diff --git a/src/rc_client.c b/src/rc_client.c
index 4f016405..6544dec7 100644
--- a/src/rc_client.c
+++ b/src/rc_client.c
@@ -1302,6 +1302,8 @@ static void rc_client_activate_leaderboards(rc_client_game_info_t* game, rc_clie
 {
   rc_client_leaderboard_info_t* leaderboard;
   rc_client_leaderboard_info_t* stop;
+  const uint8_t leaderboards_allowed =
+      client->state.hardcore || client->state.allow_leaderboards_in_softcore;
 
   uint32_t active_count = 0;
   rc_client_subset_info_t* subset = game->subsets;
@@ -1318,7 +1320,7 @@ static void rc_client_activate_leaderboards(rc_client_game_info_t* game, rc_clie
           continue;
 
         case RC_CLIENT_LEADERBOARD_STATE_INACTIVE:
-          if (client->state.hardcore) {
+          if (leaderboards_allowed) {
             rc_reset_lboard(leaderboard->lboard);
             leaderboard->public_.state = RC_CLIENT_LEADERBOARD_STATE_ACTIVE;
             ++active_count;
@@ -1326,7 +1328,7 @@ static void rc_client_activate_leaderboards(rc_client_game_info_t* game, rc_clie
           break;
 
         default:
-          if (client->state.hardcore)
+          if (leaderboards_allowed)
             ++active_count;
           else
             leaderboard->public_.state = RC_CLIENT_LEADERBOARD_STATE_INACTIVE;
@@ -4008,6 +4010,11 @@ static void rc_client_submit_leaderboard_entry(rc_client_t* client, rc_client_le
 {
   rc_client_submit_leaderboard_entry_callback_data_t* callback_data;
 
+  if (!client->state.hardcore) {
+    RC_CLIENT_LOG_INFO_FORMATTED(client, "Leaderboard %u entry submission not allowed in softcore", leaderboard->public_.id);
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (client->callbacks.can_submit_leaderboard_entry &&
       !client->callbacks.can_submit_leaderboard_entry(leaderboard->public_.id, client)) {
     RC_CLIENT_LOG_INFO_FORMATTED(client, "Leaderboard %u entry submission blocked by client", leaderboard->public_.id);
@@ -4946,7 +4953,7 @@ void rc_client_do_frame(rc_client_t* client)
     if (client->game->pending_events & RC_CLIENT_GAME_PENDING_EVENT_PROGRESS_TRACKER)
       rc_client_do_frame_update_progress_tracker(client, client->game);
 
-    if (client->state.hardcore) {
+    if (client->state.hardcore || client->state.allow_leaderboards_in_softcore) {
       for (subset = client->game->subsets; subset; subset = subset->next) {
         if (subset->active)
           rc_client_do_frame_process_leaderboards(client, subset);
@@ -5412,7 +5419,9 @@ static void rc_client_disable_hardcore(rc_client_t* client)
 
   if (client->game) {
     rc_client_toggle_hardcore_achievements(client->game, client, RC_CLIENT_ACHIEVEMENT_UNLOCKED_SOFTCORE);
-    rc_client_deactivate_leaderboards(client->game, client);
+
+    if (!client->state.allow_leaderboards_in_softcore)
+      rc_client_deactivate_leaderboards(client->game, client);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rc_client_internal.h b/src/rc_client_internal.h
index 509c5675..5e570915 100644
--- a/src/rc_client_internal.h
+++ b/src/rc_client_internal.h
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ typedef struct rc_client_state_t {
   uint8_t log_level;
   uint8_t user;
   uint8_t disconnect;
+  uint8_t allow_leaderboards_in_softcore;
 
   struct rc_client_load_state_t* load;
   struct rc_client_async_handle_t* async_handles[4];
diff --git a/test/test_rc_client.c b/test/test_rc_client.c
index 81ed4a12..9f0fdabb 100644
--- a/test/test_rc_client.c
+++ b/test/test_rc_client.c
@@ -6885,6 +6885,7 @@ static void test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_blocked(void)
   ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event->leaderboard_tracker->id, 1);
   ASSERT_STR_EQUALS(event->leaderboard_tracker->display, "000017");
 
+  /* but make sure the server wasn't called */
   assert_api_not_called(api_call);
 
   event_count = 0;
@@ -6900,6 +6901,90 @@ static void test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_blocked(void)
   ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_SUBMITTED, 44));
   ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_SCOREBOARD, 44));
 
