diff --git a/code/modules/tgui_panel/tgui_panel.dm b/code/modules/tgui_panel/tgui_panel.dm
index 2d270ac72aa..24b1e865ffc 100644
--- a/code/modules/tgui_panel/tgui_panel.dm
+++ b/code/modules/tgui_panel/tgui_panel.dm
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 	var/datum/tgui_window/window
 	var/broken = FALSE
 	var/initialized_at
+	/// Each client notifies on protected playback, so this prevents spamming admins.
+	var/static/admins_warned = FALSE
 
 /datum/tgui_panel/New(client/client, id)
 	src.client = client
@@ -86,9 +88,18 @@
 			),
 		))
 		return TRUE
+
 	if(type == "audio/setAdminMusicVolume")
 		client.admin_music_volume = payload["volume"]
 		return TRUE
+
+	if(type == "audio/protected")
+		if(!admins_warned)
+			message_admins(span_notice("Audio returned a protected playback error, likely due to being copyrighted."))
+			admins_warned = TRUE
+			addtimer(VARSET_CALLBACK(src, admins_warned, FALSE), 10 SECONDS)
+		return TRUE
+
 	if(type == "telemetry")
 		analyze_telemetry(payload)
 		return TRUE
diff --git a/html/changelogs/bubber_archive/2025-05.yml b/html/changelogs/bubber_archive/2025-05.yml
index 1f1f4b47c68..90695000b5a 100644
--- a/html/changelogs/bubber_archive/2025-05.yml
+++ b/html/changelogs/bubber_archive/2025-05.yml
@@ -31,3 +31,8 @@
       aggresively.
   - bugfix: Fixes feed detailed description lying about the time it takes to start
       feeding
+2025-05-05:
+  LT3:
+  - bugfix: Everyone's chat log no longer bluescreens due to Admins' bad taste in
+      music. Their fatal attempts to make you listen to king gizzard the lizard
+      wizard will now fail silently
diff --git a/tgui/packages/tgui-panel/audio/player.ts b/tgui/packages/tgui-panel/audio/player.ts
index d75fab4487e..9f5f35987d2 100644
--- a/tgui/packages/tgui-panel/audio/player.ts
+++ b/tgui/packages/tgui-panel/audio/player.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,15 @@ type AudioOptions = {
   end?: number;
 };
 
+function isProtectedError(error: ErrorEvent): boolean {
+  return (
+    typeof error === 'object' &&
+    error !== null &&
+    'isTrusted' in error &&
+    error.isTrusted
+  );
+}
+
 export class AudioPlayer {
   element: HTMLAudioElement | null;
   options: AudioOptions;
@@ -40,7 +49,13 @@ export class AudioPlayer {
 
     this.options = options;
 
-    const audio = (this.element = new Audio(url));
+    const audio = new Audio(url);
+    if (!audio) {
+      logger.log('failed to create audio element');
+      return;
+    }
+    this.element = audio;
+
     audio.volume = this.volume;
     audio.playbackRate = this.options.pitch || 1;
 
@@ -52,7 +67,11 @@ export class AudioPlayer {
     });
 
     audio.addEventListener('error', (error) => {
-      logger.log('playback error', error);
+      if (isProtectedError(error)) {
+        Byond.sendMessage('audio/protected');
+      }
+      logger.log('playback error:', JSON.stringify(error));
+      this.stop();
     });
 
     if (this.options.end) {
@@ -67,7 +86,10 @@ export class AudioPlayer {
       });
     }
 
-    audio.play();
+    audio.play()?.catch(() => {
+      // no error is passed here, it's sent to the event listener
+      logger.log('playback failed');
+    });
 
     this.onPlaySubscribers.forEach((subscriber) => subscriber());
   }
@@ -78,7 +100,7 @@ export class AudioPlayer {
     logger.log('stopping');
 
     this.element.pause();
-    this.element = null;
+    this.destroy();
 
     this.onStopSubscribers.forEach((subscriber) => subscriber());
   }