diff --git a/network/netplay/README b/network/netplay/README
index 2d3aa8a41d..5060075197 100644
--- a/network/netplay/README
+++ b/network/netplay/README
@@ -247,10 +247,15 @@ Payload:
 Description:
     Request to enter player mode. The client must wait for a MODE command
     before sending input. Server may refuse or force slave connections, so the
-    request is not necessarily honored. If no devices are explicitly requested,
-    the server may choose how to assign; the default is to assign the first
-    unassigned device, and share the first device if all devices are assigned
-    and the first device is shareable.
+    request is not necessarily honored. The server may choose to override the
+    share mode, and if no devices are explicitly requested, the server may
+    choose how to assign. The default handling of the share mode is to always
+    accept it if the client is the first to get the device. If the share mode
+    requested is don't-care, then a default share mode is chosen. The default
+    device selection depends on the number of devices available:  If there is
+    only one device, then the default is to share that device. If there are
+    more than one, then the default is to refuse PLAY requests when all are
+    assigned.
 
 Command: MODE
 Payload:
diff --git a/network/netplay/netplay_io.c b/network/netplay/netplay_io.c
index c513a26519..417c5ec282 100644
--- a/network/netplay/netplay_io.c
+++ b/network/netplay/netplay_io.c
@@ -806,16 +806,16 @@ static void handle_play_spectate(netplay_t *netplay, uint32_t client_num,
                if (!netplay->device_clients[device])
                   break;
             }
-            if (device >= MAX_INPUT_DEVICES && share_mode)
+            if (device >= MAX_INPUT_DEVICES &&
+                netplay->config_devices[1] == RETRO_DEVICE_NONE && share_mode)
             {
-               /* No device was totally free, maybe one is shareable? */
-               for (device = 0; device < MAX_INPUT_DEVICES; device++)
+               /* No device free and no device specifically asked for, but only
+                * one device, so share it */
+               if (netplay->device_share_modes[0])
                {
-                  if (netplay->device_clients[device] && netplay->device_share_modes[device])
-                  {
-                     share_mode = netplay->device_share_modes[device];
-                     break;
-                  }
+                  device = 0;
+                  share_mode = netplay->device_share_modes[0];
+                  break;
                }
             }
             if (device >= MAX_INPUT_DEVICES)