diff --git a/ntcore/doc/networktables4.adoc b/ntcore/doc/networktables4.adoc
index 6e5e3c9b87..5384ebff1e 100644
--- a/ntcore/doc/networktables4.adoc
+++ b/ntcore/doc/networktables4.adoc
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ The MessagePack contents shall be an array of maps.  Each map in the array shall
 
 Both clients and servers shall support unsecure connections (`ws:`) and may support secure connections (`wss:`).  In a trusted network environment (e.g. a robot network), clients that support secure connections should fall back to an unsecure connection if a secure connection is not available.
 
-Servers shall support a resource name of `/nt/<name>`, where `<name>` is an arbitrary string representing the client name.  The client name must be unique (for a particular server).  Servers shall reject duplicate connections to the same resource name by responding with HTTP Error Code 409 (Conflict).  Clients should provide a way to specify the resource name (in particular, the client name portion) and should provide a mechanism to make the name unique (e.g. by suffixing the name with a unique identifier).
+Servers shall support a resource name of `/nt/<name>`, where `<name>` is an arbitrary string representing the client name.  The client name does not need to be unique; multiple connections to the same name are allowed; the server shall ensure the name is unique (for the purposes of meta-topics) by appending a '@' and a unique number (if necessary).  To support this, the name provided by the client should not contain an embedded '@'.  Clients should provide a way to specify the resource name (in particular, the client name portion).
 
 Both clients and servers shall support/use subprotocol `networktables.first.wpi.edu` for this protocol. Clients and servers shall terminate the connection in accordance with the WebSocket protocol unless both sides support this subprotocol.
 
diff --git a/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/NetworkServer.cpp b/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/NetworkServer.cpp
index 2facde992d..c0f781e760 100644
--- a/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/NetworkServer.cpp
+++ b/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/NetworkServer.cpp
@@ -245,17 +245,12 @@ void ServerConnection4::ProcessWsUpgrade() {
   m_websocket->open.connect([this, name = std::string{name}](std::string_view) {
     m_wire = std::make_shared<net::WebSocketConnection>(*m_websocket);
     // TODO: set local flag appropriately
-    m_clientId = m_server.m_serverImpl.AddClient(
+    std::string dedupName;
+    std::tie(dedupName, m_clientId) = m_server.m_serverImpl.AddClient(
         name, m_connInfo, false, *m_wire,
         [this](uint32_t repeatMs) { UpdatePeriodicTimer(repeatMs); });
-    if (m_clientId < 0) {
-      INFO("duplicate connection name '{}' (from {}), closing", name,
-           m_connInfo);
-      m_websocket->Fail(409, fmt::format("duplicate name '{}'", name));
-      return;
-    }
-    INFO("CONNECTED NT4 client '{}' (from {})", name, m_connInfo);
-    m_info.remote_id = name;
+    INFO("CONNECTED NT4 client '{}' (from {})", dedupName, m_connInfo);
+    m_info.remote_id = dedupName;
     m_server.AddConnection(this, m_info);
     m_websocket->closed.connect([this](uint16_t, std::string_view reason) {
       INFO("DISCONNECTED NT4 client '{}' (from {}): {}", m_info.remote_id,
diff --git a/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.cpp b/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.cpp
index c18c981207..c8d8a5d3c7 100644
--- a/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.cpp
+++ b/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.cpp
@@ -78,10 +78,12 @@ class SImpl;
 
 class ClientData {
  public:
-  ClientData(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
+  ClientData(std::string_view originalName, std::string_view name,
+             std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
              ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic, SImpl& server, int id,
              wpi::Logger& logger)
-      : m_name{name},
+      : m_originalName{originalName},
+        m_name{name},
         m_connInfo{connInfo},
         m_local{local},
         m_setPeriodic{std::move(setPeriodic)},
@@ -111,10 +113,12 @@ class ClientData {
   // returns nullptr if there is no subscriber for that topic name
   SubscriberData* GetSubscriber(std::string_view name, bool special);
 
