diff --git a/NETWORKING.md b/NETWORKING.md
index 3bed93262..615110274 100644
--- a/NETWORKING.md
+++ b/NETWORKING.md
@@ -144,6 +144,9 @@ The current server configuration xml looks like this:
     <!-- Kick players whose ping is above max-ping. -->
     <kick-high-ping-players value="false" />
 
+    <!-- Allow players exceeding max-ping to have a playable game, if enabled kick-high-ping-players will be disabled, please also use a default value for max-ping and jitter-tolerance with it. -->
+    <high-ping-workaround value="true" />
+
     <!-- Kick idle player which has no network activity to server for more than some seconds during game, unless he has finished the race. Negative value to disable, and this option will always be disabled for LAN server. -->
     <kick-idle-player-seconds value="60" />
 
diff --git a/src/network/protocols/server_lobby.cpp b/src/network/protocols/server_lobby.cpp
index 1be3ad0b3..edd3840b1 100644
--- a/src/network/protocols/server_lobby.cpp
+++ b/src/network/protocols/server_lobby.cpp
@@ -4033,6 +4033,7 @@ void ServerLobby::configPeersStartTime()
 {
     uint32_t max_ping = 0;
     const unsigned max_ping_from_peers = ServerConfig::m_max_ping;
+    bool peer_exceeded_max_ping = false;
     for (auto p : m_peers_ready)
     {
         auto peer = p.first.lock();
@@ -4043,14 +4044,16 @@ void ServerLobby::configPeersStartTime()
             Log::warn("ServerLobby",
                 "Peer %s cannot catch up with max ping %d.",
                 peer->getRealAddress().c_str(), max_ping);
+            peer_exceeded_max_ping = true;
             continue;
         }
         max_ping = std::max(peer->getAveragePing(), max_ping);
     }
-    if (ServerConfig::m_live_players && race_manager->supportsLiveJoining())
+    if ((ServerConfig::m_high_ping_workaround && peer_exceeded_max_ping) ||
+        (ServerConfig::m_live_players && race_manager->supportsLiveJoining()))
     {
         Log::info("ServerLobby", "Max ping to ServerConfig::m_max_ping for "
-            "live joining.");
+            "live joining or high ping workaround.");
         max_ping = ServerConfig::m_max_ping;
     }
     // Start up time will be after 2500ms, so even if this packet is sent late
diff --git a/src/network/server_config.cpp b/src/network/server_config.cpp
index 3ee90276d..e7767c9af 100644
--- a/src/network/server_config.cpp
+++ b/src/network/server_config.cpp
@@ -330,6 +330,8 @@ void loadServerLobbyFromConfig()
 
     if (m_live_players)
         m_official_karts_threshold = 1.0f;
+    if (m_high_ping_workaround)
+        m_kick_high_ping_players = false;
     auto modes = getLocalGameModeFromConfig();
     race_manager->setMinorMode(modes.first);
     race_manager->setMajorMode(modes.second);
diff --git a/src/network/server_config.hpp b/src/network/server_config.hpp
index 118d1221a..5623ec4f4 100644
--- a/src/network/server_config.hpp
+++ b/src/network/server_config.hpp
@@ -311,6 +311,13 @@ namespace ServerConfig
         "kick-high-ping-players",
         "Kick players whose ping is above max-ping."));
 
+    SERVER_CFG_PREFIX BoolServerConfigParam m_high_ping_workaround
+        SERVER_CFG_DEFAULT(BoolServerConfigParam(true,
+        "high-ping-workaround",
+        "Allow players exceeding max-ping to have a playable game, if enabled "
+        "kick-high-ping-players will be disabled, please also use a default "
+        "value for max-ping and jitter-tolerance with it."));
+
     SERVER_CFG_PREFIX IntServerConfigParam m_kick_idle_player_seconds
         SERVER_CFG_DEFAULT(IntServerConfigParam(60,
         "kick-idle-player-seconds",