diff --git a/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs b/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
index 5b3199f..897c26c 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs
@@ -197,8 +197,25 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
                         if (_entitiesByServerGuid.TryGetValue(_playerServerGuid, out var playerEntity))
                         {
                             _playerController = new AcDream.App.Input.PlayerMovementController(_physicsEngine);
-                            _playerController.SetPosition(playerEntity.Position, 0x0001u);
-                            _playerController.Yaw = MathF.PI / 2f;  // default facing +Y
+                            // Derive initial cell ID from the entity's world position.
+                            int plbX = _liveCenterX + (int)MathF.Floor(playerEntity.Position.X / 192f);
+                            int plbY = _liveCenterY + (int)MathF.Floor(playerEntity.Position.Y / 192f);
+                            float plocalX = playerEntity.Position.X - (plbX - _liveCenterX) * 192f;
+                            float plocalY = playerEntity.Position.Y - (plbY - _liveCenterY) * 192f;
+                            uint pinitCellId = ((uint)plbX << 24) | ((uint)plbY << 16) | 0x0001u;
+                            // Let the physics engine resolve the correct Z for the initial position
+                            // so we don't start underground.
+                            var initResult = _physicsEngine.Resolve(
+                                playerEntity.Position, pinitCellId,
+                                System.Numerics.Vector3.Zero, 10f);
+                            _playerController.SetPosition(initResult.Position, initResult.CellId);
+                            // Derive initial yaw from the entity's server-sent rotation
+                            // rather than hardcoding. Extract yaw from the quaternion.
+                            var q = playerEntity.Rotation;
+                            float yaw = MathF.Atan2(
+                                2f * (q.W * q.Z + q.X * q.Y),
+                                1f - 2f * (q.Y * q.Y + q.Z * q.Z));
+                            _playerController.Yaw = yaw;
                             _chaseCamera = new AcDream.App.Rendering.ChaseCamera
                             {
                                 Aspect = _window!.Size.X / (float)_window.Size.Y,
@@ -1547,8 +1564,11 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
         var mouse = _input.Mice.FirstOrDefault();
         if (mouse is null) return;
 
-        mouse.Cursor.CursorMode = isFlyMode ? CursorMode.Raw : CursorMode.Normal;
-        _capturedMouse = isFlyMode ? mouse : null;
+        // Raw cursor mode for both fly AND chase (player) mode — both need
+        // mouse deltas for look/turn. Only orbit mode uses normal cursor.
+        bool needsRawCursor = isFlyMode || _playerMode;
+        mouse.Cursor.CursorMode = needsRawCursor ? CursorMode.Raw : CursorMode.Normal;
+        _capturedMouse = needsRawCursor ? mouse : null;
     }
 
     // Performance overlay state — updated every ~0.5s and written to the
@@ -1731,7 +1751,35 @@ public sealed class GameWindow : IDisposable
         _playerCurrentAnimCommand = animCommand;
 
         if (!_entitiesByServerGuid.TryGetValue(_playerServerGuid, out var pe)) return;
-        if (!_animatedEntities.TryGetValue(pe.Id, out var ae)) return;
+
+        // The player entity may not be in _animatedEntities if a post-spawn
+        // UpdateMotion removed it (Phase 6.8 pattern). In that case, load
+        // the Setup and re-register. This is the player's own character so
+        // we always want it animated in player mode.
+        if (!_animatedEntities.TryGetValue(pe.Id, out var ae))
+        {
+            var setup = _dats.Get<DatReaderWriter.DBObjs.Setup>(pe.SourceGfxObjOrSetupId);
+            if (setup is null) return;
+
+            // Build a minimal part template from the entity's current MeshRefs.
+            var template = new (uint, IReadOnlyDictionary<uint, uint>?)[pe.MeshRefs.Count];
+            for (int i = 0; i < pe.MeshRefs.Count; i++)
+                template[i] = (pe.MeshRefs[i].GfxObjId, pe.MeshRefs[i].SurfaceOverrides);
+
+            ae = new AnimatedEntity
+            {
+                Entity = pe,
+                Setup = setup,
+                Animation = null!,  // filled below
+                LowFrame = 0,
+                HighFrame = 0,
+                Framerate = 30f,
+                Scale = 1f,
+                PartTemplate = template,
+                CurrFrame = 0f,
+            };
+            _animatedEntities[pe.Id] = ae;
+        }
 
         ushort cmdOverride = (ushort)(animCommand & 0xFFFFu);
         var cycle = AcDream.Core.Meshing.MotionResolver.GetIdleCycle(