diff --git a/backend/utils/ecast-shard-client.js b/backend/utils/ecast-shard-client.js
index afe87a5..e3c68ab 100644
--- a/backend/utils/ecast-shard-client.js
+++ b/backend/utils/ecast-shard-client.js
@@ -113,10 +113,70 @@ class EcastShardClient {
   startStatusBroadcast() {
     this.stopStatusBroadcast();
     this.statusInterval = setInterval(() => {
-      this.onEvent('game.status', this.getSnapshot());
+      this._refreshPlayerCount().finally(() => {
+        this.onEvent('game.status', this.getSnapshot());
+      });
     }, 20000);
   }
 
+  _refreshPlayerCount() {
+    if (!this.host || this.gameFinished || this.manuallyStopped) {
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    }
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      const url = `wss://${this.host}/api/v2/rooms/${this.roomCode}/play?role=shard&name=GamePickerProbe&format=json`;
+      let resolved = false;
+      const done = () => { if (!resolved) { resolved = true; resolve(); } };
+
+      try {
+        const probe = new WebSocket(url, ['ecast-v0'], {
+          headers: { Origin: 'https://jackbox.tv' },
+          handshakeTimeout: 8000,
+        });
+
+        const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+          try { probe.close(); } catch (_) {}
+          done();
+        }, 10000);
+
+        probe.on('message', (data) => {
+          try {
+            const msg = JSON.parse(data.toString());
+            if (msg.opcode === 'client/welcome') {
+              const { playerCount, playerNames } = EcastShardClient.parsePlayersFromHere(msg.result.here);
+              if (playerCount > this.playerCount || playerNames.length !== this.playerNames.length) {
+                this.playerCount = playerCount;
+                this.playerNames = playerNames;
+                this.onEvent('lobby.player-joined', {
+                  sessionId: this.sessionId,
+                  gameId: this.gameId,
+                  roomCode: this.roomCode,
+                  playerName: playerNames[playerNames.length - 1] || '',
+                  playerCount,
+                  players: [...playerNames],
+                  maxPlayers: this.maxPlayers,
+                });
+              } else if (playerCount !== this.playerCount) {
+                this.playerCount = playerCount;
+                this.playerNames = playerNames;
+              }
+            } else if (msg.opcode === 'error' && msg.result?.code === 2027) {
+              this.gameFinished = true;
+            }
+          } catch (_) {}
+          clearTimeout(timeout);
+          try { probe.close(); } catch (_) {}
+          done();
+        });
+
+        probe.on('error', () => { clearTimeout(timeout); done(); });
+        probe.on('close', () => { clearTimeout(timeout); done(); });
+      } catch (_) {
+        done();
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   stopStatusBroadcast() {
     if (this.statusInterval) {
       clearInterval(this.statusInterval);
@@ -157,8 +217,8 @@ class EcastShardClient {
     this.playerCount = playerCount;
     this.playerNames = playerNames;
 
-    if (result.entities?.room) {
-      const roomEntity = result.entities.room;
+    const roomEntity = result.entities?.room || result.entities?.['bc:room'];
+    if (roomEntity) {
       const roomVal = Array.isArray(roomEntity) ? roomEntity[1]?.val : roomEntity.val;
       if (roomVal) {
         const roomState = EcastShardClient.parseRoomEntity(roomVal);
@@ -343,11 +403,14 @@ class EcastShardClient {
         reject(err);
       });
 
+      const thisWs = this.ws;
       this.ws.on('close', (code, reason) => {
         console.log(`[Shard Monitor] Disconnected from room ${this.roomCode} (code: ${code})`);
-        this.ws = null;
-        if (!this.manuallyStopped && !this.gameFinished && this.secret != null && this.host != null) {
-          void this.reconnectWithBackoff();
+        if (this.ws === thisWs) {
+          this.ws = null;
+          if (!this.manuallyStopped && !this.gameFinished && this.secret != null && this.host != null) {
+            void this.reconnectWithBackoff();
+          }
         }
       });
 
