser.serverCommandSequence ||
+	    parser.numGamestates <= 0) {
 		return;
 	}
 	parser.serverCommandSequence = commandNumber;
@@ -468,7 +470,7 @@ static void ParseServerCommand()
 static void ParseGamestate()
 {
 	msg_t* const inMsg = &parser.inMsg;
-	MSG_ReadLong(inMsg); // skip message sequence
+	parser.serverCommandSequence = MSG_ReadLong(inMsg);
 
 	ndpSnapshot_t* const currSnap = parser.currSnap;
 	for (;;) {
@@ -607,7 +609,7 @@ static void ParseSnapshot()
 		newSnap->numEntities++;
 	}
 
-	if (!newSnap->valid) {
+	if (!newSnap->valid || parser.numGamestates <= 0) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -620,7 +622,19 @@ static void ParseSnapshot()
 	}
 	parser.lastMessageNum = newSnap->messageNum + 1;
 
-	if (currServerTime <= parser.prevServerTime) {
+	// some servers reset the server time
+	// some snapshots are to be ignored entirely at the start of a demo
+	if (currServerTime < parser.prevServerTime ||
+	    (newSnap->snapFlags & SNAPFLAG_NOT_ACTIVE) != 0) {
+		// ignore all previous snapshots and the current one too
+		parser.prevServerTime = currServerTime;
+		parser.lastMessageNum = newSnap->messageNum + 1;
+		demo.firstServerTime = INT_MAX;
+		demo.lastServerTime = INT_MIN;
+		demo.buffer.numBytes = 0;
+		demo.numCommands = 0;
+		demo.numSnapshots = 0;
+		demo.numIndices = 0;
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -725,7 +739,6 @@ static void ParseDemo()
 	byte oldData[MAX_MSGLEN];
 	msg_t* const msg = &parser.inMsg;
 	const int fh = clc.demofile;
-	int numGamestates = 0;
 
 	Com_Memset(&parser, 0, sizeof(parser));
 	parser.currSnap = &parser.ndpSnapshots[0];
@@ -791,8 +804,8 @@ static void ParseDemo()
 					break;
 
 				case svc_gamestate:
-					++numGamestates;
-					if (numGamestates >= 2) {
+					++parser.numGamestates;
+					if (parser.numGamestates >= 2) {
 						Warning("More than 1 gamestate found, only the first one was loaded");
 						return;
 					}
@@ -1065,15 +1078,18 @@ after_parse:
 	demo.nextSnap = &demo.snapshots[1];
 	MB_InitRead(&demo.buffer);
 
-	// finalize CGame load and set any extra info needed now
-	// CGame will also restore previous state when videoRestart is qtrue
-	CL_CGNDP_EndAnalysis(clc.demoName, demo.firstServerTime, demo.lastServerTime, videoRestart);
-
 	// make sure we don't execute commands from the end of the demo when starting up
 	demo.commands[0].command[0] = '\0';
 	demo.commands[1].command[0] = '\0';
 	demo.numCommands = 1;
 
+	// finalize CGame load and set any extra info needed now
+	// CGame will also restore previous state when videoRestart is qtrue
+	CL_CGNDP_EndAnalysis(clc.demoName, demo.firstServerTime, demo.lastServerTime, videoRestart);
+
+	// seek to make sure we're synchronized as if the user had manually asked for said time
+	CL_NDP_Seek(videoRestart ? demo.currSnap->serverTime : demo.firstServerTime);
+
 	const int duration = Sys_Milliseconds() - startTime;
 	Com_Printf("New Demo Player: loaded demo in %d.%03d seconds\n", duration / 1000, duration % 1000);
 	Com_DPrintf("New Demo Player: I-frame delay %d ms, %s -> %s (%.2fx)\n",