diff --git a/code/datums/chatmessage.dm b/code/datums/chatmessage.dm
index 6ee4eaddd3f..4884ed8f433 100644
--- a/code/datums/chatmessage.dm
+++ b/code/datums/chatmessage.dm
@@ -44,10 +44,6 @@
 	var/eol_complete
 	/// Contains the approximate amount of lines for height decay
 	var/approx_lines
-	/// Contains the reference to the next chatmessage in the bucket, used by runechat subsystem
-	var/datum/chatmessage/next
-	/// Contains the reference to the previous chatmessage in the bucket, used by runechat subsystem
-	var/datum/chatmessage/prev
 	/// The current index used for adjusting the layer of each sequential chat message such that recent messages will overlay older ones
 	var/static/current_z_idx = 0
 	/// When we started animating the message
@@ -125,12 +121,6 @@
 	if (length_char(text) > maxlen)
 		text = copytext_char(text, 1, maxlen + 1) + "..." // BYOND index moment
 
-	// Calculate target color if not already present
-	if (!target.chat_color || target.chat_color_name != target.name)
-		target.chat_color = colorize_string(target.name)
-		target.chat_color_darkened = colorize_string(target.name, 0.85, 0.85)
-		target.chat_color_name = target.name
-
 	// Get rid of any URL schemes that might cause BYOND to automatically wrap something in an anchor tag
 	var/static/regex/url_scheme = new(@"[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9+-\.]*:\/\/", "g")
 	text = replacetext(text, url_scheme, "")
@@ -150,6 +140,7 @@
 		extra_classes |= SPAN_YELL
 
 	var/list/prefixes
+	var/chat_color_name_to_use
 
 	// Append radio icon if from a virtual speaker
 	if (extra_classes.Find("virtual-speaker"))
@@ -158,6 +149,19 @@
 	else if (extra_classes.Find("emote"))
 		var/image/r_icon = image('icons/ui_icons/chat/chat_icons.dmi', icon_state = "emote")
 		LAZYADD(prefixes, "\icon[r_icon]")
+		chat_color_name_to_use = target.get_visible_name(add_id_name = FALSE) // use face name for nonverbal messages
+
+	if(isnull(chat_color_name_to_use))
+		if(HAS_TRAIT(target, TRAIT_SIGN_LANG))
+			chat_color_name_to_use = target.get_visible_name(add_id_name = FALSE) // use face name for signers too
+		else
+			chat_color_name_to_use = target.GetVoice() // for everything else, use the target's voice name
+
+	// Calculate target color if not already present
+	if (!target.chat_color || target.chat_color_name != chat_color_name_to_use)
+		target.chat_color = colorize_string(chat_color_name_to_use)
+		target.chat_color_darkened = colorize_string(chat_color_name_to_use, 0.85, 0.85)
+		target.chat_color_name = chat_color_name_to_use
 
 	// Append language icon if the language uses one
 	var/datum/language/language_instance = GLOB.language_datum_instances[language]
diff --git a/code/game/atom/atom_examine.dm b/code/game/atom/atom_examine.dm
index a00f485391d..7243e241fd5 100644
--- a/code/game/atom/atom_examine.dm
+++ b/code/game/atom/atom_examine.dm
@@ -108,3 +108,7 @@
 ///Used to insert text after the name but before the description in examine()
 /atom/proc/get_name_chaser(mob/user, list/name_chaser = list())
 	return name_chaser
+
+/// Used by mobs to determine the name for someone wearing a mask, or with a disfigured or missing face. By default just returns the atom's name. add_id_name will control whether or not we append "(as [id_name])".
+/atom/proc/get_visible_name(add_id_name)
+	return name
diff --git a/code/game/say.dm b/code/game/say.dm
index c0e9d4ff8ef..cfd5bea57cc 100644
--- a/code/game/say.dm
+++ b/code/game/say.dm
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(freqtospan, list(
 		return "2"
 	return "0"
 
-/atom/movable/proc/GetVoice()
+/atom/proc/GetVoice()
 	return "[src]" //Returns the atom's name, prepended with 'The' if it's not a proper noun
 
 //HACKY VIRTUALSPEAKER STUFF BEYOND THIS POINT
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_helpers.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_helpers.dm
index 7e7af092b99..d18c0c800f6 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_helpers.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_helpers.dm
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 	return if_no_id
 
 //repurposed proc. Now it combines get_id_name() and get_face_name() to determine a mob's name variable. Made into a separate proc as it'll be useful elsewhere
-/mob/living/carbon/human/get_visible_name()
+/mob/living/carbon/human/get_visible_name(add_id_name = TRUE)
 	if(HAS_TRAIT(src, TRAIT_UNKNOWN))
 		return "Unknown"
 	var/list/identity = list(null, null)
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 	var/face_name = !isnull(signal_face) ? signal_face : get_face_name("")
 	var/id_name = !isnull(signal_id) ? signal_id : get_id_name("")
 	if(face_name)
-		if(id_name && (id_name != face_name))
+		if(add_id_name && id_name && (id_name != face_name))
 			return "[face_name] (as [id_name])"
 		return face_name
 	if(id_name)
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/living.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/living.dm
index f7fe59741b8..b6da123ffa6 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/living.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/living.dm
@@ -1261,9 +1261,6 @@
 /mob/living/proc/resist_restraints()
 	return
 
-/mob/living/proc/get_visible_name()
-	return name
-
 /mob/living/proc/update_gravity(gravity)
 	// Handle movespeed stuff
 	var/speed_change = max(0, gravity - STANDARD_GRAVITY)