diff --git a/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.cpp b/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.cpp
index ef8627fe54..0818f605df 100644
--- a/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.cpp
@@ -438,19 +438,16 @@ namespace Multiplayer
             m_connAcquiredEvent.Signal(datum);
         }
 
+        // Hosts will spawn a new default player prefab for the user that just connected
         if (GetAgentType() == MultiplayerAgentType::ClientServer
             || GetAgentType() == MultiplayerAgentType::DedicatedServer)
         {
-            PrefabEntityId playerPrefabEntityId(AZ::Name(static_cast<AZ::CVarFixedString>(sv_defaultPlayerSpawnAsset).c_str()), 1);
-            INetworkEntityManager::EntityList entityList = m_networkEntityManager.CreateEntitiesImmediate(playerPrefabEntityId, NetEntityRole::Authority, AZ::Transform::CreateIdentity());
-
-            NetworkEntityHandle controlledEntity;
-            if (entityList.size() > 0)
+            NetworkEntityHandle controlledEntity = SpawnDefaultPlayerPrefab();
+            if (controlledEntity.Exists())
             {
-                controlledEntity = entityList[0];
                 controlledEntity.GetNetBindComponent()->SetOwningConnectionId(connection->GetConnectionId());
             }
-
+            
             if (connection->GetUserData() == nullptr) // Only add user data if the connect event handler has not already done so
             {
                 connection->SetUserData(new ServerToClientConnectionData(connection, *this, controlledEntity));
@@ -522,6 +519,17 @@ namespace Multiplayer
             }
         }
         m_agentType = multiplayerType;
+
+        // Spawn the default player for this host since the host is also a player (not a dedicated server)
+        if (m_agentType == MultiplayerAgentType::ClientServer)
+        {
+            NetworkEntityHandle controlledEntity = SpawnDefaultPlayerPrefab();
+            if (NetBindComponent* controlledEntityNetBindComponent = controlledEntity.GetNetBindComponent())
+            {
+                controlledEntityNetBindComponent->SetAllowAutonomy(true);
+            }
+        }
+        
         AZLOG_INFO("Multiplayer operating in %s mode", GetEnumString(m_agentType));
     }
 
@@ -629,6 +637,19 @@ namespace Multiplayer
         }
     }
 
+    NetworkEntityHandle MultiplayerSystemComponent::SpawnDefaultPlayerPrefab()
+    {
+        PrefabEntityId playerPrefabEntityId(AZ::Name(static_cast<AZ::CVarFixedString>(sv_defaultPlayerSpawnAsset).c_str()), 1);
+        INetworkEntityManager::EntityList entityList = m_networkEntityManager.CreateEntitiesImmediate(playerPrefabEntityId, NetEntityRole::Authority, AZ::Transform::CreateIdentity());
+
+        NetworkEntityHandle controlledEntity;
+        if (entityList.size() > 0)
+        {
+            controlledEntity = entityList[0];
+        }
+        return controlledEntity;
+    }
+
     void host([[maybe_unused]] const AZ::ConsoleCommandContainer& arguments)
     {
         Multiplayer::MultiplayerAgentType serverType = sv_isDedicated ? MultiplayerAgentType::DedicatedServer : MultiplayerAgentType::ClientServer;
diff --git a/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.h b/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.h
index db83c50fb5..e8e05a9d4c 100644
--- a/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.h
+++ b/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/MultiplayerSystemComponent.h
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ namespace Multiplayer
 
         void OnConsoleCommandInvoked(AZStd::string_view command, const AZ::ConsoleCommandContainer& args, AZ::ConsoleFunctorFlags flags, AZ::ConsoleInvokedFrom invokedFrom);
         void ExecuteConsoleCommandList(AzNetworking::IConnection* connection, const AZStd::fixed_vector<Multiplayer::LongNetworkString, 32>& commands);
-
+        NetworkEntityHandle SpawnDefaultPlayerPrefab();
+        
         AZ_CONSOLEFUNC(MultiplayerSystemComponent, DumpStats, AZ::ConsoleFunctorFlags::Null, "Dumps stats for the current multiplayer session");
 
         AzNetworking::INetworkInterface* m_networkInterface = nullptr;
diff --git a/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/NetworkEntity/NetworkEntityManager.cpp b/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/NetworkEntity/NetworkEntityManager.cpp
index dda3f18ad4..eaf89f3489 100644
--- a/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/NetworkEntity/NetworkEntityManager.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Multiplayer/Code/Source/NetworkEntity/NetworkEntityManager.cpp
@@ -402,8 +402,12 @@ namespace Multiplayer
         const AZ::Transform& transform
     )
     {
-        INetworkEntityManager::EntityList returnList;
-
+        EntityList returnList;
+        if (!AZ::Data::AssetManager::IsReady())
+        {
+            return returnList;
+        }
+        
         auto spawnableAssetId = m_networkPrefabLibrary.GetAssetIdByName(prefabEntryId.m_prefabName);
         // Required for sync-instantiation. Todo: keep the reference in NetworkSpawnableLibrary
         auto netSpawnableAsset = AZ::Data::AssetManager::Instance().GetAsset<AzFramework::Spawnable>(spawnableAssetId, AZ::Data::AssetLoadBehavior::PreLoad);