+  std::string_view GetOriginalName() const { return m_originalName; }
   std::string_view GetName() const { return m_name; }
   int GetId() const { return m_id; }
 
  protected:
+  std::string m_originalName;
   std::string m_name;
   std::string m_connInfo;
   bool m_local;  // local to machine
@@ -138,10 +142,12 @@ class ClientData {
 
 class ClientData4Base : public ClientData, protected ClientMessageHandler {
  public:
-  ClientData4Base(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
+  ClientData4Base(std::string_view originalName, std::string_view name,
+                  std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
                   ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic, SImpl& server,
                   int id, wpi::Logger& logger)
-      : ClientData{name, connInfo, local, setPeriodic, server, id, logger} {}
+      : ClientData{originalName, name,   connInfo, local,
+                   setPeriodic,  server, id,       logger} {}
 
  protected:
   // ClientMessageHandler interface
@@ -165,7 +171,8 @@ class ClientDataLocal final : public ClientData4Base {
 
  public:
   ClientDataLocal(SImpl& server, int id, wpi::Logger& logger)
-      : ClientData4Base{"", "", true, [](uint32_t) {}, server, id, logger} {}
+      : ClientData4Base{"", "", "", true, [](uint32_t) {}, server, id, logger} {
+  }
 
   void ProcessIncomingText(std::string_view data) final {}
   void ProcessIncomingBinary(std::span<const uint8_t> data) final {}
@@ -183,10 +190,12 @@ class ClientDataLocal final : public ClientData4Base {
 
 class ClientData4 final : public ClientData4Base {
  public:
-  ClientData4(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
-              WireConnection& wire, ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic,
-              SImpl& server, int id, wpi::Logger& logger)
-      : ClientData4Base{name, connInfo, local, setPeriodic, server, id, logger},
+  ClientData4(std::string_view originalName, std::string_view name,
+              std::string_view connInfo, bool local, WireConnection& wire,
+              ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic, SImpl& server, int id,
+              wpi::Logger& logger)
+      : ClientData4Base{originalName, name,   connInfo, local,
+                        setPeriodic,  server, id,       logger},
         m_wire{wire} {}
 
   void ProcessIncomingText(std::string_view data) final;
@@ -239,7 +248,7 @@ class ClientData3 final : public ClientData, private net3::MessageHandler3 {
               net3::WireConnection3& wire, ServerImpl::Connected3Func connected,
               ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic, SImpl& server, int id,
               wpi::Logger& logger)
-      : ClientData{"", connInfo, local, setPeriodic, server, id, logger},
+      : ClientData{"", "", connInfo, local, setPeriodic, server, id, logger},
         m_connected{std::move(connected)},
         m_wire{wire},
         m_decoder{*this} {}
@@ -403,8 +412,9 @@ class SImpl {
   TopicData* m_metaClients;
 
   // ServerImpl interface
-  int AddClient(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
-                WireConnection& wire, ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic);
+  std::pair<std::string, int> AddClient(
+      std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
+      WireConnection& wire, ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic);
   int AddClient3(std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
                  net3::WireConnection3& wire,
                  ServerImpl::Connected3Func connected,
@@ -1189,11 +1199,8 @@ void ClientData3::ClientHello(std::string_view self_id,
         fmt::format("unsupported protocol version {:04x}", proto_rev));
     return;
   }
-  m_name = self_id;
-  // create a unique name if none provided
-  if (m_name.empty()) {
-    m_name = fmt::format("NT3@{}", m_connInfo);
-  }
+  // create a unique name (just ignore provided client id)
+  m_name = fmt::format("NT3@{}", m_connInfo);
   m_connected(m_name, 0x0300);
   m_connected = nullptr;  // no longer required
 
@@ -1487,16 +1494,22 @@ SImpl::SImpl(wpi::Logger& logger) : m_logger{logger} {
   m_localClient = static_cast<ClientDataLocal*>(m_clients.back().get());
 }
 
