diff --git a/code/_onclick/item_attack.dm b/code/_onclick/item_attack.dm
index bb4cf4cd029..beeb1599f20 100644
--- a/code/_onclick/item_attack.dm
+++ b/code/_onclick/item_attack.dm
@@ -458,9 +458,8 @@
 		return
 	var/message_verb_continuous = length(I.attack_verb_continuous) ? "[pick(I.attack_verb_continuous)]" : "attacks"
 	var/message_verb_simple = length(I.attack_verb_simple) ? "[pick(I.attack_verb_simple)]" : "attack"
-	var/message_hit_area = ""
-	if(hit_area)
-		message_hit_area = " in the [hit_area]"
+	var/message_hit_area = get_hit_area_message(hit_area)
+
 	var/attack_message_spectator = "[src] [message_verb_continuous][message_hit_area] with [I]!"
 	var/attack_message_victim = "Something [message_verb_continuous] you[message_hit_area] with [I]!"
 	var/attack_message_attacker = "You [message_verb_simple] [src][message_hit_area] with [I]!"
@@ -475,3 +474,11 @@
 		to_chat(src, span_danger("Someone hits you[message_hit_area]!"))
 	to_chat(user, span_danger("[attack_message_attacker]"))
 	return 1
+
+/// Overridable proc so subtypes can have unique targetted strike zone messages, return a string.
+/mob/living/proc/get_hit_area_message(input_area)
+	if(input_area)
+		return " in the [input_area]"
+
+	return ""
+
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/basic/bots/_bots.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/basic/bots/_bots.dm
index 03dc06dcda5..85cfdccf35f 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/basic/bots/_bots.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/basic/bots/_bots.dm
@@ -814,6 +814,11 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(command_strings, list(
 /mob/living/basic/bot/spawn_gibs(drop_bitflags = NONE)
 	new /obj/effect/gibspawner/robot(drop_location(), src)
 
+/mob/living/basic/bot/get_hit_area_message(input_area)
+	// we just get hit, there's no complexity for hitting an arm (if it exists) or anything.
+	// we also need to return an empty string as otherwise it would falsely say that we get hit in the chest or something strange like that (bots don't have "chests")
+	return ""
+
 /mob/living/basic/bot/proc/on_bot_movement(atom/movable/source, atom/oldloc, dir, forced)
 	return
 
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm
index 944a00af9b6..c7507b677dc 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/bot.dm
@@ -1215,3 +1215,8 @@ Pass a positive integer as an argument to override a bot's default speed.
 
 /mob/living/simple_animal/bot/spawn_gibs(drop_bitflags = NONE)
 	new /obj/effect/gibspawner/robot(drop_location(), src)
+
+/mob/living/simple_animal/bot/get_hit_area_message(input_area)
+	// we just get hit, there's no complexity for hitting an arm (if it exists) or anything.
+	// we also need to return an empty string as otherwise it would falsely say that we get hit in the chest or something strange like that (bots don't have "chests")
+	return ""