diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 7a381a9..5a8f4a1 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -167,13 +167,14 @@
 
     mesh.onpeerconnect = pid => {
       renderPlayers('host-player-list');
-      $('btn-start-game').disabled = mesh.getCount() < 1;
     };
     mesh.onpeerdisconnect = () => {
       renderPlayers('host-player-list');
-      $('btn-start-game').disabled = mesh.getCount() < 1;
     };
     mesh.onqrupdate = d => showQR('qr-host', d);
+    mesh.onreadyupdate = (ready, total) => {
+      $('btn-start-game').disabled = ready < total || total === 0;
+    };
 
     mesh.createRoom();
     show('host');
diff --git a/p2p.js b/p2p.js
index 488ffeb..2144ab3 100644
--- a/p2p.js
+++ b/p2p.js
@@ -2,17 +2,25 @@ class MeshNet {
   constructor() {
     this.myPeerId = generatePeerId();
     this.connections = new Map();
-    this.isHost = false;
+    this._pendingMeshPeers = new Map();
     this._pendingPeer = null;
     this._currentQRData = null;
+    this.isHost = false;
+    this.hostPeerId = null;
+    this.roster = [];
+    this.readyPeers = new Set();
+    this._meshReadySent = false;
 
     this.onpeerconnect = null;
     this.onpeerdisconnect = null;
     this.ondata = null;
     this.onqrupdate = null;
     this.onanswerready = null;
+    this.onreadyupdate = null;
   }
 
+  /* ─── Host: room ─── */
+
   createRoom() {
     this.isHost = true;
     this._createPendingPeer();
@@ -25,7 +33,6 @@ class MeshNet {
 
     const peer = new SimplePeer({ initiator: true, trickle: false });
     let signalSent = false;
-    let connected = false;
 
     peer.on('signal', signal => {
       if (signalSent) return;
@@ -35,7 +42,6 @@ class MeshNet {
     });
 
     peer.on('connect', () => {
-      connected = true;
       peer.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'identity', peerId: this.myPeerId }));
     });
 
@@ -44,19 +50,14 @@ class MeshNet {
         const msg = JSON.parse(data.toString());
         this._handleMessage(msg, peer);
       } catch (e) {
-        console.error('p2p data parse error:', e);
+        console.error('p2p data error:', e);
       }
     });
 
-    peer.on('close', () => {
-      this._cleanupPeer(peer);
-    });
+    peer.on('close', () => this._cleanupPeer(peer));
+    peer.on('error', err => console.error('p2p error:', err));
 
-    peer.on('error', err => {
-      console.error('p2p error:', err);
-    });
-
-    this._pendingPeer = { peer, signalSent, connected, peerId: null };
+    this._pendingPeer = { peer, signalSent, connected: false, peerId: null };
   }
 
   feedAnswer(answerStr) {
@@ -71,14 +72,16 @@ class MeshNet {
     }
   }
 
+  /* ─── Peer: join ─── */
+
   joinFromQR(qrContent) {
     const data = JSON.parse(qrContent);
     const remoteId = data.id;
+    this.hostPeerId = remoteId;
     const offer = data.s;
 
     const peer = new SimplePeer({ initiator: false, trickle: false });
     let answerSent = false;
-    let connected = false;
 
     peer.on('signal', signal => {
       if (answerSent) return;
@@ -90,7 +93,6 @@ class MeshNet {
     });
 
     peer.on('connect', () => {
-      connected = true;
       this.connections.set(remoteId, peer);
       peer.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'identity', peerId: this.myPeerId }));
       if (this.onpeerconnect) this.onpeerconnect(remoteId);
@@ -100,25 +102,123 @@ class MeshNet {
       try {
         const msg = JSON.parse(data.toString());
         this._handleMessage(msg, peer);
-      } catch (e) {
-        console.error('p2p data parse error:', e);
-      }
+      } catch (e) { console.error('p2p data error:', e); }
     });
 
-    peer.on('close', () => {
-      this._cleanupPeer(peer);
-    });
-
-    peer.on('error', err => {
-      console.error('p2p error:', err);
-    });
+    peer.on('close', () => this._cleanupPeer(peer));
+    peer.on('error', err => console.error('p2p error:', err));
 
     peer.signal(offer);
     this.connections.set(remoteId, peer);
-    this._pendingPeer = { peer, peerId: remoteId, connected };
+    this._pendingPeer = { peer, peerId: remoteId, connected: answerSent };
   }
 
