diff --git a/include/core/appearance_composer.hpp b/include/core/appearance_composer.hpp
index 138fd800..fa722bfe 100644
--- a/include/core/appearance_composer.hpp
+++ b/include/core/appearance_composer.hpp
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ public:
     void compositePlayerSkin(uint32_t modelSlotId, const PlayerTextureInfo& texInfo);
 
     // Build default active geosets for player character
-    std::unordered_set<uint16_t> buildDefaultPlayerGeosets(uint8_t hairStyleId, uint8_t facialId);
+    std::unordered_set<uint16_t> buildDefaultPlayerGeosets(uint8_t raceId, uint8_t sexId,
+                                                           uint8_t hairStyleId, uint8_t facialId);
 
     // Equipment weapon loading (reads inventory, attaches weapon M2 models)
     void loadEquippedWeapons();
diff --git a/src/core/appearance_composer.cpp b/src/core/appearance_composer.cpp
index cedd2c43..9f14bd32 100644
--- a/src/core/appearance_composer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/appearance_composer.cpp
@@ -240,15 +240,63 @@ void AppearanceComposer::compositePlayerSkin(uint32_t modelSlotId, const PlayerT
     }
 }
 
-std::unordered_set<uint16_t> AppearanceComposer::buildDefaultPlayerGeosets(uint8_t hairStyleId, uint8_t facialId) {
+std::unordered_set<uint16_t> AppearanceComposer::buildDefaultPlayerGeosets(uint8_t raceId, uint8_t sexId,
+                                                                           uint8_t hairStyleId, uint8_t facialId) {
     std::unordered_set<uint16_t> activeGeosets;
-    // Body parts (group 0: IDs 0-99, some models use up to 27)
-    for (uint16_t i = 0; i <= 99; i++) activeGeosets.insert(i);
 
-    // Hair style geoset: group 1 = 100 + variation + 1
-    activeGeosets.insert(static_cast<uint16_t>(100 + hairStyleId + 1));
-    // Facial hair geoset: group 2 = 200 + variation + 1
-    activeGeosets.insert(static_cast<uint16_t>(200 + facialId + 1));
+    // Look up the correct hair scalp geoset from CharHairGeosets.dbc
+    uint16_t selectedHairScalp = 1; // default
+    std::unordered_set<uint16_t> allHairScalpGeosets;
+    if (entitySpawner_) {
+        const auto& hairMap = entitySpawner_->getHairGeosetMap();
+        uint32_t hairKey = (static_cast<uint32_t>(raceId) << 16) |
+                           (static_cast<uint32_t>(sexId) << 8) |
+                           static_cast<uint32_t>(hairStyleId);
+        auto it = hairMap.find(hairKey);
+        if (it != hairMap.end() && it->second > 0)
+            selectedHairScalp = it->second;
+
+        // Collect all hair scalp geosets for this race/sex to exclude the others
+        for (const auto& [k, v] : hairMap) {
+            if (static_cast<uint8_t>((k >> 16) & 0xFF) == raceId &&
+                static_cast<uint8_t>((k >> 8) & 0xFF) == sexId &&
+                v > 0 && v < 100)
+                allHairScalpGeosets.insert(v);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Group 0: add body base submeshes (0) but exclude other hair scalp variants
+    activeGeosets.insert(0);  // body base
+    activeGeosets.insert(selectedHairScalp);
+    // Some models have additional non-hair body submeshes (e.g. earrings, jaw);
+    // these are typically < 100 and NOT in the hair geoset set
+    for (uint16_t i = 1; i < 100; i++) {
+        if (allHairScalpGeosets.count(i) == 0)
+            activeGeosets.insert(i);  // not a hair geoset, safe to include
+    }
+
+    // Hair connector: group 1 = 100 + geoset
+    activeGeosets.insert(static_cast<uint16_t>(100 + std::max<uint16_t>(selectedHairScalp, 1)));
+
+    // Facial hair geosets from CharacterFacialHairStyles.dbc
+    if (entitySpawner_) {
+        const auto& facialMap = entitySpawner_->getFacialHairGeosetMap();
+        uint32_t facialKey = (static_cast<uint32_t>(raceId) << 16) |
+                             (static_cast<uint32_t>(sexId) << 8) |
+                             static_cast<uint32_t>(facialId);
+        auto it = facialMap.find(facialKey);
+        if (it != facialMap.end()) {
+            activeGeosets.insert(static_cast<uint16_t>(200 + std::max<uint16_t>(it->second.geoset200, 1)));
+            activeGeosets.insert(static_cast<uint16_t>(300 + std::max<uint16_t>(it->second.geoset300, 1)));
+        } else {
+            activeGeosets.insert(201);
+            activeGeosets.insert(301);
+        }
+    } else {
+        activeGeosets.insert(201);
+        activeGeosets.insert(301);
+    }
+
     activeGeosets.insert(kGeosetBareForearms);
     activeGeosets.insert(kGeosetBareShins);
     activeGeosets.insert(kGeosetDefaultEars);
@@ -257,8 +305,6 @@ std::unordered_set<uint16_t> AppearanceComposer::buildDefaultPlayerGeosets(uint8
     activeGeosets.insert(kGeosetBarePants);
     activeGeosets.insert(kGeosetWithCape);
     activeGeosets.insert(kGeosetBareFeet);
-    // 1703 = DK eye glow mesh — skip for normal characters
-    // Normal eyes are part of the face texture on the body mesh
     return activeGeosets;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/application.cpp b/src/core/application.cpp
index 1a16e5ce..d4befd39 100644
--- a/src/core/application.cpp
+++ b/src/core/application.cpp
@@ -3707,14 +3707,18 @@ void Application::spawnPlayerCharacter() {
 	        // Build default geosets for the active character via AppearanceComposer
 	        uint8_t hairStyleId = 0;
 	        uint8_t facialId = 0;
+	        uint8_t raceId = 0;
+	        uint8_t sexId = 0;
 	        if (gameHandler) {
 	            if (const game::Character* ch = gameHandler->getActiveCharacter()) {
 	                hairStyleId = static_cast<uint8_t>((ch->appearanceBytes >> 16) & 0xFF);
 	                facialId = ch->facialFeatures;
+	                raceId = static_cast<uint8_t>(ch->race);
+	                sexId = static_cast<uint8_t>(ch->gender);
 	            }
 	        }
 	        auto activeGeosets = appearanceComposer_
-	            ? appearanceComposer_->buildDefaultPlayerGeosets(hairStyleId, facialId)
+	            ? appearanceComposer_->buildDefaultPlayerGeosets(raceId, sexId, hairStyleId, facialId)
 	            : std::unordered_set<uint16_t>{};
 	        charRenderer->setActiveGeosets(instanceId, activeGeosets);