-int SImpl::AddClient(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo,
-                     bool local, WireConnection& wire,
-                     ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic) {
+std::pair<std::string, int> SImpl::AddClient(
+    std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
+    WireConnection& wire, ServerImpl::SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic) {
+  // strip anything after @ in the name
+  name = wpi::split(name, '@').first;
+  if (name.empty()) {
+    name = "NT4";
+  }
   size_t index = m_clients.size();
-  // find an empty slot and ensure there's no duplicates
+  // find an empty slot and check for duplicates
   // just do a linear search as number of clients is typically small (<10)
+  int duplicateName = 0;
   for (size_t i = 0, end = index; i < end; ++i) {
     auto& clientData = m_clients[i];
-    if (clientData && clientData->GetName() == name) {
-      return -1;  // don't allow duplicate client names
+    if (clientData && clientData->GetOriginalName() == name) {
+      ++duplicateName;
     } else if (!clientData && index == end) {
       index = i;
     }
@@ -1505,14 +1518,24 @@ int SImpl::AddClient(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo,
     m_clients.emplace_back();
   }
 
+  // if duplicate name, de-duplicate
+  std::string dedupName;
+  if (duplicateName > 0) {
+    dedupName = fmt::format("{}@{}", name, duplicateName);
+  } else {
+    dedupName = name;
+  }
+
   auto& clientData = m_clients[index];
-  clientData = std::make_unique<ClientData4>(name, connInfo, local, wire,
-                                             std::move(setPeriodic), *this,
-                                             index, m_logger);
+  clientData = std::make_unique<ClientData4>(name, dedupName, connInfo, local,
+                                             wire, std::move(setPeriodic),
+                                             *this, index, m_logger);
 
   // create client meta topics
-  clientData->m_metaPub = CreateMetaTopic(fmt::format("$clientpub${}", name));
-  clientData->m_metaSub = CreateMetaTopic(fmt::format("$clientsub${}", name));
+  clientData->m_metaPub =
+      CreateMetaTopic(fmt::format("$clientpub${}", dedupName));
+  clientData->m_metaSub =
+      CreateMetaTopic(fmt::format("$clientsub${}", dedupName));
 
   // update meta topics
   clientData->UpdateMetaClientPub();
@@ -1521,7 +1544,7 @@ int SImpl::AddClient(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo,
   wire.Flush();
 
   DEBUG3("AddClient('{}', '{}') -> {}", name, connInfo, index);
-  return index;
+  return {std::move(dedupName), index};
 }
 
 int SImpl::AddClient3(std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
@@ -1532,8 +1555,9 @@ int SImpl::AddClient3(std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
   // find an empty slot; we can't check for duplicates until we get a hello.
   // just do a linear search as number of clients is typically small (<10)
   for (size_t i = 0, end = index; i < end; ++i) {
-    if (!m_clients[i] && index == end) {
+    if (!m_clients[i]) {
       index = i;
+      break;
     }
   }
   if (index == m_clients.size()) {
@@ -2292,9 +2316,11 @@ void ServerImpl::ProcessIncomingBinary(int clientId,
   m_impl->m_clients[clientId]->ProcessIncomingBinary(data);
 }
 
-int ServerImpl::AddClient(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo,
-                          bool local, WireConnection& wire,
-                          SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic) {
+std::pair<std::string, int> ServerImpl::AddClient(std::string_view name,
+                                                  std::string_view connInfo,
+                                                  bool local,
+                                                  WireConnection& wire,
+                                                  SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic) {
   return m_impl->AddClient(name, connInfo, local, wire, std::move(setPeriodic));
 }
 
diff --git a/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.h b/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.h
index a1f7b89218..d82a08404d 100644
--- a/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.h
+++ b/ntcore/src/main/native/cpp/net/ServerImpl.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <span>
 #include <string>
 #include <string_view>
+#include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "NetworkInterface.h"
@@ -53,8 +54,10 @@ class ServerImpl final {
 
   // Returns -1 if cannot add client (e.g. due to duplicate name).
   // Caller must ensure WireConnection lifetime lasts until RemoveClient() call.
-  int AddClient(std::string_view name, std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
-                WireConnection& wire, SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic);
+  std::pair<std::string, int> AddClient(std::string_view name,
+                                        std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
+                                        WireConnection& wire,
+                                        SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic);
   int AddClient3(std::string_view connInfo, bool local,
                  net3::WireConnection3& wire, Connected3Func connected,
                  SetPeriodicFunc setPeriodic);