diff --git a/code/game/objects/effects/spawners/structure.dm b/code/game/objects/effects/spawners/structure.dm
index 7f462ff2480..6dd8729cf97 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/effects/spawners/structure.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/effects/spawners/structure.dm
@@ -386,7 +386,12 @@ again.
 
 /obj/effect/spawner/structure/flipped_table/Initialize(mapload)
 	. = ..()
-	var/obj/structure/table/table_to_flipped = new table_to_spawn(loc)
-	table_to_flipped.dir = dir
-	table_to_flipped.flip_table()
+	var/obj/structure/table/table_to_flip = new table_to_spawn(loc)
+	table_to_flip.dir = dir
+	RegisterSignal(table_to_flip, COMSIG_ATOM_SMOOTHED_ICON, PROC_REF(on_icon_smoothed))
 
+/// The flip_table() proc HAS to be run after smooth_icon() is completed or else we will get runtimes.
+/obj/effect/spawner/structure/flipped_table/proc/on_icon_smoothed(obj/structure/table/table_to_flip)
+	SIGNAL_HANDLER
+	table_to_flip.flip_table(table_to_flip.dir)
+	UnregisterSignal(table_to_flip, COMSIG_ATOM_SMOOTHED_ICON)
diff --git a/code/game/objects/structures/tables_racks.dm b/code/game/objects/structures/tables_racks.dm
index b438e42c49f..63f93867c41 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/structures/tables_racks.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/structures/tables_racks.dm
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
 	ADD_TRAIT(src, TRAIT_COMBAT_MODE_SKIP_INTERACTION, INNATE_TRAIT)
 
 	if(can_flip && is_flipped)
-		flip_table()
+		flip_table(dir)
 		return
 
 	make_climbable()
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
 	is_flipped = FALSE
 
 //proc that removes elements present in now-flipped tables
-/obj/structure/table/proc/flip_table(new_dir)
+/obj/structure/table/proc/flip_table(new_dir = SOUTH)
 	playsound(src, 'sound/items/trayhit/trayhit1.ogg', 100)
 	RemoveElement(/datum/element/climbable)
 	RemoveElement(/datum/element/footstep_override, priority = STEP_SOUND_TABLE_PRIORITY)