diff --git a/packages/server/src/index.ts b/packages/server/src/index.ts
index f95eeee..60d9868 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/index.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ interface Session {
   overLimitStrikes: number;
   roomsCreated: number;
   lastCatchUpAt: number;
+  hotseatReports: number;
 }
 
 function underRateLimit(s: Session): boolean {
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ wss.on("connection", (socket) => {
   const session: Session = {
     socket, playerId: null, roomId: null, token: null, claimFails: 0,
     bucket: 30, lastRefill: Date.now(), overLimitStrikes: 0,
-    roomsCreated: 0, lastCatchUpAt: 0,
+    roomsCreated: 0, lastCatchUpAt: 0, hotseatReports: 0,
   };
   sessions.add(session);
   send(socket, { type: "welcome", game: "wizwar" });
@@ -298,6 +299,8 @@ wss.on("connection", (socket) => {
           break;
         }
         case "hotseatReport": {
+          // A device finishes a handful of games at most; a firehose is abuse.
+          if (++session.hotseatReports > 20) return;
           const id = String(msg.id ?? "").slice(0, 64);
           const stage = msg.stage === "finished" ? "finished" : msg.stage === "started" ? "started" : null;
           if (!id || !stage) return send(socket, { type: "error", message: "bad report" });
diff --git a/packages/server/src/stats.ts b/packages/server/src/stats.ts
index e285b7d..381fd61 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/stats.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/stats.ts
@@ -121,24 +121,37 @@ export interface HotseatReport {
   winReason?: string;
 }
 
+/** NaN-proof clamp: anything non-finite becomes the fallback. */
+function clamp(v: unknown, lo: number, hi: number, fallback: number): number {
+  const x = Math.floor(Number(v));
+  return Number.isFinite(x) ? Math.min(hi, Math.max(lo, x)) : fallback;
+}
+
+/** Unauthenticated pings must not grow the dedupe ledger without bound. */
+const MAX_HOTSEAT_ENTRIES = 50_000;
+
 /** Anonymous count-only pings from hotseat tables. Deduped by client id. */
 export function recordHotseat(r: HotseatReport): void {
   if (!loaded) loadStats();
   const key = `hs-${r.id}`;
+  if (!data.roomStages[key] &&
+      Object.keys(data.roomStages).filter((k) => k.startsWith("hs-")).length >= MAX_HOTSEAT_ENTRIES) {
+    return; // the ledger is full of strangers; stop counting new hotseat tables
+  }
   let dirty = false;
   const begin = () => {
     data.hotseatGames++;
     data.gamesCreated++;
     data.gamesStarted++;
-    data.fullestTable = Math.max(data.fullestTable, Math.min(6, Math.max(2, r.players ?? 2)));
+    data.fullestTable = Math.max(data.fullestTable, clamp(r.players, 2, 6, 2));
     if (!data.firstGameAt) data.firstGameAt = new Date().toISOString();
     data.roomStages[key] = "started";
     dirty = true;
   };
   if (!data.roomStages[key] && (r.stage === "started" || r.stage === "finished")) begin();
   if (r.stage === "finished" && data.roomStages[key] !== "finished") {
-    const commands = Math.min(10_000, Math.max(0, Math.floor(r.commands ?? 0)));
-    const minutes = Math.min(24 * 60, Math.max(0, Math.floor(r.minutes ?? 0)));
+    const commands = clamp(r.commands, 0, 10_000, 0);
+    const minutes = clamp(r.minutes, 0, 24 * 60, 0);
     data.gamesFinished++;
     data.commandsPlayed += commands;
     data.minutesAtTable += minutes;