diff --git a/SQF/dayz_server/compile/server_playerSetup.sqf b/SQF/dayz_server/compile/server_playerSetup.sqf
index 86699484c..07def2d40 100644
--- a/SQF/dayz_server/compile/server_playerSetup.sqf
+++ b/SQF/dayz_server/compile/server_playerSetup.sqf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-private ["_characterID","_playerObj","_playerID","_dummy","_worldspace","_state","_doLoop","_key","_primary","_medical","_stats","_humanity","_lastinstance","_friendlies","_randomSpot","_position","_debug","_distance","_hit","_fractures","_score","_findSpot","_pos","_isIsland","_w","_clientID","_spawnMC"];
+private ["_characterID","_playerObj","_playerID","_dummy","_worldspace","_state","_doLoop","_key","_primary","_medical","_stats","_humanity","_lastinstance","_friendlies","_randomSpot","_position","_debug","_distance","_hit","_fractures","_score","_findSpot","_pos","_isIsland","_w","_clientID","_spawnMC","_namespace"];
 
 //diag_log ("SETUP: attempted with " + str(_this));
 
@@ -188,12 +188,9 @@ if (_randomSpot) then {
 	if(isnil "spawnShoremode") then {
 		spawnShoremode = 1;
 	};
-	if(isnil "spawnMarkerCount") then {
-		spawnMarkerCount = 4;
-	};
 	
-	// The wiki states floor has a uniform distribution but will not reach the last number so we add +1
-	_spawnMC = spawnMarkerCount + 1;
+	// 
+	_spawnMC = actualSpawnMarkerCount;
 
 	//spawn into random
 	_findSpot = true;
diff --git a/SQF/dayz_server/system/server_monitor.sqf b/SQF/dayz_server/system/server_monitor.sqf
index bdf9c6faa..612750713 100644
--- a/SQF/dayz_server/system/server_monitor.sqf
+++ b/SQF/dayz_server/system/server_monitor.sqf
@@ -366,6 +366,25 @@ if (isServer and isNil "sm_done") then {
 		_debugMarkerPosition = [(_debugMarkerPosition select 0),(_debugMarkerPosition select 1),1];
 		_vehicle_0 = createVehicle ["DebugBox_DZ", _debugMarkerPosition, [], 0, "CAN_COLLIDE"];
 		_vehicle_0 setPos _debugMarkerPosition;
+
+		// max number of spawn markers
+		if(isnil "spawnMarkerCount") then {
+			spawnMarkerCount = 10;
+		};
+		
+		actualSpawnMarkerCount = 0;
+
+		// count valid spawn marker positions
+		for "_i" from 0 to spawnMarkerCount do {
+			if (!([(getMarkerPos format["spawn%1", _i]), [0,0,0]] call BIS_fnc_areEqual)) then {
+				actualSpawnMarkerCount = actualSpawnMarkerCount + 1;
+			} else {
+				// exit since we did not find any further markers
+				_i = spawnMarkerCount + 99;
+			};
+			
+		};
+		diag_log format["Total Number of spawn locations %1", actualSpawnMarkerCount];
 	};
 
 	sm_done = true;