diff --git a/code/modules/surgery/organs/internal/lungs/_lungs.dm b/code/modules/surgery/organs/internal/lungs/_lungs.dm
index 5463a37cd5e..53a310981d4 100644
--- a/code/modules/surgery/organs/internal/lungs/_lungs.dm
+++ b/code/modules/surgery/organs/internal/lungs/_lungs.dm
@@ -998,13 +998,13 @@
 #define GAS_TOLERANCE 5
 
 /obj/item/organ/lungs/lavaland/Initialize(mapload)
-	var/datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary/mix = SSair.planetary[LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS]
+	var/datum/gas_mixture/volumed_mix = new(BREATH_VOLUME * 1000) // to be safe
+	var/datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary/mix = SSair.parse_gas_string(LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS, /datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary)
 
-	if(!mix?.total_moles()) // this typically means we didn't load lavaland, like if we're using the LOWMEMORYMODE define
-		return ..()
+	volumed_mix.copy_from(mix)
 
 	// Take a "breath" of the air
-	var/datum/gas_mixture/breath = mix.remove(mix.total_moles() * BREATH_PERCENTAGE)
+	var/datum/gas_mixture/breath = volumed_mix.remove(volumed_mix.total_moles() * BREATH_PERCENTAGE)
 
 	var/list/breath_gases = breath.gases
 
diff --git a/code/modules/unit_tests/breath.dm b/code/modules/unit_tests/breath.dm
index faba1a08e22..2746ea6f461 100644
--- a/code/modules/unit_tests/breath.dm
+++ b/code/modules/unit_tests/breath.dm
@@ -87,15 +87,21 @@
 
 /datum/unit_test/breath/breath_sanity_ashwalker/Run()
 	var/mob/living/carbon/human/species/lizard/ashwalker/lab_rat = allocate(/mob/living/carbon/human/species/lizard/ashwalker)
-	lab_rat.forceMove(run_loc_floor_bottom_left)
-	var/turf/open/to_fill = run_loc_floor_bottom_left
-	to_fill.initial_gas_mix = LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS
-	to_fill.air = to_fill.create_gas_mixture()
+
+	turn_room_into_lavaland()
 	lab_rat.breathe()
 	TEST_ASSERT(!lab_rat.has_alert(ALERT_NOT_ENOUGH_OXYGEN), "Ashwalkers can't get a full breath from the Lavaland's initial_gas_mix on a turf")
 
-/datum/unit_test/breath/breath_sanity_ashwalker/Destroy()
-	//Reset initial_gas_mix to avoid future issues on other tests
-	var/turf/open/to_fill = run_loc_floor_bottom_left
-	to_fill.initial_gas_mix = OPENTURF_DEFAULT_ATMOS
-	return ..()
+/// Replaces the air mix in the entire room with lavaland air mix
+/datum/unit_test/breath/breath_sanity_ashwalker/proc/turn_room_into_lavaland()
+	var/area/unit_test_area = get_area(run_loc_floor_bottom_left)
+	var/list/turf/lavalandable_turfs = unit_test_area.get_turfs_from_all_zlevels()
+
+	var/datum/gas_mixture/lavaland_mix = SSair.parse_gas_string(LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS, /datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary)
+	var/datum/gas_mixture/volumetric_mix = allocate(/datum/gas_mixture, 2500)
+
+	volumetric_mix.copy_from(lavaland_mix)
+
+	for(var/turf/open/tile in lavalandable_turfs)
+		tile.copy_air(volumetric_mix)
+		tile.air_update_turf(update = FALSE, remove = FALSE)
diff --git a/code/modules/unit_tests/lungs.dm b/code/modules/unit_tests/lungs.dm
index b426ea9264c..446873d6aa1 100644
--- a/code/modules/unit_tests/lungs.dm
+++ b/code/modules/unit_tests/lungs.dm
@@ -191,12 +191,7 @@
 
 /// Set up an Lavaland gas mix which is "ideal" for Ashwalker life.
 /datum/unit_test/lungs/proc/create_lavaland_mix()
-	if(!SSair.planetary[LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS])
-		var/datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary/mix = new
-		mix.parse_string_immutable(LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS)
-		SSair.planetary[LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS] = mix
-
-	var/datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary/lavaland_mix = SSair.planetary[LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS]
+	var/datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary/lavaland_mix = SSair.parse_gas_string(LAVALAND_DEFAULT_ATMOS, /datum/gas_mixture/immutable/planetary)
 	var/datum/gas_mixture/test_mix = allocate(/datum/gas_mixture, 2500)
 	test_mix.copy_from(lavaland_mix)
 	return test_mix