diff --git a/src/game/client/neo/game_controls/neo_loadoutmenu.cpp b/src/game/client/neo/game_controls/neo_loadoutmenu.cpp
index 47edb4149..d005506a7 100644
--- a/src/game/client/neo/game_controls/neo_loadoutmenu.cpp
+++ b/src/game/client/neo/game_controls/neo_loadoutmenu.cpp
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ void CNeoLoadoutMenu::OnMousePressed(vgui::MouseCode code)
 
 extern ConCommand loadoutmenu;
 
-extern ConVar sv_neo_ignore_wep_xp_limit;
 extern ConVar sv_neo_dev_loadout;
 
 void CNeoLoadoutMenu::OnClose()
@@ -227,7 +226,7 @@ void CNeoLoadoutMenu::OnCommand(const char* command)
 		auto localPlayer = C_NEO_Player::GetLocalNEOPlayer();
 		if (!localPlayer) { return; }
 
-		int currentXP = localPlayer->m_iXP.Get();
+		int currentXP = CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetEffectiveXP(localPlayer->m_iXP.Get());
 		int currentClass = localPlayer->m_iNextSpawnClassChoice.Get() != NEO_CLASS_RANDOM ? localPlayer->m_iNextSpawnClassChoice.Get() : localPlayer->m_iNeoClass.Get();
 		int numWeapons = CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetNumberOfLoadoutWeapons(currentXP,
 				sv_neo_dev_loadout.GetBool() ? NEO_LOADOUT_DEV : currentClass);
@@ -295,7 +294,7 @@ void CNeoLoadoutMenu::ApplySchemeSettings(vgui::IScheme *pScheme)
 	auto localPlayer = C_NEO_Player::GetLocalNEOPlayer();
 	if (!localPlayer) { return; }
 
-	const int currentXP = localPlayer->m_iXP.Get();
+	const int currentXP = CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetEffectiveXP(localPlayer->m_iXP.Get());
 	const int currentClass = localPlayer->m_iNextSpawnClassChoice.Get() != NEO_CLASS_RANDOM ? localPlayer->m_iNextSpawnClassChoice.Get() : localPlayer->m_iNeoClass.Get();
 
 	int iLoadout = sv_neo_dev_loadout.GetBool() ? NEO_LOADOUT_DEV : currentClass;
diff --git a/src/game/server/neo/bot/neo_bot.cpp b/src/game/server/neo/bot/neo_bot.cpp
index 175eb07c2..c020f523c 100644
--- a/src/game/server/neo/bot/neo_bot.cpp
+++ b/src/game/server/neo/bot/neo_bot.cpp
@@ -643,7 +643,8 @@ void CNEOBot::Spawn()
 
 int CNEOBot::ChooseRandomWeaponIndex() const
 {
-    const ENeoRank eRank = static_cast<ENeoRank>(GetRank(m_iXP) - 1);
+    const int iEffectiveXP = CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetEffectiveXP(m_iXP);
+    const ENeoRank eRank = static_cast<ENeoRank>(GetRank(iEffectiveXP) - 1);
     if (eRank == NEO_RANK_RANKLESS_DOG || (false == IN_BETWEEN_EQ(NEO_CLASS_RECON, m_iNeoClass, NEO_CLASS_VIP)))
     {
         return 0;
@@ -665,7 +666,7 @@ int CNEOBot::ChooseRandomWeaponIndex() const
 		// Generally shouldn't happen, but if so, just pick from any under the XP limit
         for (int i = 0; i < MAX_WEAPON_LOADOUTS; ++i)
         {
-            if (CNEOWeaponLoadout::s_LoadoutWeapons[m_iNeoClass][i].m_iWeaponPrice > m_iXP)
+            if (CNEOWeaponLoadout::s_LoadoutWeapons[m_iNeoClass][i].m_iWeaponPrice > iEffectiveXP)
             {
                 break;
             }
diff --git a/src/game/server/neo/neo_player.cpp b/src/game/server/neo/neo_player.cpp
index bfe41aaec..e85940a6c 100644
--- a/src/game/server/neo/neo_player.cpp
+++ b/src/game/server/neo/neo_player.cpp
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ CNEOGameRulesProxy* neoGameRules;
 extern CBaseEntity *g_pLastSpawn;
 
 extern ConVar sv_neo_bot_cmdr_enable;
-extern ConVar sv_neo_ignore_wep_xp_limit;
 extern ConVar sv_neo_clantag_allow;
+extern ConVar sv_neo_detpack_xp_limit;
 extern ConVar sv_neo_dev_test_clantag;
 extern ConVar sv_stickysprint;
 extern ConVar sv_neo_dev_loadout;
@@ -389,9 +389,8 @@ bool CNEO_Player::RequestSetLoadout(int loadoutNumber)
 		result = false;
 	}
 
