diff --git a/dGame/Entity.cpp b/dGame/Entity.cpp
index 594017cc2..4a6fc118b 100644
--- a/dGame/Entity.cpp
+++ b/dGame/Entity.cpp
@@ -595,7 +595,8 @@ void Entity::Initialize() {
 
 	const auto skillID = compRegistryTable->GetByIDAndType(m_TemplateID, eReplicaComponentType::SKILL, -1);
 	if (skillID > -1 || m_Character) {
-		AddComponent<SkillComponent>(skillID);
+		auto* const skillComponent = AddComponent<SkillComponent>(skillID);
+		if (m_Character) skillComponent->LoadFromXml(m_Character->GetXMLDoc());
 	}
 
 	const auto combatAiID = compRegistryTable->GetByIDAndType(m_TemplateID, eReplicaComponentType::BASE_COMBAT_AI);
diff --git a/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.cpp b/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.cpp
index a39ecc188..8bde4265d 100644
--- a/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.cpp
+++ b/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
  */
 
 #include "SkillComponent.h"
+#include "GeneralUtils.h"
+#include "tinyxml2.h"
 
 #include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
@@ -47,9 +49,51 @@ bool SkillComponent::CastPlayerSkill(const uint32_t behaviorId, const uint32_t s
 
 	context->ExecuteUpdates();
 
+	if (!context->failed && m_Parent->IsPlayer()) StartCooldown(skillID);
+
 	return !context->failed;
 }
 
+void SkillComponent::StartCooldown(const uint32_t skillID) {
+	const auto& skill = CDClientManager::GetTable<CDSkillBehaviorTable>()->GetSkillByID(skillID);
+	// The client keys cooldown groups 0 and up (a null group is -1); skills without a cooldown have none running
+	const auto group = static_cast<int32_t>(skill.cooldowngroup);
+	if (group < 0 || skill.cooldown <= 0.0f) return;
+	auto& left = m_CooldownGroups[group];
+	left = std::max(left, skill.cooldown);
+}
+
+void SkillComponent::LoadFromXml(const tinyxml2::XMLDocument& doc) {
+	m_CooldownGroups.clear();
+	const auto* const obj = doc.FirstChildElement("obj");
+	const auto* const skil = obj ? obj->FirstChildElement("skil") : nullptr;
+	const char* const cooldowns = skil ? skil->Attribute("sc") : nullptr;
+	if (!cooldowns) return;
+
+	// Alternating group and seconds, split on ';' and ':' as the client does
+	const auto tokens = GeneralUtils::SplitString(std::string(cooldowns), ';');
+	for (const auto& entry : tokens) {
+		const auto pair = GeneralUtils::SplitString(entry, ':');
+		if (pair.size() != 2) continue;
+		const auto group = GeneralUtils::TryParse<int32_t>(pair[0]);
+		const auto left = GeneralUtils::TryParse<float>(pair[1]);
+		if (group && left && *left > 0.0f) m_CooldownGroups[*group] = *left;
+	}
+}
+
+void SkillComponent::UpdateXml(tinyxml2::XMLDocument& doc) {
+	auto* const obj = doc.FirstChildElement("obj");
+	if (!obj) return;
+	auto* skil = obj->FirstChildElement("skil");
+	if (!skil) skil = obj->InsertNewChildElement("skil");
+
+	// Live: <skil/> with nothing running, else e.g. <skil sc="17:15.6958;"/>
+	std::ostringstream cooldowns;
+	for (const auto& [group, left] : m_CooldownGroups) cooldowns << group << ':' << left << ';';
+	if (cooldowns.view().empty()) skil->DeleteAttribute("sc");
+	else skil->SetAttribute("sc", cooldowns.str().c_str());
+}
+
 void SkillComponent::SyncPlayerSkill(const uint32_t skillUid, const uint32_t syncId, RakNet::BitStream& bitStream) {
 	const auto index = this->m_managedBehaviors.equal_range(skillUid);
 
@@ -141,6 +185,11 @@ void SkillComponent::RegisterPlayerProjectile(const LWOOBJID projectileId, Behav
 }
 
 void SkillComponent::Update(const float deltaTime) {
+	for (auto it = m_CooldownGroups.begin(); it != m_CooldownGroups.end();) {
+		it->second -= deltaTime;
+		it = it->second <= 0.0f ? m_CooldownGroups.erase(it) : std::next(it);
+	}
+
 	if (!m_Parent->HasComponent(eReplicaComponentType::BASE_COMBAT_AI) && m_Parent->GetLOT() != 1) {
 		CalculateUpdate(deltaTime);
 	}
diff --git a/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.h b/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.h
index 2fbf95952..27f836540 100644
--- a/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.h
+++ b/dGame/dComponents/SkillComponent.h
@@ -73,6 +73,27 @@ public:
 	 */
 	void Update(float deltaTime) override;
 
