diff --git a/code/__HELPERS/_lists.dm b/code/__HELPERS/_lists.dm
index a3a874f9f07..557e6198750 100644
--- a/code/__HELPERS/_lists.dm
+++ b/code/__HELPERS/_lists.dm
@@ -571,3 +571,13 @@
 			return FALSE
 
 	return TRUE
+
+#define LAZY_LISTS_OR(left_list, right_list)\
+	( length(left_list)\
+		? length(right_list)\
+			? (left_list | right_list)\
+			: left_list.Copy()\
+		: length(right_list)\
+			? right_list.Copy()\
+			: null\
+	)
diff --git a/code/datums/components/forensics.dm b/code/datums/components/forensics.dm
index a45c0f4bb72..55244d83a7d 100644
--- a/code/datums/components/forensics.dm
+++ b/code/datums/components/forensics.dm
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@
 	var/list/fibers //assoc print = print
 
 /datum/component/forensics/InheritComponent(datum/component/forensics/F, original) //Use of | and |= being different here is INTENTIONAL.
-	fingerprints = fingerprints | F.fingerprints
-	hiddenprints = hiddenprints | F.hiddenprints
-	blood_DNA = blood_DNA | F.blood_DNA
-	fibers = fibers | F.fibers
+	fingerprints = LAZY_LISTS_OR(fingerprints, F.fingerprints)
+	hiddenprints = LAZY_LISTS_OR(hiddenprints, F.hiddenprints)
+	blood_DNA = LAZY_LISTS_OR(blood_DNA, F.blood_DNA)
+	fibers = LAZY_LISTS_OR(fibers, F.fibers)
 	check_blood()
 	return ..()