+  /* ─── Mesh helpers ─── */
+
+  _createSimplePeer(initiator, onSignal, onConnect) {
+    const peer = new SimplePeer({ initiator, trickle: false });
+
+    peer.on('signal', signal => {
+      if (onSignal) onSignal(signal);
+    });
+
+    peer.on('connect', () => {
+      if (onConnect) onConnect();
+      // No identity exchange – peerId known from context
+    });
+
+    peer.on('data', data => {
+      try {
+        const msg = JSON.parse(data.toString());
+        this._handleMessage(msg, peer);
+      } catch (e) { console.error('mesh data error:', e); }
+    });
+
+    peer.on('close', () => this._cleanupPeer(peer));
+    peer.on('error', e => console.error('mesh error:', e));
+
+    return peer;
+  }
+
+  _initiateMeshConnection(targetPeerId) {
+    if (this.connections.has(targetPeerId)) return;
+    if (this._pendingMeshPeers.has(targetPeerId)) return;
+    if (this.myPeerId >= targetPeerId) return;
+
+    const peer = this._createSimplePeer(true,
+      signal => {
+        this.sendTo(this.hostPeerId, { type: 'signal_relay', to: targetPeerId, signal });
+      },
+      () => {
+        this.connections.set(targetPeerId, peer);
+        this._pendingMeshPeers.delete(targetPeerId);
+        if (this.onpeerconnect) this.onpeerconnect(targetPeerId);
+        this._checkMeshReady();
+      }
+    );
+
+    this._pendingMeshPeers.set(targetPeerId, peer);
+  }
+
+  _handleRelayedSignal(fromPeerId, signal) {
+    let peer = this.connections.get(fromPeerId) || this._pendingMeshPeers.get(fromPeerId);
+
+    if (!peer) {
+      peer = this._createSimplePeer(false,
+        signal => {
+          this.sendTo(this.hostPeerId, { type: 'signal_relay', to: fromPeerId, signal });
+        },
+        () => {
+          this.connections.set(fromPeerId, peer);
+          this._pendingMeshPeers.delete(fromPeerId);
+          if (this.onpeerconnect) this.onpeerconnect(fromPeerId);
+          this._checkMeshReady();
+        }
+      );
+      this._pendingMeshPeers.set(fromPeerId, peer);
+    }
+
+    peer.signal(signal);
+  }
+
+  _checkMeshConnections() {
+    for (const pid of this.roster) {
+      if (pid === this.myPeerId) continue;
+      if (this.connections.has(pid)) continue;
+      if (this.myPeerId < pid) {
+        this._initiateMeshConnection(pid);
+      }
+    }
+    this._checkMeshReady();
+  }
+
+  _checkMeshReady() {
+    if (this._meshReadySent) return;
+    if (!this.hostPeerId) return;
+    if (!this.connections.has(this.hostPeerId)) return;
+
+    const allConnected = this.roster.every(pid =>
+      pid === this.myPeerId || this.connections.has(pid)
+    );
+
+    if (allConnected && this.roster.length > 0) {
+      this._meshReadySent = true;
+      this.sendTo(this.hostPeerId, { type: 'mesh_ready' });
+    }
+  }
+
+  _broadcastRoster() {
+    this.roster = this.getPeerIds();
+    this.readyPeers.clear();
+    this.broadcast({ type: 'roster', peers: this.roster });
+    if (this.onreadyupdate) this.onreadyupdate(0, this.roster.length);
+  }
+
+  /* ─── Message routing ─── */
+
   _handleMessage(msg, peer) {
+    const peerId = this._findPeerId(peer) || 'unknown';
+
     if (msg.type === 'identity') {
       const existing = this._findPeerId(peer);
       if (existing && existing !== msg.peerId) {
@@ -132,6 +232,7 @@ class MeshNet {
         if (this.onpeerconnect) this.onpeerconnect(msg.peerId);
         if (this.isHost) {
           setTimeout(() => this._createPendingPeer(), 300);
+          this._broadcastRoster();
         }
       } else {
         if (this.onpeerconnect) this.onpeerconnect(msg.peerId);
@@ -140,27 +241,51 @@ class MeshNet {
     }
 
     if (msg.type === 'signal_relay') {
-      const target = this.connections.get(msg.to);
+      const target = this.connections.get(msg.to) || this._pendingMeshPeers.get(msg.to);
       if (target) {
         target.send(JSON.stringify({
           type: 'signal_relayed',
-          from: msg.from,
+          from: peerId,
           signal: msg.signal
         }));
       }
       return;
     }
 
+    if (msg.type === 'signal_relayed') {
+      this._handleRelayedSignal(msg.from, msg.signal);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.type === 'roster') {
+      this.roster = msg.peers || [];
+      this._meshReadySent = false;
+      this._checkMeshConnections();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (msg.type === 'mesh_ready' && this.isHost) {
+      this.readyPeers.add(peerId);
+      if (this.onreadyupdate) {
+        this.onreadyupdate(this.readyPeers.size, this.roster.length);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (this.ondata) {
-      const peerId = this._findPeerId(peer) || 'unknown';
       this.ondata(peerId, msg);
     }
   }
 
+  /* ─── Peer management ─── */
+
   _findPeerId(peer) {
     for (const [id, p] of this.connections) {
       if (p === peer) return id;
     }
+    for (const [id, p] of this._pendingMeshPeers) {
+      if (p === peer) return id;
+    }
     return null;
   }
 
@@ -170,11 +295,21 @@ class MeshNet {
       this.connections.delete(peerId);
       if (this.onpeerdisconnect) this.onpeerdisconnect(peerId);
     }
+
+    for (const [id, p] of this._pendingMeshPeers) {
+      if (p === peer) {
+        this._pendingMeshPeers.delete(id);
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+
     if (this._pendingPeer && this._pendingPeer.peer === peer) {
       this._pendingPeer = null;
     }
   }
 
+  /* ─── Send ─── */
+
   broadcast(msg) {
     const str = JSON.stringify(msg);
     for (const [id, peer] of this.connections) {
@@ -208,7 +343,11 @@ class MeshNet {
     for (const peer of this.connections.values()) {
       try { peer.destroy(); } catch (e) {}
     }
+    for (const peer of this._pendingMeshPeers.values()) {
+      try { peer.destroy(); } catch (e) {}
+    }
     this.connections.clear();
+    this._pendingMeshPeers.clear();
     if (this._pendingPeer) {
       try { this._pendingPeer.peer.destroy(); } catch (e) {}
       this._pendingPeer = null;