diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/say.dm b/code/__DEFINES/say.dm
index d5f1496079f..a8a6cd673f7 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/say.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/say.dm
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #define RADIO_EXTENSION "department specific"
 #define RADIO_KEY "department specific key"
 #define LANGUAGE_EXTENSION "language specific"
+#define SAY_MOD_VERB "say_mod_verb"
 
 //Message modes. Each one defines a radio channel, more or less.
 //if you use ! as a mode key for some ungodly reason, change the first character for ion_num() so get_message_mode() doesn't freak out with state law prompts - shiz.
diff --git a/code/game/atoms_movable.dm b/code/game/atoms_movable.dm
index 27cd0ff3cce..d463bc4512b 100644
--- a/code/game/atoms_movable.dm
+++ b/code/game/atoms_movable.dm
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 	/// The list of factions this atom belongs to
 	var/list/faction
 
+	/// Use get_default_say_verb() in say.dm instead of reading verb_say.
 	var/verb_say = "says"
 	var/verb_ask = "asks"
 	var/verb_exclaim = "exclaims"
diff --git a/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm b/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm
index 3375a4d16d1..ee2c796bafb 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm
@@ -285,6 +285,12 @@
 	if(use_command)
 		spans |= SPAN_COMMAND
 
+	var/radio_message = message
+	if(message_mods[WHISPER_MODE])
+		// Radios don't pick up whispers very well
+		radio_message = stars(radio_message)
+		spans |= SPAN_ITALICS
+
 	flick_overlay_view(overlay_mic_active, 5 SECONDS)
 
 	/*
@@ -317,7 +323,7 @@
 	var/atom/movable/virtualspeaker/speaker = new(null, talking_movable, src)
 
 	// Construct the signal
-	var/datum/signal/subspace/vocal/signal = new(src, freq, speaker, language, message, spans, message_mods)
+	var/datum/signal/subspace/vocal/signal = new(src, freq, speaker, language, radio_message, spans, message_mods)
 
 	// Independent radios, on the CentCom frequency, reach all independent radios
 	if (independent && (freq == FREQ_CENTCOM || freq == FREQ_CTF_RED || freq == FREQ_CTF_BLUE || freq == FREQ_CTF_GREEN || freq == FREQ_CTF_YELLOW || freq == FREQ_FACTION || freq == FREQ_CYBERSUN || freq == FREQ_INTERDYNE || freq == FREQ_GUILD || freq == FREQ_TARKON || freq == FREQ_SOLFED)) //SKYRAT EDIT CHANGE - FACTION, MAPPING, SOLFED
@@ -354,6 +360,13 @@
 	if(radio_freq || !broadcasting || get_dist(src, speaker) > canhear_range)
 		return
 	var/filtered_mods = list()
+
+	if (message_mods[MODE_SING])
+		filtered_mods[MODE_SING] = message_mods[MODE_SING]
+	if (message_mods[WHISPER_MODE])
+		filtered_mods[WHISPER_MODE] = message_mods[WHISPER_MODE]
+	if (message_mods[SAY_MOD_VERB])
+		filtered_mods[SAY_MOD_VERB] = message_mods[SAY_MOD_VERB]
 	if (message_mods[MODE_CUSTOM_SAY_EMOTE])
 		filtered_mods[MODE_CUSTOM_SAY_EMOTE] = message_mods[MODE_CUSTOM_SAY_EMOTE]
 		filtered_mods[MODE_CUSTOM_SAY_ERASE_INPUT] = message_mods[MODE_CUSTOM_SAY_ERASE_INPUT]
diff --git a/code/game/say.dm b/code/game/say.dm
index cfd5bea57cc..260c2c6091b 100644
--- a/code/game/say.dm
+++ b/code/game/say.dm
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(freqtospan, list(
 	spans |= speech_span
 	if(!language)
 		language = get_selected_language()
-	send_speech(message, message_range, src, bubble_type, spans, message_language = language, forced = forced)
+	var/list/message_mods = list()
+	message_mods[SAY_MOD_VERB] = say_mod(message, message_mods)
+	send_speech(message, message_range, src, bubble_type, spans, language, message_mods, forced = forced)
 
 /// Called when this movable hears a message from a source.
 /// Returns TRUE if the message was received and understood.
@@ -149,6 +151,12 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(freqtospan, list(
 /atom/movable/proc/compose_job(atom/movable/speaker, message_langs, raw_message, radio_freq)
 	return ""
 
+/**
+ * Works out and returns which prefix verb the passed message should use.
+ *
+ * input - The message for which we want the verb.
+ * message_mods - A list of message modifiers, i.e. whispering/singing.
+ */
 /atom/movable/proc/say_mod(input, list/message_mods = list())
 	var/ending = copytext_char(input, -1)
 	if(copytext_char(input, -2) == "!!")
@@ -162,15 +170,21 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(freqtospan, list(
 	else if(ending == "!")
 		return verb_exclaim
 	else
-		return verb_say
+		return get_default_say_verb()
+
+/**
+ * Gets the say verb we default to if no special verb is chosen.
+ * This is primarily a hook for inheritors,
+ * like human_say.dm's tongue-based verb_say changes.
+ */
+/atom/movable/proc/get_default_say_verb()
+	return verb_say
 
 /atom/movable/proc/say_quote(input, list/spans=list(speech_span), list/message_mods = list())
 	if(!input)
 		input = "..."
 
