diff --git a/server/routes/games.ts b/server/routes/games.ts
index 3e0b36f..90d7268 100755
--- a/server/routes/games.ts
+++ b/server/routes/games.ts
@@ -353,8 +353,13 @@ const distributeResources = (game: Game, roll: number): void => {
   });
 
   const receives: Received = {} as Received;
+  /* Initialize all fields of 'receives' to zero so we can safely increment any
+   * matched tile */
   PLAYER_COLORS.forEach((color) => {
-    receives[color] = { wood: 0, brick: 0, sheep: 0, wheat: 0, stone: 0, desert: 0 };
+    receives[color] = {} as ResourceCount;
+    RESOURCE_TYPES.forEach((type) => {
+      receives[color]![type] = 0;
+    });
   });
 
   /* Find which corners are on each tile */
@@ -381,7 +386,11 @@ const distributeResources = (game: Game, roll: number): void => {
       const count = active.type === "settlement" ? 1 : 2;
       if (!tile.robber) {
         if (resource.type) {
-          receives[active.color][resource.type]! += count;
+          try {
+            receives[active.color][resource.type]! += count;
+          } catch (e) {
+            console.error("Error incrementing resources", { receives, active, resource, count });
+          }
         }
       } else {
         const victim = game.players[active.color];
@@ -779,7 +788,9 @@ const loadGame = async (id: string): Promise<Game> => {
 
     // Check if we need to place a settlement (no action or place-settlement action)
     if (!game.turn.actions || game.turn.actions.length === 0 || game.turn.actions.indexOf("place-settlement") !== -1) {
-      setForSettlementPlacement(game, getValidCorners(game, currentColor));
+      // During initial placement, settlements may be placed on any valid corner
+      // (they are not constrained by existing roads), so do not filter by color.
+      setForSettlementPlacement(game, getValidCorners(game));
       console.log(
         `${info}: Set turn limits for settlement placement (${game.turn.limits?.corners?.length || 0} valid corners)`
       );
@@ -2820,7 +2831,9 @@ const placeRoad = (game: Game, session: Session, index: number): string | undefi
               name: game.players[nextColor].name,
               color: nextColor,
             } as unknown as Turn;
-            setForSettlementPlacement(game, getValidCorners(game, nextColor));
+            // During initial placement forward pass, allow any valid corner
+            // (not restricted by the player's existing roads).
+            setForSettlementPlacement(game, getValidCorners(game));
             addChatMessage(game, null, `It is ${game.turn.name}'s turn to place a settlement.`);
           }
         }
diff --git a/server/routes/games/types.ts b/server/routes/games/types.ts
index fd0f76f..b8573aa 100644
--- a/server/routes/games/types.ts
+++ b/server/routes/games/types.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export interface PersistentSessionData {
 }
 
 export type PlayerColor = "R" | "B" | "O" | "W" | "robber" | "unassigned";
-export const PLAYER_COLORS = ["R", "B", "O", "W", "robber"] as PlayerColor[];
+export const PLAYER_COLORS: PlayerColor[] = ["R", "B", "O", "W", "robber", "unassigned"];
 
 /**
  * Runtime Session type = Persistent + Transient
diff --git a/server/util/validLocations.ts b/server/util/validLocations.ts
index 6edf034..5946b42 100644
--- a/server/util/validLocations.ts
+++ b/server/util/validLocations.ts
@@ -95,12 +95,16 @@ const getValidCorners = (game: Game, color: PlayerColor = "unassigned", type?: C
 
     // If the corner has a color set and it's not the explicit sentinel
     // "unassigned" then it's occupied and should be skipped.
-    if (placement.color !== "unassigned") {
+    // Note: placement.color may be undefined (initial state), treat that
+    // the same as unassigned.
+    if (placement.color && placement.color !== "unassigned") {
       return;
     }
 
     let valid;
-    if (!color) {
+    // Treat either a falsy color (""/undefined) or the explicit sentinel
+    // "unassigned" as meaning "do not filter by player".
+    if (!color || color === "unassigned") {
       valid = true; /* Not filtering based on current player */
     } else {
       valid = false;
@@ -132,7 +136,8 @@ const getValidCorners = (game: Game, color: PlayerColor = "unassigned", type?: C
         /* There is a settlement within one segment from this
          * corner, so it is invalid for settlement placement */
         const cc = road.corners[c] as number;
-        if (game.placements.corners[cc]!.color !== "unassigned") {
+        const ccColor = game.placements.corners[cc]!.color;
+        if (ccColor && ccColor !== "unassigned") {
           valid = false;
         }
       }