+	/**
+	 * Loads the cooldown groups still running at the last save: <skil sc="group:seconds;group:seconds;"/>
+	 */
+	void LoadFromXml(const tinyxml2::XMLDocument& doc) override;
+
+	/**
+	 * Saves the running cooldown groups the way live did and the client reads them (LWOSkillComponent::LoadFromSaveData
+	 * 0x00c2a9c0 splits sc on ';' and ':' into a cooldown group and the seconds left)
+	 */
+	void UpdateXml(tinyxml2::XMLDocument& doc) override;
+
+	/**
+	 * Starts the cooldown of a skill's cooldown group (SkillBehavior.cooldowngroup, cooldown) when the player casts it
+	 */
+	void StartCooldown(uint32_t skillID);
+
+	/**
+	 * The cooldown groups running and the seconds left on each
+	 */
+	const std::map<int32_t, float>& GetCooldownGroups() const { return m_CooldownGroups; }
+
 	/**
 	 * Computes server-side skill updates.
 	 */
@@ -223,6 +244,9 @@ private:
 	 */
 	uint32_t m_skillUid;
 
+	// Cooldown group -> seconds left, for the player's save
+	std::map<int32_t, float> m_CooldownGroups;
+
 	/**
 	 * Cache for looking up a behavior id via a skill ID
 	 */
diff --git a/tests/dGameTests/dComponentsTests/CharacterSaveFieldsTests.cpp b/tests/dGameTests/dComponentsTests/CharacterSaveFieldsTests.cpp
index b62a63b94..9feb23612 100644
--- a/tests/dGameTests/dComponentsTests/CharacterSaveFieldsTests.cpp
+++ b/tests/dGameTests/dComponentsTests/CharacterSaveFieldsTests.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 #include "Entity.h"
 #include "GameMessages.h"
 #include "MissionComponent.h"
+#include "SkillComponent.h"
+#include "CDSkillBehaviorTable.h"
+#include "CDClientManager.h"
 #include "eMissionLockState.h"
 
 #include "tinyxml2.h"
@@ -109,3 +112,54 @@ TEST_F(CharacterSaveFieldsTests, TooltipFlagsMissingInOldSave) {
 	characterComponent->UpdateXml(doc);
 	EXPECT_STREQ(doc.FirstChildElement("obj")->FirstChildElement("char")->Attribute("ttip"), "0");
 }
+
+// <skil sc>: the cooldown groups still running and the seconds left, as live wrote them (sc="17:15.6958;") and the
+// client reads them (split on ';' and ':').
+TEST_F(CharacterSaveFieldsTests, SkillCooldownsRoundTrip) {
+	CDSkillBehavior skill{};
+	skill.skillID = 394;
+	skill.cooldowngroup = 17;
+	skill.cooldown = 30.0f;
+	CDClientManager::GetEntriesMutable<CDSkillBehaviorTable>()[394] = skill;
+	CDSkillBehavior ungrouped{};
+	ungrouped.skillID = 395;
+	ungrouped.cooldowngroup = static_cast<uint32_t>(-1);
+	ungrouped.cooldown = 30.0f;
+	CDClientManager::GetEntriesMutable<CDSkillBehaviorTable>()[395] = ungrouped;
+
+	tinyxml2::XMLDocument doc;
+	Parse(doc, R"(<obj v="1"><skil sc="8:26.6559;78:30.7363;"/></obj>)");
+
+	Entity player(26, info);
+	auto* const skills = player.AddComponent<SkillComponent>(-1);
+	skills->LoadFromXml(doc);
+	ASSERT_EQ(skills->GetCooldownGroups().size(), 2u);
+	EXPECT_FLOAT_EQ(skills->GetCooldownGroups().at(8), 26.6559f);
+
+	skills->Update(26.7f); // group 8 runs out
+	skills->StartCooldown(394);
+	skills->StartCooldown(395); // no group: not saved
+	skills->UpdateXml(doc);
+	EXPECT_EQ(Print(doc), R"(<obj v="1"><skil sc="17:30;78:4.0363;"/></obj>)");
+
+	Entity reloaded(27, info);
+	auto* const reloadedSkills = reloaded.AddComponent<SkillComponent>(-1);
+	reloadedSkills->LoadFromXml(doc);
+	EXPECT_EQ(reloadedSkills->GetCooldownGroups().size(), 2u);
+	EXPECT_FLOAT_EQ(reloadedSkills->GetCooldownGroups().at(17), 30.0f);
+
+	CDClientManager::GetEntriesMutable<CDSkillBehaviorTable>().clear();
+}
+
+// Saves without <skil> load with no cooldowns and gain <skil/>, as live wrote it with none running.
+TEST_F(CharacterSaveFieldsTests, SkillCooldownsMissingInOldSave) {
+	tinyxml2::XMLDocument doc;
+	Parse(doc, R"(<obj v="1"/>)");
+
+	Entity player(28, info);
+	auto* const skills = player.AddComponent<SkillComponent>(-1);
+	skills->LoadFromXml(doc);
+	EXPECT_TRUE(skills->GetCooldownGroups().empty());
+	skills->UpdateXml(doc);
+	EXPECT_EQ(Print(doc), R"(<obj v="1"><skil/></obj>)");
+}