diff --git a/tests/api/ecast-shard-client.test.js b/tests/api/ecast-shard-client.test.js
index c3d30a2..115ee15 100644
--- a/tests/api/ecast-shard-client.test.js
+++ b/tests/api/ecast-shard-client.test.js
@@ -135,6 +135,32 @@ describe('EcastShardClient', () => {
       expect(client.lobbyState).toBe('CanStart');
       expect(client.gameStarted).toBe(false);
     });
+
+    test('parses bc:room entity when room key is absent', () => {
+      const client = new EcastShardClient({
+        sessionId: 1, gameId: 5, roomCode: 'TEST', maxPlayers: 8, onEvent: () => {}
+      });
+
+      client.handleWelcome({
+        id: 5,
+        secret: 'xyz-789',
+        reconnect: false,
+        entities: {
+          'bc:room': ['object', { key: 'bc:room', val: { state: 'Lobby', lobbyState: 'CanStart', gameCanStart: true, gameIsStarting: false, gameFinished: false }, version: 0, from: 1 }, { locked: false }],
+          audience: ['crdt/pn-counter', [], { locked: false }],
+        },
+        here: {
+          '1': { id: 1, roles: { host: {} } },
+          '3': { id: 3, roles: { player: { name: 'HÂM' } } },
+          '4': { id: 4, roles: { player: { name: 'FGHFGHY' } } },
+        }
+      });
+
+      expect(client.playerCount).toBe(2);
+      expect(client.playerNames).toEqual(['HÂM', 'FGHFGHY']);
+      expect(client.gameState).toBe('Lobby');
+      expect(client.lobbyState).toBe('CanStart');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('handleEntityUpdate', () => {
@@ -424,12 +450,17 @@ describe('EcastShardClient', () => {
     beforeEach(() => jest.useFakeTimers());
     afterEach(() => jest.useRealTimers());
 
-    test('broadcasts game.status every 20 seconds', () => {
+    function stubRefresh(client) {
+      client._refreshPlayerCount = () => Promise.resolve();
+    }
+
+    test('broadcasts game.status every 20 seconds', async () => {
       const events = [];
       const client = new EcastShardClient({
         sessionId: 1, gameId: 5, roomCode: 'TEST', maxPlayers: 8,
         onEvent: (type, data) => events.push({ type, data }),
       });
+      stubRefresh(client);
       client.playerCount = 2;
       client.playerNames = ['A', 'B'];
       client.gameState = 'Lobby';
@@ -437,43 +468,50 @@ describe('EcastShardClient', () => {
       client.startStatusBroadcast();
 
       jest.advanceTimersByTime(20000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
       expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
       expect(events[0].type).toBe('game.status');
       expect(events[0].data.monitoring).toBe(true);
 
       jest.advanceTimersByTime(20000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
       expect(events).toHaveLength(2);
 
       client.stopStatusBroadcast();
 
       jest.advanceTimersByTime(40000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
       expect(events).toHaveLength(2);
     });
 
-    test('disconnect stops the status broadcast', () => {
+    test('disconnect stops the status broadcast', async () => {
       const events = [];
       const client = new EcastShardClient({
         sessionId: 1, gameId: 5, roomCode: 'TEST', maxPlayers: 8,
         onEvent: (type, data) => events.push({ type, data }),
       });
+      stubRefresh(client);
 
       client.startStatusBroadcast();
 
       jest.advanceTimersByTime(20000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
       expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
 
       client.disconnect();
 
       jest.advanceTimersByTime(40000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
       expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
     });
 
-    test('handleWelcome starts status broadcast', () => {
+    test('handleWelcome starts status broadcast', async () => {
       const events = [];
       const client = new EcastShardClient({
         sessionId: 1, gameId: 5, roomCode: 'TEST', maxPlayers: 8,
         onEvent: (type, data) => events.push({ type, data }),
       });
+      stubRefresh(client);
 
       client.handleWelcome({
         id: 7,
@@ -484,6 +522,7 @@ describe('EcastShardClient', () => {
       });
 
       jest.advanceTimersByTime(20000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
       const statusEvents = events.filter(e => e.type === 'game.status');
       expect(statusEvents).toHaveLength(1);
     });