-	if (!sv_neo_ignore_wep_xp_limit.GetBool() &&
-			loadoutNumber+1 > CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetNumberOfLoadoutWeapons(m_iXP,
-				sv_neo_dev_loadout.GetBool() ? NEO_LOADOUT_DEV : classChosen))
+	if (loadoutNumber+1 > CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetNumberOfLoadoutWeapons(CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetEffectiveXP(m_iXP),
+			sv_neo_dev_loadout.GetBool() ? NEO_LOADOUT_DEV : classChosen))
 	{
 		DevMsg("Insufficient XP for %s\n", pszWepName);
 		result = RequestSetLoadout(0);
@@ -3475,6 +3474,15 @@ CBaseEntity* CNEO_Player::GiveNamedItem(const char* szName, int iSubType)
 
 void GiveDet(CNEO_Player* pPlayer)
 {
+	// Cost of -1 XP means no XP cost. Checked before creating the weapon
+	// entity so ineligible players don't pay a create/destroy cycle.
+	const int detXpCost = sv_neo_detpack_xp_limit.GetInt();
+	const bool canHaveDet = (detXpCost < 0 || CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetEffectiveXP(pPlayer->m_iXP) >= detXpCost);
+	if (!canHaveDet)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
+
 	constexpr const char* detpackClassname = "weapon_remotedet";
 	if (!pPlayer->Weapon_OwnsThisType(detpackClassname))
 	{
@@ -3492,23 +3500,12 @@ void GiveDet(CNEO_Player* pPlayer)
 			auto pWeapon = assert_cast<CNEOBaseCombatWeapon*>((CBaseEntity*)pent);
 			if (pWeapon)
 			{
-				const int detXpCost = pWeapon->GetNeoWepXPCost(pPlayer->GetClass());
-				// Cost of -1 XP means no XP cost.
-				const bool canHaveDet = (detXpCost < 0 || pPlayer->m_iXP >= detXpCost);
-
 				pWeapon->SetSubType(0);
-				if (canHaveDet)
-				{
-					DispatchSpawn(pent);
+				DispatchSpawn(pent);
 
-					if (pent != NULL && !(pent->IsMarkedForDeletion()))
-					{
-						pent->Touch(pPlayer);
-					}
-				}
-				else
+				if (pent != NULL && !(pent->IsMarkedForDeletion()))
 				{
-					UTIL_Remove(pWeapon);
+					pent->Touch(pPlayer);
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -3522,7 +3519,7 @@ void CNEO_Player::GiveDefaultItems(void)
 	case NEO_CLASS_RECON:
 		GiveNamedItem("weapon_knife");
 		GiveNamedItem("weapon_milso");
-		if (this->m_iXP >= 4) { GiveDet(this); }
+		GiveDet(this);
 		Weapon_Switch(Weapon_OwnsThisType("weapon_milso"));
 		break;
 	case NEO_CLASS_ASSAULT:
@@ -3596,9 +3593,8 @@ void CNEO_Player::GiveLoadoutWeapon(void)
 	CNEOBaseCombatWeapon *pNeoWeapon = assert_cast<CNEOBaseCombatWeapon*>((CBaseEntity*)pEnt);
 	if (pNeoWeapon)
 	{
-		if (sv_neo_ignore_wep_xp_limit.GetBool() ||
-				m_iLoadoutWepChoice+1 <= CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetNumberOfLoadoutWeapons(m_iXP,
-					sv_neo_dev_loadout.GetBool() ? NEO_LOADOUT_DEV : m_iNeoClass.Get()))
+		if (m_iLoadoutWepChoice+1 <= CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetNumberOfLoadoutWeapons(CNEOWeaponLoadout::GetEffectiveXP(m_iXP),
+				sv_neo_dev_loadout.GetBool() ? NEO_LOADOUT_DEV : m_iNeoClass.Get()))
 		{
 			pNeoWeapon->SetSubType(wepSubType);
 
diff --git a/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.cpp b/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.cpp
index 64870b6c3..65ae9c5e9 100644
--- a/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.cpp
+++ b/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.cpp
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 
 #include "tier0/dbg.h"
 #include "tier0/commonmacros.h"
+#include "convar.h"
 #include "neo_misc.h"
 
+extern ConVar sv_neo_ignore_wep_xp_limit;
+
 namespace CNEOWeaponLoadout {
 
 #define WEAPON_DEF(M_BITWNAME, M_NAME, M_DISPLAY_NAME, ...) \
@@ -105,5 +108,19 @@ int GetNumberOfLoadoutWeapons(const int rank, const int classType)
 	return amount;
 }
 
+ConVar sv_neo_wep_xp_override("sv_neo_wep_xp_override", "-1", FCVAR_CHEAT | FCVAR_REPLICATED,
+	"Override the effective XP used for weapon eligibility checks, or -1 to disable.", true, -1.0f, false, 0.0f);
+
+int GetEffectiveXP(const int actualXP)
+{
+	if (sv_neo_ignore_wep_xp_limit.GetBool())
+	{
+		// Treat as max rank so every XP-gated weapon is eligible
+		return XP_LIEUTENANT;
+	}
+	const int iOverride = sv_neo_wep_xp_override.GetInt();
+	return (iOverride >= 0) ? iOverride : actualXP;
+}
+
 } // namespace CNEOWeaponLoadout
 
diff --git a/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.h b/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.h
index 26f4cbc99..4f7d3ef25 100644
--- a/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.h
+++ b/src/game/shared/neo/neo_weapon_loadout.h
@@ -44,5 +44,9 @@ namespace CNEOWeaponLoadout
 	extern const CLoadoutWeapon s_LoadoutWeapons[NEO_LOADOUT__COUNT][MAX_WEAPON_LOADOUTS];
 
 	int GetNumberOfLoadoutWeapons(const int rank, const int classType);
+
+	// The XP value to use for weapon eligibility checks. Returns actualXP unless
+	// sv_neo_wep_xp_override is set (>= 0), in which case the override wins.
+	int GetEffectiveXP(const int actualXP);
 } // namespace CNEOWeaponLoadout