diff --git a/code/__HELPERS/path.dm b/code/__HELPERS/path.dm
index 08280617e97..09c1e882f4e 100644
--- a/code/__HELPERS/path.dm
+++ b/code/__HELPERS/path.dm
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@
 	// We're guarenteed that list will be the first list in pathfinding_finished's argset because of how callback handles the arguments list
 	var/datum/callback/await = CALLBACK(GLOBAL_PROC, /proc/pathfinding_finished, path)
 	if(!SSpathfinder.pathfind(caller, end, max_distance, mintargetdist, id, simulated_only, exclude, skip_first, diagonal_safety, await))
-		return null
+		return list()
 
 	UNTIL(length(path))
-	if(length(path) == 1 && path[1] == null) // It's trash, just hand back null to make it easy
-		return null
+	if(length(path) == 1 && path[1] == null || (QDELETED(caller) || QDELETED(end))) // It's trash, just hand back null to make it easy
+		return list()
 	return path
 
 /// Uses funny pass by reference bullshit to take the path created by pathfinding, and insert it into a return list
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm
index cb18ffe6be6..337af357340 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ Pass a positive integer as an argument to override a bot's default speed.
 
 	var/list/path_images = active_hud_list[DIAG_PATH_HUD]
 	QDEL_LIST(path_images)
-	if(newpath)
+	if(length(newpath))
 		var/mutable_appearance/path_image = new /mutable_appearance()
 		path_image.icon = path_image_icon
 		path_image.icon_state = path_image_icon_state
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/cleanbot.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/cleanbot.dm
index 16320948900..6b7484cbc4c 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/cleanbot.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/cleanbot.dm
@@ -298,7 +298,6 @@
 			if(length(path) == 0)
 				add_to_ignore(target)
 				target = null
-				path = list()
 
 		if(path.len > 0 && target)
 			if(!bot_move(path[path.len]))
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/parrot.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/parrot.dm
index 66462edc785..d0770841ab2 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/parrot.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/parrot.dm
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(strippable_parrot_items, create_strippable_list(list(
 					item = I
 					break
 		if(item)
-			if(!get_path_to(src, item)) // WHY DO WE DISREGARD THE PATH AHHHHHH
+			if(!length(get_path_to(src, item))) // WHY DO WE DISREGARD THE PATH AHHHHHH
 				item = null
 				continue
 			return item