diff --git a/code/game/objects/items.dm b/code/game/objects/items.dm
index 803cc2643a4..f0a1e4eba2c 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items.dm
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ GLOBAL_DATUM_INIT(fire_overlay, /mutable_appearance, mutable_appearance('icons/e
 		return
 
 	//If the item is in a storage item, take it out
-	if(loc.atom_storage?.remove_single(user, src, user.loc, silent = TRUE))
+	if(loc.atom_storage && !loc.atom_storage.remove_single(user, src, user.loc, silent = TRUE))
 		return
 	if(QDELETED(src)) //moving it out of the storage to the floor destroyed it.
 		return