diff --git a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/machines/message_server.dm b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/machines/message_server.dm
index 1e012d10027..02a146fac31 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/machines/message_server.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/machines/message_server.dm
@@ -193,7 +193,6 @@
 	for (var/datum/computer_file/program/messenger/app in data["targets"])
 		if(!QDELETED(app))
 			app.receive_message(src)
-	data["targets"] = null
 
 // Request Console signal datum
 /datum/signal/subspace/messaging/rc/broadcast()
diff --git a/code/modules/client/preferences.dm b/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
index 563de90377d..bc643cc9d45 100644
--- a/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
+++ b/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
@@ -473,14 +473,20 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(preferences_datums)
  * Arguments:
  * * client/prefs_holder - the client to get the chat_toggles pref from.
  */
-/proc/get_chat_toggles(client/prefs_holder)
-	if(!prefs_holder)
-		return FALSE
-	if(prefs_holder && !prefs_holder?.prefs)
-		stack_trace("[prefs_holder?.mob] ([prefs_holder?.ckey]) had null prefs, which shouldn't be possible!")
-		return FALSE
+/proc/get_chat_toggles(client/target)
+	if(ismob(target))
+		var/mob/target_mob = target
+		target = target_mob.client
 
-	return prefs_holder?.prefs.chat_toggles
+	if(isnull(target))
+		return NONE
+
+	var/datum/preferences/preferences = target.prefs
+	if(isnull(preferences))
+		stack_trace("[key_name(target)] preference datum was null")
+		return NONE
+
+	return preferences.chat_toggles
 
 /// Sanitizes the preferences, applies the randomization prefs, and then applies the preference to the human mob.
 /datum/preferences/proc/safe_transfer_prefs_to(mob/living/carbon/human/character, icon_updates = TRUE, is_antag = FALSE)
diff --git a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/messenger/messenger_program.dm b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/messenger/messenger_program.dm
index 5aeb529494f..33b9b454401 100644
--- a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/messenger/messenger_program.dm
+++ b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/messenger/messenger_program.dm
@@ -608,10 +608,11 @@
 
 	// Show it to ghosts
 	var/ghost_message = span_game_say("[span_name("[sender]")] [rigged ? "(as [span_name(fake_name)]) Rigged " : ""]PDA Message --> [span_name("[signal.format_target()]")]: \"[signal.format_message()]\"")
-	var/list/ghosts = GLOB.dead_player_list + GLOB.current_observers_list
-	for(var/mob/player_mob as anything in ghosts)
-		if(isobserver(player_mob) && (get_chat_toggles(player_mob.client) & CHAT_GHOSTPDA))
-			to_chat(player_mob, "[FOLLOW_LINK(player_mob, sender)] [ghost_message]")
+	var/list/message_listeners = GLOB.dead_player_list + GLOB.current_observers_list
+	for(var/mob/listener as anything in message_listeners)
+		if(!(get_chat_toggles(listener) & CHAT_GHOSTPDA))
+			continue
+		to_chat(listener, "[FOLLOW_LINK(listener, sender)] [ghost_message]")
 
 	to_chat(sender, span_info("PDA message sent to [signal.format_target()]: \"[message]\""))