diff --git a/builtin/game/misc.lua b/builtin/game/misc.lua
index 02c36ccb1..0ed11ada0 100644
--- a/builtin/game/misc.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/misc.lua
@@ -40,9 +40,6 @@ function core.check_player_privs(name, ...)
 end
 
 
-local player_list = {}
-
-
 function core.send_join_message(player_name)
 	if not core.is_singleplayer() then
 		core.chat_send_all("*** " .. player_name .. " joined the game.")
@@ -61,7 +58,6 @@ end
 
 core.register_on_joinplayer(function(player)
 	local player_name = player:get_player_name()
-	player_list[player_name] = player
 	if not core.is_singleplayer() then
 		local status = core.get_server_status(player_name, true)
 		if status and status ~= "" then
@@ -74,22 +70,10 @@ end)
 
 core.register_on_leaveplayer(function(player, timed_out)
 	local player_name = player:get_player_name()
-	player_list[player_name] = nil
 	core.send_leave_message(player_name, timed_out)
 end)
 
 
-function core.get_connected_players()
-	local temp_table = {}
-	for index, value in pairs(player_list) do
-		if value:is_player_connected() then
-			temp_table[#temp_table + 1] = value
-		end
-	end
-	return temp_table
-end
-
-
 function core.is_player(player)
 	-- a table being a player is also supported because it quacks sufficiently
 	-- like a player if it has the is_player function
diff --git a/src/script/common/c_internal.h b/src/script/common/c_internal.h
index 69b8a7fdc..d8cf3fe76 100644
--- a/src/script/common/c_internal.h
+++ b/src/script/common/c_internal.h
@@ -103,5 +103,6 @@ int script_exception_wrapper(lua_State *L, lua_CFunction f);
 void script_error(lua_State *L, int pcall_result, const char *mod, const char *fxn);
 void script_run_callbacks_f(lua_State *L, int nargs,
 	RunCallbacksMode mode, const char *fxn);
+
 void log_deprecated(lua_State *L, const std::string &message,
 	int stack_depth=1);
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp
index 762612af4..7d5de896d 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp
@@ -640,6 +640,23 @@ int ModApiEnvMod::l_add_item(lua_State *L)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+// get_connected_players()
+int ModApiEnvMod::l_get_connected_players(lua_State *L)
+{
+	GET_ENV_PTR;
+
+	lua_createtable(L, env->getPlayerCount(), 0);
+	u32 i = 0;
+	for (RemotePlayer *player : env->getPlayers()) {
+		PlayerSAO *sao = player->getPlayerSAO();
+		if (sao) {
+			getScriptApiBase(L)->objectrefGetOrCreate(L, sao);
+			lua_rawseti(L, -2, ++i);
+		}
+	}
+	return 1;
+}
+
 // get_player_by_name(name)
 int ModApiEnvMod::l_get_player_by_name(lua_State *L)
 {
@@ -647,7 +664,7 @@ int ModApiEnvMod::l_get_player_by_name(lua_State *L)
 
 	// Do it
 	const char *name = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
-	RemotePlayer *player = dynamic_cast<RemotePlayer *>(env->getPlayer(name));
+	RemotePlayer *player = env->getPlayer(name);
 	if (player == NULL){
 		lua_pushnil(L);
 		return 1;
@@ -1319,6 +1336,7 @@ void ModApiEnvMod::Initialize(lua_State *L, int top)
 	API_FCT(find_nodes_with_meta);
 	API_FCT(get_meta);
 	API_FCT(get_node_timer);
+	API_FCT(get_connected_players);
 	API_FCT(get_player_by_name);
 	API_FCT(get_objects_inside_radius);
 	API_FCT(set_timeofday);
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h
index 68a4eae50..ac2f8b588 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ private:
 	// pos = {x=num, y=num, z=num}
 	static int l_add_item(lua_State *L);
 
+	// get_connected_players()
+	static int l_get_connected_players(lua_State *L);
+
 	// get_player_by_name(name)
 	static int l_get_player_by_name(lua_State *L);
 
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_object.cpp b/src/script/lua_api/l_object.cpp
index f23282a95..1ce37bb6b 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_object.cpp
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_object.cpp
@@ -1063,6 +1063,9 @@ int ObjectRef::l_get_luaentity(lua_State *L)
 int ObjectRef::l_is_player_connected(lua_State *L)
 {
 	NO_MAP_LOCK_REQUIRED;
+	// This method was once added for a bugfix, but never documented
+	log_deprecated(L, "is_player_connected is undocumented and "
+		"will be removed in a future release");
 	ObjectRef *ref = checkobject(L, 1);
 	RemotePlayer *player = getplayer(ref);
 	lua_pushboolean(L, (player != NULL && player->getPeerId() != PEER_ID_INEXISTENT));
diff --git a/src/serverenvironment.h b/src/serverenvironment.h
index cc4ecd797..3c7b7d059 100644
--- a/src/serverenvironment.h
+++ b/src/serverenvironment.h
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ public:
 
 	RemotePlayer *getPlayer(const session_t peer_id);
 	RemotePlayer *getPlayer(const char* name);
+	const std::vector<RemotePlayer *> getPlayers() const { return m_players; }
 	u32 getPlayerCount() const { return m_players.size(); }
 
 	static bool migratePlayersDatabase(const GameParams &game_params,