diff --git a/code/modules/basketball/controller.dm b/code/modules/basketball/controller.dm
index 3fdb746a33e..f5cc286ba2a 100644
--- a/code/modules/basketball/controller.dm
+++ b/code/modules/basketball/controller.dm
@@ -313,14 +313,15 @@ GLOBAL_VAR(basketball_game)
  */
 /datum/basketball_controller/proc/check_signups()
 	for(var/bad_key in GLOB.basketball_bad_signup)
-		if(GLOB.directory[bad_key]) //they have reconnected if we can search their key and get a client
+		var/client/signup_client = GLOB.directory[bad_key]
+		if(signup_client) //they have reconnected if we can search their key and get a client
 			GLOB.basketball_bad_signup -= bad_key
-			GLOB.basketball_signup += bad_key
+			GLOB.basketball_signup[bad_key] = TRUE
 	for(var/key in GLOB.basketball_signup)
 		var/client/signup_client = GLOB.directory[key]
 		if(!signup_client) //vice versa but in a variable we use later
 			GLOB.basketball_signup -= key
-			GLOB.basketball_bad_signup += key
+			GLOB.basketball_bad_signup[key] = TRUE
 			continue
 		if(!isobserver(signup_client.mob))
 			//they are back to playing the game, remove them from the signups
@@ -341,6 +342,7 @@ GLOBAL_VAR(basketball_game)
 	return GLOB.always_state
 
 /datum/basketball_controller/ui_interact(mob/user, datum/tgui/ui)
+	check_signups()
 	ui = SStgui.try_update_ui(user, src, ui)
 	if(!ui)
 		ui = new(user, src, "BasketballPanel")
@@ -378,11 +380,12 @@ GLOBAL_VAR(basketball_game)
 
 	switch(action)
 		if("basketball_signup")
-			if(GLOB.basketball_signup[ghost_client.ckey])
-				GLOB.basketball_signup -= ghost_client.ckey // double check this works?
+			if(GLOB.basketball_signup[ghost_client.ckey] || GLOB.basketball_bad_signup[ghost_client.ckey])
+				GLOB.basketball_signup -= ghost_client.ckey
+				GLOB.basketball_bad_signup -= ghost_client.ckey
 				to_chat(ghost_client, span_notice("You unregister from basketball."))
 			else
-				GLOB.basketball_signup[ghost_client.ckey] = ghost_client
+				GLOB.basketball_signup[ghost_client.ckey] = TRUE
 				to_chat(ghost_client, span_notice("You sign up for basketball."))
 
 			check_signups()
diff --git a/code/modules/mafia/controller.dm b/code/modules/mafia/controller.dm
index 6062aff18fe..0ab3cc49e92 100644
--- a/code/modules/mafia/controller.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mafia/controller.dm
@@ -624,9 +624,7 @@
 		for(var/key in GLOB.mafia_signup + GLOB.mafia_bad_signup)
 			var/list/lobby_member = list()
 			lobby_member["name"] = key
-			lobby_member["status"] = "Ready"
-			if(key in GLOB.mafia_bad_signup)
-				lobby_member["status"] = "Disconnected"
+			lobby_member["status"] = (key in GLOB.mafia_bad_signup) ? "Disconnected" : "Ready"
 			lobby_member["spectating"] = "Ghost"
 			if(key in spectators)
 				lobby_member["spectating"] = "Spectator"
@@ -744,7 +742,7 @@
 					to_chat(usr, span_notice("You unregister from Mafia."))
 					return TRUE
 				else
-					GLOB.mafia_signup[C.ckey] = C
+					GLOB.mafia_signup[C.ckey] = TRUE
 					to_chat(usr, span_notice("You sign up for Mafia."))
 				if(phase == MAFIA_PHASE_SETUP)
 					check_signups()
@@ -1065,12 +1063,12 @@
 	for(var/bad_key in GLOB.mafia_bad_signup)
 		if(GLOB.directory[bad_key])//they have reconnected if we can search their key and get a client
 			GLOB.mafia_bad_signup -= bad_key
-			GLOB.mafia_signup += bad_key
+			GLOB.mafia_signup[bad_key] = TRUE
 	for(var/key in GLOB.mafia_signup)
 		var/client/C = GLOB.directory[key]
 		if(!C)//vice versa but in a variable we use later
 			GLOB.mafia_signup -= key
-			GLOB.mafia_bad_signup += key
+			GLOB.mafia_bad_signup[key] = TRUE
 			continue
 		if(!isobserver(C.mob))
 			//they are back to playing the game, remove them from the signups