diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm
index ff4641a66cf..13a6befbd04 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/atoms.dm
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(atoms)
 	if(!initialized_changed)
 		initialized = old_initialized
 
+/// Returns TRUE if anything is currently being initialized
+/datum/controller/subsystem/atoms/proc/initializing_something()
+	return initialized_changed > 0
+
 /datum/controller/subsystem/atoms/Recover()
 	initialized = SSatoms.initialized
 	if(initialized == INITIALIZATION_INNEW_MAPLOAD)
diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/icon_smooth.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/icon_smooth.dm
index d3de5a1b4ac..4d5f3069eca 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/icon_smooth.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/icon_smooth.dm
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(icon_smooth)
 	var/list/deferred = list()
 
 /datum/controller/subsystem/icon_smooth/fire()
+	// We do not want to smooth icons of atoms whose neighbors are not initialized yet,
+	// this causes runtimes.
+	// Icon smoothing SS runs after atoms, so this only happens for something like shuttles.
+	// This kind of map loading shouldn't take too long, so the delay is not a problem.
+	if (SSatoms.initializing_something())
+		return
+
 	var/list/smooth_queue_cache = smooth_queue
 	while(length(smooth_queue_cache))
 		var/atom/smoothing_atom = smooth_queue_cache[length(smooth_queue_cache)]