diff --git a/code/game/machinery/cell_charger.dm b/code/game/machinery/cell_charger.dm
index c5c00fc7668..2b82ad34a03 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/cell_charger.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/cell_charger.dm
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@
 
 	if(charging.percent() >= 100)
 		return
-	if(directly_use_power(charge_rate * delta_time))
-		charging.give(charge_rate * delta_time)
-		update_icon()
+
+	var/main_draw = use_power_from_net(charge_rate * delta_time, take_any = TRUE) //Pulls directly from the Powernet to dump into the cell
+	if(!main_draw)
+		return
+	charging.give(main_draw)
+	use_power(charge_rate / 100) //use a small bit for the charger itself, but power usage scales up with the part tier
+
+	update_icon()
diff --git a/code/modules/power/power.dm b/code/modules/power/power.dm
index b7f742ffb87..bf018620b10 100644
--- a/code/modules/power/power.dm
+++ b/code/modules/power/power.dm
@@ -118,6 +118,40 @@
 	local_apc.cell.use(amount)
 	return TRUE
 
+/**
+  * Attempts to draw power directly from the APC's Powernet rather than the APC's battery. For high-draw machines, like the cell charger
+  *
+  * Checks the surplus power on the APC's powernet, and compares to the requested amount. If the requested amount is available, this proc
+  * will add the amount to the APC's usage and return that amount. Otherwise, this proc will return FALSE.
+  * If the take_any var arg is set to true, this proc will use and return any surplus that is under the requested amount, assuming that
+  * the surplus is above zero.
+  * Args:
+  * - amount, the amount of power requested from the Powernet. In standard loosely-defined SS13 power units.
+  * - take_any, a bool of whether any amount of power is acceptable, instead of all or nothing. Defaults to FALSE
+ */
+/obj/machinery/proc/use_power_from_net(amount, take_any = FALSE)
+	if(amount <= 0) //just in case
+		return FALSE
+	var/area/home = get_area(src)
+
+	if(!home)
+		return FALSE //apparently space isn't an area
+	if(!home.requires_power)
+		return amount //Shuttles get free power, don't ask why
+
+	var/obj/machinery/power/apc/local_apc = home?.get_apc()
+	if(!local_apc)
+		return FALSE
+	var/surplus = local_apc.surplus()
+	if(surplus <= 0) //I don't know if powernet surplus can ever end up negative, but I'm just gonna failsafe it
+		return FALSE
+	if(surplus < amount)
+		if(!take_any)
+			return FALSE
+		amount = surplus
+	local_apc.add_load(amount)
+	return amount
+
 /obj/machinery/proc/addStaticPower(value, powerchannel)
 	var/area/A = get_area(src)
 	if(!A)