diff --git a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
index 274b72530..7efc9b66a 100644
--- a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
+++ b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
@@ -584,11 +584,7 @@ export class DefaultConfig implements Config {
   }
 
   maxPopulation(player: Player | PlayerView): number {
-    const maxPop =
-      player.type() == PlayerType.Human && this.infiniteTroops()
-        ? 1_000_000_000
-        : 1 * (player.numTilesOwned() * 30 + 50000) +
-          player.units(UnitType.City).length * this.cityPopulationIncrease();
+    const maxPop = player.maxPopulation();
 
     if (player.type() == PlayerType.Bot) {
       return maxPop / 2;
diff --git a/src/core/execution/CityExecution.ts b/src/core/execution/CityExecution.ts
index 5bf2ca7e4..0b0267f13 100644
--- a/src/core/execution/CityExecution.ts
+++ b/src/core/execution/CityExecution.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ export class CityExecution implements Execution {
         this.active = false;
         return;
       }
-      this.city = this.player.buildUnit(UnitType.City, 0, spawnTile);
+      this.city = this.player.buildUnit(UnitType.City, 0, spawnTile, {
+        createdAtTick: ticks,
+      });
     }
     if (!this.city.isActive()) {
       this.active = false;
diff --git a/src/core/game/Game.ts b/src/core/game/Game.ts
index 7dd3d7270..a376dfe84 100644
--- a/src/core/game/Game.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/Game.ts
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ export interface UnitSpecificInfos {
   detonationDst?: TileRef; // Only for nukes
   warshipTarget?: Unit;
   cooldownDuration?: number;
+  createdAtTick?: number; // Only for cities
 }
 
 export interface Unit {
@@ -305,6 +306,7 @@ export interface Unit {
   setSafeFromPirates(): void; // Only for trade ships
   isSafeFromPirates(): boolean; // Only for trade ships
   detonationDst(): TileRef; // Only for nukes
+  createdAtTick(): number; // Only for cities
 
   setMoveTarget(cell: TileRef): void;
   moveTarget(): TileRef | null;
@@ -364,6 +366,7 @@ export interface Player {
   gold(): Gold;
   population(): number;
   adjustedPopulation(): number;
+  maxPopulation(): number;
   workers(): number;
   troops(): number;
   targetTroopRatio(): number;
diff --git a/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts b/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts
index 4507ca8b2..0579d601c 100644
--- a/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ export interface UnitUpdate {
   health?: number;
   constructionType?: UnitType;
   ticksLeftInCooldown?: Tick;
+  createdAtTick?: number;
 }
 
 export interface AttackUpdate {
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ export interface PlayerUpdate {
   gold: number;
   population: number;
   adjustedPopulation: number;
+  maxPopulation: number;
   workers: number;
   troops: number;
   targetTroopRatio: number;
diff --git a/src/core/game/GameView.ts b/src/core/game/GameView.ts
index 27eebfc0a..c3bea956a 100644
--- a/src/core/game/GameView.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/GameView.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ export class UnitView {
   troops(): number {
     return this.data.troops;
   }
+  createdAtTick(): number | undefined {
+    return this.data.createdAtTick;
+  }
+
   tile(): TileRef {
     return this.data.pos;
   }
@@ -228,6 +232,9 @@ export class PlayerView {
   adjustedPopulation(): number {
     return this.data.adjustedPopulation;
   }
+  maxPopulation(): number {
+    return this.data.maxPopulation;
+  }
   workers(): number {
     return this.data.workers;
   }
diff --git a/src/core/game/PlayerImpl.ts b/src/core/game/PlayerImpl.ts
index ebd6c63d9..39be52c36 100644
--- a/src/core/game/PlayerImpl.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/PlayerImpl.ts
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ export class PlayerImpl implements Player {
       gold: Number(this._gold),
       population: this.population(),
       adjustedPopulation: this.adjustedPopulation(),
+      maxPopulation: this.maxPopulation(),
       workers: this.workers(),
       troops: this.troops(),
       targetTroopRatio: this.targetTroopRatio(),
@@ -643,6 +644,20 @@ export class PlayerImpl implements Player {
   adjustedPopulation(): number {
     return this.population() + this.boatTroops() + this.attackingTroops();
   }
+  maxPopulation(): number {
+    let cityPop = 0;
+    for (const city of this.units(UnitType.City)) {
+      const created = city.createdAtTick();
+      const age = created != null ? this.mg.ticks() - created : Infinity;
+      const ramp = Math.min(age / 600, 1); // 60 seconds at 10 ticks/sec
+      cityPop += ramp * 500_000;
+    }
+
+    const base = this.numTilesOwned() * 30 + 50_000 + cityPop;
+
+    return base;
+  }
+
   private attackingTroops(): number {
     return this._outgoingAttacks
       .filter((a) => a.isActive())
diff --git a/src/core/game/UnitImpl.ts b/src/core/game/UnitImpl.ts
index 247e0eced..adf7c2ec5 100644
--- a/src/core/game/UnitImpl.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/UnitImpl.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export class UnitImpl implements Unit {
   private _detonationDst: TileRef | null = null; // Only for nukes
   private _warshipTarget: Unit | null = null;
   private _cooldownDuration: number | null = null;
+  private _createdAtTick: number;
 
   constructor(
     private _type: UnitType,
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ export class UnitImpl implements Unit {
     this._safeFromPiratesCooldown = this.mg
       .config()
       .safeFromPiratesCooldownMax();
+
+    this._createdAtTick = unitsSpecificInfos.createdAtTick;
   }
 
   id() {
@@ -73,6 +76,7 @@ export class UnitImpl implements Unit {
       warshipTargetId: warshipTarget ? warshipTarget.id() : null,
       detonationDst: this.detonationDst(),
       ticksLeftInCooldown: this.ticksLeftInCooldown(this._cooldownDuration),
+      createdAtTick: this._createdAtTick,
     };
   }
 
@@ -233,6 +237,9 @@ export class UnitImpl implements Unit {
   setTargetedBySAM(targeted: boolean): void {
     this._targetedBySAM = targeted;
   }
+  createdAtTick(): number | undefined {
+    return this._createdAtTick;
+  }
 
   targetedBySAM(): boolean {
     return this._targetedBySAM;