+  /* make sure the server was called */
+  assert_api_called(api_call);
+
+  rc_client_destroy(g_client);
+}
+
+static void test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_softcore(void)
+{
+  rc_client_leaderboard_info_t* leaderboard;
+  rc_client_event_t* event;
+  uint8_t memory[64];
+  const char* api_call = "r=submitlbentry&u=Username&t=ApiToken&i=44&s=17&m=0123456789ABCDEF&v=a27fa205f7f30c8d13d74806ea5425b6";
+  memset(memory, 0, sizeof(memory));
+
+  g_client = mock_client_game_loaded(patchdata_exhaustive, no_unlocks);
+  rc_client_set_hardcore_enabled(g_client, 0);
+
+  ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(g_client->game);
+  mock_memory(memory, sizeof(memory));
+
+  mock_api_response(api_call,
+    "{\"Success\":true,\"Response\":{\"Score\":17,\"BestScore\":23,"
+    "\"TopEntries\":[{\"User\":\"Player1\",\"Score\":44,\"Rank\":1},{\"User\":\"Username\",\"Score\":23,\"Rank\":2}],"
+    "\"RankInfo\":{\"Rank\":2,\"NumEntries\":\"2\"}}}");
+
+  event_count = 0;
+  rc_client_do_frame(g_client);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event_count, 0);
+
+  /* start the leaderboard - will be ignored in softcore */
+  memory[0x0B] = 1;
+  memory[0x0E] = 17;
+  rc_client_do_frame(g_client);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event_count, 0);
+
+  /* allow leaderboards to be processed in softcore. have to manually activate as it wasn't activated on game load */
+  g_client->state.allow_leaderboards_in_softcore = 1;
+  leaderboard = (rc_client_leaderboard_info_t*)rc_client_get_leaderboard_info(g_client, 44);
+  leaderboard->public_.state = RC_CLIENT_LEADERBOARD_BUCKET_ACTIVE;
+  leaderboard->lboard->state = RC_LBOARD_STATE_ACTIVE;
+
+  rc_client_do_frame(g_client);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event_count, 2);
+  ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_STARTED, 44));
+  ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_TRACKER_SHOW, 1));
+
+  event_count = 0;
+  rc_client_do_frame(g_client);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event_count, 0);
+
+  /* submit the leaderboard */
+  memory[0x0B] = 0;
+  memory[0x0D] = 1;
+  rc_client_do_frame(g_client);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event_count, 2);
+
+  event = find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_SUBMITTED, 44);
+  ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(event);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event->leaderboard->state, RC_CLIENT_LEADERBOARD_STATE_ACTIVE);
+  ASSERT_STR_EQUALS(event->leaderboard->tracker_value, "000017");
+  ASSERT_PTR_EQUALS(event->leaderboard, rc_client_get_leaderboard_info(g_client, 44));
+
+  event = find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_TRACKER_HIDE, 1);
+  ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(event);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event->leaderboard_tracker->id, 1);
+  ASSERT_STR_EQUALS(event->leaderboard_tracker->display, "000017");
+
+  /* but make sure the server wasn't called */
+  assert_api_not_called(api_call);
+
+  event_count = 0;
+  rc_client_do_frame(g_client);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event_count, 0);
+
+  g_client->state.hardcore = 1;
+
+  /* restart the leaderboard - will immediately submit */
+  memory[0x0B] = 1;
+  rc_client_do_frame(g_client);
+  ASSERT_NUM_EQUALS(event_count, 2);
+  ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_SUBMITTED, 44));
+  ASSERT_PTR_NOT_NULL(find_event(RC_CLIENT_EVENT_LEADERBOARD_SCOREBOARD, 44));
+
+  /* make sure the server was called */
   assert_api_called(api_call);
 
   rc_client_destroy(g_client);
@@ -8729,6 +8814,7 @@ void test_client(void) {
   TEST(test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_immediate);
   TEST(test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_hidden);
   TEST(test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_blocked);
+  TEST(test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_softcore);
   TEST(test_do_frame_leaderboard_tracker_sharing);
   TEST(test_do_frame_leaderboard_tracker_sharing_hits);
   TEST(test_do_frame_leaderboard_submit_automatic_retry);