diff --git a/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.cpp b/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.cpp
index a0d307e8bb..89333b91f4 100644
--- a/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.cpp
+++ b/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.cpp
@@ -5725,7 +5725,7 @@ void Player::InitializeSkillFields()
         {
             SetSkillLineId(i, skillLine->ID);
             SetSkillStartingRank(i, 1);
-            mSkillStatus.insert(SkillStatusMap::value_type(skillLine->ID, SkillStatusData(i, SKILL_UNCHANGED)));
+            mSkillStatus.try_emplace(skillLine->ID, i, SKILL_UNCHANGED);
             if (++i >= PLAYER_MAX_SKILLS)
                 break;
         }
@@ -5880,7 +5880,7 @@ void Player::SetSkill(uint32 id, uint16 step, uint16 newVal, uint16 maxVal)
     else
     {
         // We are about to learn a skill that has been added outside of normal circumstances (Game Master command, scripts etc.)
-        uint8 skillSlot = 0;
+        uint32 skillSlot = 0;
 
         // Find a free skill slot
         for (uint32 i = 0; i < PLAYER_MAX_SKILLS; ++i)
@@ -5939,7 +5939,7 @@ void Player::SetSkill(uint32 id, uint16 step, uint16 newVal, uint16 maxVal)
 
         UpdateSkillEnchantments(id, 0, newVal);
 
-        mSkillStatus.insert(SkillStatusMap::value_type(id, SkillStatusData(skillSlot, SKILL_NEW)));
+        mSkillStatus.try_emplace(id, skillSlot, SKILL_NEW);
 
         if (newVal)
         {
@@ -26949,10 +26949,12 @@ void Player::_LoadSkills(PreparedQueryResult result)
                 TC_LOG_ERROR("entities.player", "Player::_LoadSkills: Player '{}' ({}, Race: {}, Class: {}) has forbidden skill {} for his race/class combination",
                     GetName(), GetGUID().ToString(), uint32(race), uint32(GetClass()), skill);
 
-                mSkillStatus.insert(SkillStatusMap::value_type(skill, SkillStatusData(mSkillStatus.size(), SKILL_DELETED)));
+                mSkillStatus.try_emplace(skill, mSkillStatus.size(), SKILL_DELETED);
                 continue;
             }
 
+            uint16 step = 0;
+
             // set fixed skill ranges
             switch (GetSkillRangeType(rcEntry))
             {
@@ -26965,24 +26967,31 @@ void Player::_LoadSkills(PreparedQueryResult result)
                 case SKILL_RANGE_LEVEL:
                     max = GetMaxSkillValueForLevel();
                     break;
+                case SKILL_RANGE_RANK:
+                {
+                    SkillTiersEntry const* tier = sObjectMgr->GetSkillTier(rcEntry->SkillTierID);
+                    auto tierItr = std::ranges::find(tier->Value, max);
+                    if (tierItr != std::ranges::end(tier->Value))
+                        step = std::ranges::distance(std::ranges::begin(tier->Value), tierItr) + 1;
+                    break;
+                }
                 default:
                     break;
             }
 
             auto skillItr = mSkillStatus.find(skill);
             if (skillItr == mSkillStatus.end())
-                skillItr = mSkillStatus.insert(SkillStatusMap::value_type(skill, SkillStatusData(mSkillStatus.size(), SKILL_UNCHANGED))).first;
-
-            uint16 step = 0;
+                skillItr = mSkillStatus.try_emplace(skill, mSkillStatus.size(), SKILL_UNCHANGED).first;
 
             if (SkillLineEntry const* skillLine = sSkillLineStore.LookupEntry(rcEntry->SkillID))
             {
-                if (skillLine->CategoryID == SKILL_CATEGORY_SECONDARY)
+                if (!step && skillLine->CategoryID == SKILL_CATEGORY_SECONDARY)
                     step = max / 75;
 
                 if (skillLine->CategoryID == SKILL_CATEGORY_PROFESSION)
                 {
-                    step = max / 75;
+                    if (!step)
+                        step = max / 75;
 
                     if (!skillLine->ParentSkillLineID)
                     {
@@ -26995,6 +27004,13 @@ void Player::_LoadSkills(PreparedQueryResult result)
             }
 
             SetSkillLineId(skillItr->second.pos, skill);
+
+            if (!value)
+            {
+                skillItr->second.uState = SKILL_DELETED;
+                continue;
+            }
+
             SetSkillStep(skillItr->second.pos, step);
             SetSkillRank(skillItr->second.pos, value);
             SetSkillStartingRank(skillItr->second.pos, 1);
@@ -27014,7 +27030,7 @@ void Player::_LoadSkills(PreparedQueryResult result)
 
         // enable parent skill line if missing
         SkillLineEntry const* skillEntry = sSkillLineStore.LookupEntry(skillId);
-        if (skillEntry->ParentSkillLineID && skillEntry->ParentTierIndex > 0 && GetSkillStep(skillEntry->ParentSkillLineID) < skillEntry->ParentTierIndex)
+        if (skillEntry->ParentSkillLineID && skillEntry->ParentTierIndex > 0 && int32(GetSkillStep(skillEntry->ParentSkillLineID)) < skillEntry->ParentTierIndex)
             if (SkillRaceClassInfoEntry const* rcEntry = sDB2Manager.GetSkillRaceClassInfo(skillEntry->ParentSkillLineID, GetRace(), GetClass()))
                 if (SkillTiersEntry const* tier = sObjectMgr->GetSkillTier(rcEntry->SkillTierID))
                     SetSkill(skillEntry->ParentSkillLineID, skillEntry->ParentTierIndex, std::max<uint16>(GetPureSkillValue(skillEntry->ParentSkillLineID), 1), tier->GetValueForTierIndex(skillEntry->ParentTierIndex - 1));
@@ -27023,12 +27039,12 @@ void Player::_LoadSkills(PreparedQueryResult result)
         {
             for (auto childItr = childSkillLines->begin(); childItr != childSkillLines->end() && mSkillStatus.size() < PLAYER_MAX_SKILLS; ++childItr)
             {
-                if (mSkillStatus.find((*childItr)->ID) == mSkillStatus.end())
+                if (!mSkillStatus.contains((*childItr)->ID))
                 {
                     uint32 pos = mSkillStatus.size();
                     SetSkillLineId(pos, (*childItr)->ID);
                     SetSkillStartingRank(pos, 1);
-                    mSkillStatus.insert(SkillStatusMap::value_type((*childItr)->ID, SkillStatusData(pos, SKILL_UNCHANGED)));
+                    mSkillStatus.try_emplace((*childItr)->ID, pos, SKILL_UNCHANGED);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.h b/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.h
index db19970162..d7a1412499 100644
--- a/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.h
+++ b/src/server/game/Entities/Player/Player.h
@@ -653,10 +653,10 @@ enum SkillUpdateState
 
 struct SkillStatusData
 {
-    SkillStatusData(uint8 _pos, SkillUpdateState _uState) : pos(_pos), uState(_uState)
+    SkillStatusData(uint32 _pos, SkillUpdateState _uState) : pos(_pos), uState(_uState)
     {
     }
-    uint8 pos;
+    uint32 pos;
     SkillUpdateState uState;
 };