-	var/say_mod = message_mods[MODE_CUSTOM_SAY_EMOTE]
-	if (!say_mod)
-		say_mod = say_mod(input, message_mods)
+	var/say_mod = message_mods[MODE_CUSTOM_SAY_EMOTE] || message_mods[SAY_MOD_VERB] || say_mod(input, message_mods)
 
 	SEND_SIGNAL(src, COMSIG_MOVABLE_SAY_QUOTE, args)
 
@@ -262,7 +276,7 @@ INITIALIZE_IMMEDIATE(/atom/movable/virtualspeaker)
 	source = M
 	if(istype(M))
 		name = radio.anonymize ? "Unknown" : M.GetVoice()
-		verb_say = M.verb_say
+		verb_say = M.get_default_say_verb()
 		verb_ask = M.verb_ask
 		verb_exclaim = M.verb_exclaim
 		verb_yell = M.verb_yell
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/basic/basic.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/basic/basic.dm
index bb14669e4ed..ba07c944652 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/basic/basic.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/basic/basic.dm
@@ -138,10 +138,8 @@
 	if(staminaloss > 0)
 		adjustStaminaLoss(-stamina_recovery * seconds_per_tick, forced = TRUE)
 
-/mob/living/basic/say_mod(input, list/message_mods = list())
-	if(length(speak_emote))
-		verb_say = pick(speak_emote)
-	return ..()
+/mob/living/basic/get_default_say_verb()
+	return length(speak_emote) ? pick(speak_emote) : ..()
 
 /mob/living/basic/death(gibbed)
 	. = ..()
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_say.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_say.dm
index 7a659f055b6..7b250ef7a03 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_say.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_say.dm
@@ -9,16 +9,13 @@
 			message = tongueless_upper.Replace(message, pick("AA","OO","'"))
 	return ..()
 
-/mob/living/carbon/human/say_mod(input, list/message_mods = list())
+/mob/living/carbon/human/get_default_say_verb()
 	var/obj/item/organ/internal/tongue/tongue = get_organ_slot(ORGAN_SLOT_TONGUE)
-	if(!tongue)
+	if(isnull(tongue))
 		if(HAS_TRAIT(src, TRAIT_SIGN_LANG))
-			verb_say = "signs"
-		else
-			verb_say = "gurgles"
-	else
-		verb_say = tongue.temp_say_mod || tongue.say_mod
-	return ..()
+			return "signs"
+		return "gurgles"
+	return  tongue.temp_say_mod || tongue.say_mod || ..()
 
 /mob/living/carbon/human/GetVoice()
 	if(HAS_TRAIT(src, TRAIT_UNKNOWN))
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/living_say.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/living_say.dm
index 8ece4a2be84..a5e9d17dafe 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/living_say.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/living_say.dm
@@ -217,22 +217,21 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(message_modes_stat_limits, list(
 			succumb()
 		return
 
+	//Get which verb is prefixed to the message before radio but after most modifications
+	message_mods[SAY_MOD_VERB] = say_mod(message, message_mods)
+
 	//This is before anything that sends say a radio message, and after all important message type modifications, so you can scumb in alien chat or something
 	if(saymode && !saymode.handle_message(src, message, language))
 		return
-	var/radio_message = message
-	if(message_mods[WHISPER_MODE])
-		// radios don't pick up whispers very well
-		radio_message = stars(radio_message)
-		spans |= SPAN_ITALICS
 
-	var/radio_return = radio(radio_message, message_mods, spans, language)//roughly 27% of living/say()'s total cost
+	var/radio_return = radio(message, message_mods, spans, language)//roughly 27% of living/say()'s total cost
 	if(radio_return & ITALICS)
 		spans |= SPAN_ITALICS
 	if(radio_return & REDUCE_RANGE)
 		message_range = 1
 		if(!message_mods[WHISPER_MODE])
 			message_mods[WHISPER_MODE] = MODE_WHISPER
+			message_mods[SAY_MOD_VERB] = say_mod(message, message_mods)
 	if(radio_return & NOPASS)
 		return TRUE
 
@@ -317,7 +316,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(message_modes_stat_limits, list(
 
 	if(speaker != src)
 		if(!radio_freq) //These checks have to be separate, else people talking on the radio will make "You can't hear yourself!" appear when hearing people over the radio while deaf.
-			deaf_message = "[span_name("[speaker]")] [speaker.verb_say] something but you cannot hear [speaker.p_them()]."
+			deaf_message = "[span_name("[speaker]")] [speaker.get_default_say_verb()] something but you cannot hear [speaker.p_them()]."
 			deaf_type = MSG_VISUAL
 	else
 		deaf_message = span_notice("You can't hear yourself!")
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/simple_animal.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/simple_animal.dm
index 4817bf4f94c..0d3ea6e06e2 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/simple_animal.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/simple_animal.dm
@@ -413,10 +413,8 @@
 		new /obj/effect/temp_visual/gib_animation/animal(loc, icon_gib)
 
 
-/mob/living/simple_animal/say_mod(input, list/message_mods = list())
-	if(length(speak_emote))
-		verb_say = pick(speak_emote)
-	return ..()
+/mob/living/simple_animal/get_default_say_verb()
+	return length(speak_emote) ? pick(speak_emote) : ..()
 
 /mob/living/simple_animal/proc/set_varspeed(var_value)
 	speed = var_value