diff --git a/code/modules/mob/login.dm b/code/modules/mob/login.dm
index 13db1a0ba53..04a36a25d4f 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/login.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/login.dm
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
 	if(client) //Should work based on "change_view" but we lack the infrastructure behind to make it useful, for now
 		client.attempt_auto_fit_viewport()
 
-	if(machine)
+	if(isobj(machine))
 		machine.on_user_login(src)
 
 	// Check code/modules/admin/verbs/antag-ooc.dm for definition
diff --git a/html/changelogs/hellfirejag-a-small-machine-check.yml b/html/changelogs/hellfirejag-a-small-machine-check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..73935f51277
--- /dev/null
+++ b/html/changelogs/hellfirejag-a-small-machine-check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+author: Hellfirejag
+delete-after: True
+changes:
+  - bugfix: "Fixed a runtime error caused by a 'machine' var being used to store non machines."