diff --git a/code/__HELPERS/plumbing.dm b/code/__HELPERS/plumbing.dm
index a16e861cba9..918650b6606 100644
--- a/code/__HELPERS/plumbing.dm
+++ b/code/__HELPERS/plumbing.dm
@@ -3,20 +3,26 @@
  *
  * Arguments
  * * atom/destination - the target loc we are checking for
- * * ducting_layer - the ducting layer to check for. Pass 0 to ignore all layer checks
+ * * ducting_layer - the ducting layer to check for. pass -ve value when you are checking for overlapping machines
 */
 /proc/ducting_layer_check(atom/destination, ducting_layer)
 	. = null
-	for(var/obj/machinery/other in get_turf(destination))
+
+	var/is_machine = FALSE
+	if(ducting_layer < 0)
+		is_machine = TRUE
+		ducting_layer = abs(ducting_layer)
+
+	for(var/atom/movable/other in get_turf(destination))
 		if(other == destination)
 			continue
 
 		//check for overlapping ducts
 		var/obj/machinery/duct/pipe = other
-		if(istype(pipe) && (!ducting_layer || (pipe.duct_layer & ducting_layer)))
+		if(istype(pipe) && (pipe.duct_layer & ducting_layer))
 			return pipe
 
-		//check for overlapping machines. Only allow machines to overlap during ci testing which should be fixed in the future
+		//check for overlapping machines. -ve duct layer means we are checking machines on machines overlap which regardless of layer is not allowed
 		for(var/datum/component/plumbing/plumber as anything in other.GetComponents(/datum/component/plumbing))
-			if(!PERFORM_ALL_TESTS(maptest_log_mapping) || (plumber.ducting_layer & ducting_layer))
+			if(is_machine || (plumber.ducting_layer & ducting_layer))
 				return plumber
diff --git a/code/datums/components/plumbing/_plumbing.dm b/code/datums/components/plumbing/_plumbing.dm
index 716f8e0ccd2..284d2eb068d 100644
--- a/code/datums/components/plumbing/_plumbing.dm
+++ b/code/datums/components/plumbing/_plumbing.dm
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 	SIGNAL_HANDLER
 
 	if(!active())
-		var/datum/overlap = ducting_layer_check(parent_obj)
+		var/datum/overlap = ducting_layer_check(parent_obj, -ducting_layer)
 		if(!isnull(overlap))
 			parent_obj.balloon_alert(user, "overlapping [istype(overlap, /obj/machinery/duct) ? "duct" : "machine"] detected!")
 			return ITEM_INTERACT_FAILURE
diff --git a/code/game/objects/items/rcd/RPLD.dm b/code/game/objects/items/rcd/RPLD.dm
index 3c1f916ab14..2a6ace7783e 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items/rcd/RPLD.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items/rcd/RPLD.dm
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@
 		return FALSE
 	if(initial(blueprint.density) && destination.is_blocked_turf(exclude_mobs = FALSE, source_atom = null, ignore_atoms = null))
 		return FALSE
-	return isnull(ducting_layer_check(destination, ispath(blueprint, /obj/machinery/duct) ? GLOB.plumbing_layers[current_layer] : NONE))
+	return isnull(ducting_layer_check(destination, (ispath(blueprint, /obj/machinery/duct) ? 1 : -1) * GLOB.plumbing_layers[current_layer]))
 
 /obj/item/construction/plumbing/interact_with_atom(atom/interacting_with, mob/living/user, list/modifiers)
 	. = ..()