diff --git a/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractionEffect.cpp b/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractionEffect.cpp
index 5f7547cc48..4a772a2b49 100644
--- a/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractionEffect.cpp
+++ b/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractionEffect.cpp
@@ -259,9 +259,12 @@ void ElectrocutePlayer::_Apply() {
 
 // MARK: - KnockbackPlayer
 GameInteractionEffectQueryResult KnockbackPlayer::CanBeApplied() {
+    if (!GameInteractor::IsPlayerInControl()) {
+        return GameInteractionEffectQueryResult::TemporarilyNotPossible;
+    }
+
     Player* player = GET_PLAYER(gPlayState);
-    if (!GameInteractor::IsSaveLoaded(true) || GameInteractor::IsGameplayPaused() ||
-        player->stateFlags2 & PLAYER_STATE2_CRAWLING) {
+    if (player->stateFlags2 & PLAYER_STATE2_CRAWLING) {
         return GameInteractionEffectQueryResult::TemporarilyNotPossible;
     } else {
         return GameInteractionEffectQueryResult::Possible;
diff --git a/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.cpp b/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.cpp
index 315500424f..d8e6abdb66 100644
--- a/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.cpp
+++ b/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.cpp
@@ -51,15 +51,49 @@ bool GameInteractor::IsSaveLoaded(bool allowDbgSave) {
 }
 
 bool GameInteractor::IsGameplayPaused() {
+    if (gPlayState == NULL) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     Player* player = GET_PLAYER(gPlayState);
+    if (player == NULL) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     return (Player_InBlockingCsMode(gPlayState, player) || gPlayState->pauseCtx.state != 0 ||
             gPlayState->msgCtx.msgMode != 0)
                ? true
                : false;
 }
 
+bool GameInteractor::IsPlayerInControl() {
+    if (gPlayState == NULL) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    Player* player = GET_PLAYER(gPlayState);
+    if (player == NULL) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (gSaveContext.gameMode != GAMEMODE_NORMAL) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (!((gSaveContext.fileNum >= 0 && gSaveContext.fileNum <= 2) || gSaveContext.fileNum == 0xFF)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (Player_InBlockingCsMode(gPlayState, player) || gPlayState->pauseCtx.state != 0 ||
+        gPlayState->msgCtx.msgMode != 0 || player->unk_6AD == 4) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 bool GameInteractor::CanSpawnActor() {
-    return GameInteractor::IsSaveLoaded() && !GameInteractor::IsGameplayPaused();
+    return GameInteractor::IsPlayerInControl();
 }
 
 bool GameInteractor::CanAddOrTakeAmmo(int16_t amount, int16_t item) {
diff --git a/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.h b/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.h
index 8d2055fbef..abe3c29974 100644
--- a/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.h
+++ b/soh/soh/Enhancements/game-interactor/GameInteractor.h
@@ -530,6 +530,7 @@ class GameInteractor {
     // Helpers
     static bool IsSaveLoaded(bool allowDbgSave = false);
     static bool IsGameplayPaused();
+    static bool IsPlayerInControl();
     static bool CanSpawnActor();
     static bool CanAddOrTakeAmmo(int16_t amount, int16_t item);
 
diff --git a/soh/soh/Network/CrowdControl/CrowdControl.cpp b/soh/soh/Network/CrowdControl/CrowdControl.cpp
index 19ac74f276..12a5a643f8 100644
--- a/soh/soh/Network/CrowdControl/CrowdControl.cpp
+++ b/soh/soh/Network/CrowdControl/CrowdControl.cpp
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ void CrowdControl::EmitMessage(uint32_t eventId, long timeRemaining, EffectResul
 }
 
 CrowdControl::EffectResult CrowdControl::ExecuteEffect(Effect* effect) {
+    if (!GameInteractor::IsPlayerInControl()) {
+        return EffectResult::Retry;
+    }
+
     GameInteractionEffectQueryResult giResult;
     if (effect->category == kEffectCatSpawnEnemy) {
         giResult = GameInteractor::RawAction::SpawnEnemyWithOffset(effect->spawnParams[0], effect->spawnParams[1],
@@ -149,6 +153,10 @@ CrowdControl::EffectResult CrowdControl::ExecuteEffect(Effect* effect) {
 /// Checks if effect can be applied -- should not be used to check for spawn enemy effects.
 CrowdControl::EffectResult CrowdControl::CanApplyEffect(Effect* effect) {
     assert(effect->category != kEffectCatSpawnEnemy || effect->category != kEffectCatSpawnActor);
+    if (!GameInteractor::IsPlayerInControl()) {
+        return EffectResult::Retry;
+    }
+
     GameInteractionEffectQueryResult giResult = GameInteractor::CanApplyEffect(*effect->giEffect.get());
 
     return TranslateGiEnum(giResult);
@@ -268,6 +276,9 @@ CrowdControl::Effect* CrowdControl::ParseMessage(nlohmann::json dataReceived) {
             break;
         case kEffectSpawnWolfos:
             effect->spawnParams[0] = ACTOR_EN_WF;
+            // Match EnEncount1 wolfos spawner (0xFF00): high byte must be 0xFF so EnWf_Init does not treat
+            // switchFlag 0; Flags_GetSwitch(play, 0) is true in many scenes and would instantly kill the actor.
+            effect->spawnParams[1] = (0xFF << 8) | 0x00; // normal Wolfos; high byte 0xFF = no switch (vanilla encount)
             effect->category = kEffectCatSpawnEnemy;
             break;
         case kEffectSpawnWallmaster: