diff --git a/pkg/coordinator/hub.go b/pkg/coordinator/hub.go
index 490747df..9e646ced 100644
--- a/pkg/coordinator/hub.go
+++ b/pkg/coordinator/hub.go
@@ -69,12 +69,10 @@ func (h *Hub) handleUserConnection() http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		bound := user.Bind(worker)
-		if !bound {
-			user.Notify(api.ErrNoFreeSlots, "")
-			h.log.Info().Msg("no free slots")
-			return
-		}
+		// Link the user to the selected worker. Slot reservation is handled later
+		// on game start; this keeps connections lightweight and lets deep-link
+		// joins share a worker without consuming its single game slot.
+		user.w = worker
 
 		h.users.Add(user)
 
@@ -178,12 +176,15 @@ func (h *Hub) GetServerList() (r []api.Server) {
 // various conditions.
 func (h *Hub) findWorkerFor(usr *User, q url.Values, log *logger.Logger) *Worker {
 	log.Debug().Msg("Search available workers")
-	roomId := q.Get(api.RoomIdQueryParam)
+	roomIdRaw := q.Get(api.RoomIdQueryParam)
+	sessionId, deepRoomId := api.ExplodeDeepLink(roomIdRaw)
+	roomId := roomIdRaw
+	if deepRoomId != "" {
+		roomId = deepRoomId
+	}
 	zone := q.Get(api.ZoneQueryParam)
 	wid := q.Get(api.WorkerIdParam)
 
-	sessionId, _ := api.ExplodeDeepLink(roomId)
-
 	var worker *Worker
 
 	if wid != "" {
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ func (h *Hub) findWorkerFor(usr *User, q url.Values, log *logger.Logger) *Worker
 		}
 	}
 
-	if worker = h.findWorkerByRoom(roomId, zone); worker != nil {
+	if worker = h.findWorkerByRoom(roomIdRaw, roomId, zone); worker != nil {
 		log.Debug().Str("room", roomId).Msg("An existing worker has been found")
 	} else if worker = h.findWorkerByPreviousRoom(sessionId); worker != nil {
 		log.Debug().Msgf("Worker %v with the previous room: %v is found", wid, roomId)
@@ -228,13 +229,19 @@ func (h *Hub) findWorkerByPreviousRoom(id string) *Worker {
 	return w
 }
 
-func (h *Hub) findWorkerByRoom(id string, region string) *Worker {
-	if id == "" {
+func (h *Hub) findWorkerByRoom(id string, deepId string, region string) *Worker {
+	if id == "" && deepId == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
 	// if there is zone param, we need to ensure the worker in that zone,
 	// if not we consider the room is missing
-	w, _ := h.workers.FindBy(func(w *Worker) bool { return w.RoomId == id && w.In(region) })
+	w, _ := h.workers.FindBy(func(w *Worker) bool {
+		matchId := w.RoomId == id
+		if !matchId && deepId != "" {
+			matchId = w.RoomId == deepId
+		}
+		return matchId && w.In(region)
+	})
 	return w
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/coordinator/user.go b/pkg/coordinator/user.go
index 5d1e7ed5..b9d87e7e 100644
--- a/pkg/coordinator/user.go
+++ b/pkg/coordinator/user.go
@@ -30,14 +30,15 @@ func NewUser(sock *com.Connection, log *logger.Logger) *User {
 
 func (u *User) Bind(w *Worker) bool {
 	u.w = w
-
-	return u.w.TryReserve()
+	// Binding only links the worker; slot reservation is handled lazily on
+	// game start to avoid blocking deep-link joins or parallel connections
+	// that haven't started a game yet.
+	return true
 }
 
 func (u *User) Disconnect() {
 	u.Connection.Disconnect()
 	if u.w != nil {
-		u.w.UnReserve()
 		u.w.TerminateSession(u.Id())
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/coordinator/userhandlers.go b/pkg/coordinator/userhandlers.go
index 811ce332..80d0dc6e 100644
--- a/pkg/coordinator/userhandlers.go
+++ b/pkg/coordinator/userhandlers.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package coordinator
 
 import (
 	"sort"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/giongto35/cloud-game/v3/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/giongto35/cloud-game/v3/pkg/com"
@@ -26,6 +27,55 @@ func (u *User) HandleWebrtcIceCandidate(rq api.WebrtcUserIceCandidate) {
 }
 
 func (u *User) HandleStartGame(rq api.GameStartUserRequest, conf config.CoordinatorConfig) {
+	// Worker slot / room gating:
+	// - If the worker is BUSY (no free slot), we must not create another room.
+	//   * If the worker has already reported a room id, only allow requests
+	//     for that same room (deep-link joins / reloads).
+	//   * If the worker hasn't reported a room yet, deny any new StartGame to
+	//     avoid racing concurrent room creation on the worker.
+	//   * When the user is starting a NEW game (empty room id), we give the
+	//     worker a short grace period to close the previous room and free the
+	//     slot before rejecting with "no slots".
+	// - If the worker is FREE, reserve the slot lazily before starting the
+	//   game; the room id (if any) comes from the request / worker.
+
+	// Grace period: when there's no room id in the request (new game) but the
+	// worker still appears busy, wait a bit for the previous room to close.
+	if rq.RoomId == "" && !u.w.HasSlot() {
+		const waitTotal = 3 * time.Second
+		const step = 100 * time.Millisecond
+		waited := time.Duration(0)
+		for waited < waitTotal {
+			if u.w.HasSlot() {
+				break
+			}
+			time.Sleep(step)
+			waited += step
+		}
+	}
+
+	busy := !u.w.HasSlot()
+	if busy {
+		if u.w.RoomId == "" {
+			u.Notify(api.ErrNoFreeSlots, "")
+			return
+		}
+		if rq.RoomId == "" {
+			// No room id but worker is busy -> assume user wants to continue
+			// the existing room instead of starting a parallel game.
+			rq.RoomId = u.w.RoomId
+		} else if rq.RoomId != u.w.RoomId {
+			u.Notify(api.ErrNoFreeSlots, "")
+			return
+		}
+	} else {
+		// Worker is free: try to reserve the single slot for this new room.
+		if !u.w.TryReserve() {
+			u.Notify(api.ErrNoFreeSlots, "")
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
 	startGameResp, err := u.w.StartGame(u.Id(), rq)
 	if err != nil || startGameResp == nil {
 		u.log.Error().Err(err).Msg("malformed game start response")
diff --git a/pkg/coordinator/workerhandlers.go b/pkg/coordinator/workerhandlers.go
index 5716b621..edd7e210 100644
--- a/pkg/coordinator/workerhandlers.go
+++ b/pkg/coordinator/workerhandlers.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ func (w *Worker) HandleRegisterRoom(rq api.RegisterRoomRequest) { w.RoomId = str
 func (w *Worker) HandleCloseRoom(rq api.CloseRoomRequest) {
 	if string(rq) == w.RoomId {
 		w.RoomId = ""
+		w.FreeSlots()
 	}
 }