diff --git a/examples/basic-dry-run/controller-hub.ts b/examples/basic-dry-run/controller-hub.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2737b03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/basic-dry-run/controller-hub.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { createControllerHub } from "@opencontroller/core";
+
+// Typed counterpart to the Multi-Controller Hubs example in the core README.
+const hub = await createControllerHub();
+
+await hub.add({
+  id: "player-1",
+  profile: "xbox",
+  adapter: "dry-run",
+});
+
+await hub.add({
+  id: "player-2",
+  profile: "xbox",
+  adapter: "dry-run",
+});
+
+await hub.get("player-1").press("A", 80);
+await hub.get("player-2").press("B", 80);
+// Await every in-flight hub.add() before disconnecting registered controllers.
+await hub.disconnectAll();
diff --git a/packages/core/README.md b/packages/core/README.md
index 8dc45a1..d330811 100644
--- a/packages/core/README.md
+++ b/packages/core/README.md
@@ -51,23 +51,29 @@ import { createControllerHub } from "@opencontroller/core";
 
 const hub = await createControllerHub();
 
-const playerOne = await hub.createController({
+await hub.add({
   id: "player-1",
   profile: "xbox",
   adapter: "dry-run",
 });
 
-const playerTwo = await hub.createController({
+await hub.add({
   id: "player-2",
   profile: "xbox",
   adapter: "dry-run",
 });
 
-await playerOne.press("A", 80);
-await playerTwo.press("B", 80);
+await hub.get("player-1").press("A", 80);
+await hub.get("player-2").press("B", 80);
 await hub.disconnectAll();
 ```
 
+Hub IDs are caller-assigned logical identifiers for controllers in this hub.
+They do not identify physical devices or host/browser slots. Use `hub.get(id)`
+to retrieve an added controller. Await every in-flight `hub.add()` before
+calling `hub.disconnectAll()`: it disconnects the controllers currently
+registered with the hub and clears those IDs so they can be added again.
+
 ## Analog Button Pressure
 
 ```ts
diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/controller.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/controller.test.ts
index 698e632..13e2ada 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/controller.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/controller.test.ts
@@ -2461,13 +2461,96 @@ describe("controller runtime", () => {
       ],
     });
 
-    await hub.get("player-1").press("A", 5);
-    await hub.get("player-2").press("X", 5);
+    const playerOne = hub.get("player-1");
+    const playerTwo = hub.get("player-2");
+
+    await playerOne.setButton("A", true);
+    expect(playerOne.getState().buttons.A).toBe(true);
+    expect(playerTwo.getState().buttons.A).toBe(false);
+
+    await playerTwo.setButton("X", true);
+    expect(playerTwo.getState().buttons.X).toBe(true);
+    expect(playerOne.getState().buttons.X).toBe(false);
 
     expect(hub.list()).toEqual(["player-1", "player-2"]);
     expect(hub.states()["player-1"]?.profile).toBe("xbox");
     expect(hub.states()["player-2"]?.profile).toBe("xbox");
 
+    await playerOne.setButton("A", false);
+    await playerTwo.setButton("X", false);
+    await hub.disconnectAll();
+  });
+
+  test("rejects duplicate logical hub IDs and allows reuse after disconnectAll", async () => {
+    const hub = await createControllerHub();
+    const options = {
+      id: "caller-owned-player",
+      profile: "xbox" as const,
+      adapter: "dry-run" as const,
+      replay: false,
+    };
+    const first = await hub.add(options);
+
+    await expect(hub.add(options)).rejects.toThrow(
+      "Controller caller-owned-player already exists",
+    );
+    expect(hub.get(options.id)).toBe(first);
+
+    await hub.disconnectAll();
+    expect(hub.has(options.id)).toBe(false);
+
+    const reused = await hub.add(options);
+    expect(hub.get(options.id)).toBe(reused);
+    expect(reused).not.toBe(first);
+
+    await hub.disconnectAll();
+  });
+
+  test("reserves hub IDs while controller creation is pending", async () => {
+    const hub = await createControllerHub();
+    const options = {
+      id: "concurrent-player",
+      profile: "xbox" as const,
+      adapter: "dry-run" as const,
+      replay: false,
+    };
+
+    const results = await Promise.allSettled([
+      hub.add(options),
+      hub.add(options),
+    ]);
+    const createdControllers = results.flatMap((result) =>
+      result.status === "fulfilled" ? [result.value] : [],
+    );
+
+    expect(results[0]?.status).toBe("fulfilled");
+    expect(results[1]?.status).toBe("rejected");
+    if (results[1]?.status === "rejected") {
+      expect(results[1].reason).toMatchObject({
+        message: "Controller concurrent-player already exists",
+      });
+    }
+    expect(createdControllers).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(hub.get(options.id)).toBe(createdControllers[0]);
+
+    await hub.disconnectAll();
+  });
+
+  test("releases a reserved hub ID when controller creation fails", async () => {
+    const hub = await createControllerHub();
+    const options = {
+      id: "retry-after-failure",
+      profile: "xbox" as const,
+      adapter: "websocket" as const,
+      replay: false,
+    };
+
+    await expect(hub.add(options)).rejects.toThrow(
+      "WebSocket adapter requires a url option",
+    );
+
+    const controller = await hub.add({ ...options, adapter: "dry-run" });
+    expect(hub.get(options.id)).toBe(controller);
     await hub.disconnectAll();
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/hub.ts b/packages/core/src/hub.ts
index 7c848e4..18996e2 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/hub.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/hub.ts
@@ -11,15 +11,21 @@ export type ControllerHubOptions = {
 
 export class ControllerHub {
   private readonly controllers = new Map<string, Controller>();
+  private readonly pendingIds = new Set<string>();
 
   async add(options: ControllerHubEntry): Promise<Controller> {
-    if (this.controllers.has(options.id)) {
+    if (this.controllers.has(options.id) || this.pendingIds.has(options.id)) {
       throw new Error(`Controller ${options.id} already exists`);
     }
 
-    const controller = await createController(options);
-    this.controllers.set(options.id, controller);
-    return controller;
+    this.pendingIds.add(options.id);
+    try {
+      const controller = await createController(options);
+      this.controllers.set(options.id, controller);
+      return controller;
+    } finally {
+      this.pendingIds.delete(options.id);
+    }
   }
 
   get(id: string): Controller {