diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingAI.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingAI.cs
index 6da113518..8915355b5 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingAI.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingAI.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public class BiddingAI : BiddingPlayer
     [SerializeField]
     private Vector3 platformDestinationOffset = Vector3.back * 2;
 
+    private int platformsEvaluated = 0;
     private bool shouldEvaluate = true;
 
     void Start()
@@ -40,28 +41,41 @@ public void SetIdentity(PlayerIdentity identity)
     private IEnumerator WaitAndEvaluate()
     {
         foreach (BiddingPlatform platform in AuctionDriver.Singleton.BiddingPlatforms)
-            if (platform.IsActive)
-                EvaluatePlatformStates(platform);
+            EvaluatePlatformStates(platform);
+        ChooseDestination();
         yield return new WaitForSeconds(2);
         StartCoroutine(WaitAndEvaluate());
     }
 
     private void EvaluatePlatformStates(BiddingPlatform platform)
     {
-        if (platform.LeadingBidder == playerManager.id)
+        var isAlreadyInTheLead = platform.IsActive && platform.LeadingBidder == playerManager.id;
+        if (isAlreadyInTheLead)
             return;
 
-        if (platform.chips >= playerManager.identity.chips)
+        var isNotActive = !platform.IsActive;
+        var isTooExpensive = platform.chips >= playerManager.identity.chips;
+        if (isNotActive || isTooExpensive)
             priorities[platform] = -1;
+    }
 
+    private void ChooseDestination()
+    {
         currentDestination = priorities.ToList()
             .OrderByDescending(x => x.Value)
             .Select(x => x.Key).First();
 
-        if (currentDestination)
-            agent.SetDestination(currentDestination.transform.position + platformDestinationOffset);
+        if (!currentDestination)
+            return;
+
+        var isAlreadyInTheLead = currentDestination.LeadingBidder == playerManager.id;
+        if (isAlreadyInTheLead)
+            return;
+
+        agent.SetDestination(currentDestination.transform.position + platformDestinationOffset);
 
-        if (currentDestination == playerManager.SelectedBiddingPlatform)
+        var isAlreadyAtThisPlatform = currentDestination == playerManager.SelectedBiddingPlatform;
+        if (isAlreadyAtThisPlatform)
             OnBiddingPlatformChange(currentDestination);
     }
 
@@ -83,11 +97,11 @@ private void EvaluateItem(BiddingPlatform platform)
                     .Sum((augment) => augment.KillCount);
                 break;
         }
-        priorities.Add(platform, priority);
-        // Move towards a position that does not obscure the cost text (!)
-        agent.SetDestination(platform.transform.position + platformDestinationOffset);
+        // (re)set the priority (reassignment in case we have multiple bidding rounds)
+        priorities[platform] = priority;
 
-        if (!shouldEvaluate)
+        platformsEvaluated++;
+        if (platformsEvaluated < 3 || !shouldEvaluate)
             return;
         StartCoroutine(WaitAndEvaluate());
         shouldEvaluate = false;
@@ -105,7 +119,7 @@ private void AnimateBid()
 
     private void OnBiddingPlatformChange(BiddingPlatform platform)
     {
-        if (!platform || !currentDestination || platform != currentDestination || platform.LeadingBidder == playerManager.id)
+        if (!platform || !currentDestination || platform != currentDestination || platform.LeadingBidder == playerManager.id || platform != playerManager.SelectedBiddingPlatform)
             return;
 
         AnimateBid();
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingPlatform.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingPlatform.cs
index 42f45156d..24f48bea9 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingPlatform.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Auction/BiddingPlatform.cs
@@ -137,6 +137,13 @@ public void PlaceBid(PlayerIdentity playerIdentity)
         CmdPlaceBid(playerIdentity.id);
     }
 
+    private bool CanBid(PlayerIdentity bidder)
+    {
+        bool isLeadingPlayerAndCanIncrement = bidder.id == leadingBidder && bidder.chips > 0;
+        bool bidderHasEnoughChips = bidder.chips > chips;
+        return isLeadingPlayerAndCanIncrement || bidderHasEnoughChips;
+    }
+
     // All players should be able to place bids, thus we ignore authority (for the time being).
     // TODO verify that the player is on the platform and is from the connection that calls this cmd.
     [Command(requiresAuthority = false)]
@@ -158,8 +165,7 @@ private void CmdPlaceBid(uint playerID)
 
         Debug.Log($"Got bidding request from {playerIdentity.ToColorString()} (chips={playerIdentity.chips}) on {item.displayName} (chips={chips}, leader={leadingBidderIdentity?.ToColorString()})");
 
-        bool leadingPlayerCanIncrement = playerIdentity.id == leadingBidder && playerIdentity.chips > 0;
-        if (playerIdentity.chips > chips || leadingPlayerCanIncrement)
+        if (CanBid(playerIdentity))
         {
             Debug.Log($"Accepted request from {playerIdentity.ToColorString()} on {item.displayName}");
             RpcAcceptBid(playerIdentity.id);
@@ -181,6 +187,13 @@ private void RpcAcceptBid(uint playerID)
         }
         var playerIdentity = player.identity;
 
+        if (!CanBid(playerIdentity))
+        {
+            Debug.LogWarning($"Invalid bid request from {playerIdentity.ToColorString()} for {item.displayName}");
+            onBidDenied?.Invoke(this);
+            return;
+        }
+
         // TODO consider rewriting some of the following
 
         // Refund
@@ -197,7 +210,7 @@ private void RpcAcceptBid(uint playerID)
         chips++;
         playerIdentity.UpdateChip(-chips);
         itemCostText.text = chips.ToString() + "<sprite name=\"chip\">";
-        leadingBidText.text = playerIdentity.playerName.ToUpper()+":";
+        leadingBidText.text = playerIdentity.playerName.ToUpper() + ":";
         LeanTween.value(
             gameObject,
             (color) => material.SetColor("_BidderColor", color),
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Gamestate/PlayerIdentity.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Gamestate/PlayerIdentity.cs
index e84c22f1e..9f3033c73 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Gamestate/PlayerIdentity.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Gamestate/PlayerIdentity.cs
@@ -60,7 +60,16 @@ private void Start()
     public void UpdateChip(int amount)
     {
         if (amount == 0) return;
-        chips += amount;
+        if (chips + amount < 0)
+        {
+            Debug.LogWarning($"Player {id} {ToColorString()} almost got negative chips {chips + amount}");
+            // Safeguard against cheating by locking chip amount to 0 when this sort of bug appears.
+            chips = 0;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            chips += amount;
+        }
 
         onChipChange?.Invoke(chips);