diff --git a/code/datums/mind.dm b/code/datums/mind.dm
index e7662a46ab0..a6eeca61e3e 100644
--- a/code/datums/mind.dm
+++ b/code/datums/mind.dm
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@
 			known_skills[S] = SKILL_LEVEL_NOVICE
 		if(0 to SKILL_EXP_NOVICE)
 			known_skills[S] = SKILL_LEVEL_NONE
-	if(known_skills[S] == old_level)
-		return //same level
+	if(isnull(old_level) || known_skills[S] == old_level)
+		return //same level or we just started earning xp towards the first level.
 	if(silent)
 		return
 	if(known_skills[S] >= old_level)
@@ -160,27 +160,26 @@
 ///Gets the skill's singleton and returns the result of its get_skill_speed_modifier
 /datum/mind/proc/get_skill_speed_modifier(skill)
 	var/datum/skill/S = GetSkillRef(skill)
-	return S.get_skill_speed_modifier(known_skills[S])
+	return S.get_skill_speed_modifier(known_skills[S] || SKILL_LEVEL_NONE)
 
 /datum/mind/proc/get_skill_level(skill)
 	var/datum/skill/S = GetSkillRef(skill)
-	return known_skills[S]
+	return known_skills[S] || SKILL_LEVEL_NONE
 
 /datum/mind/proc/print_levels(user)
-	var/msg
-
 	var/list/shown_skills = list()
 	for(var/i in known_skills)
-		if(known_skills[i])
+		if(known_skills[i]) //Do we actually have a level in this?
 			shown_skills += i
-	if(!shown_skills.len)
-		msg += "<span class='notice'>You don't seem to have any particularly outstanding skills.</span>"
-		to_chat(user, msg)
-
-	msg += "<span class='info'>*---------*\n<EM>Your skills</EM>\n"
+	if(!length(shown_skills))
+		to_chat(user, "<span class='notice'>You don't seem to have any particularly outstanding skills.</span>")
+		return
+	var/msg = ""
+	msg += "<span class='info'>*---------*\n<EM>Your skills</EM></span>\n<span class='notice'>"
 	for(var/i in shown_skills)
-		var/datum/skill/S
-		msg += "<span class='notice'>[i] - [SSskills.level_names[known_skills[S.name]]]</span>"
+		var/datum/skill/S = i
+		msg += "[i] - [SSskills.level_names[known_skills[S.name]]]\n"
+	msg += "</span>"
 	to_chat(user, msg)
 
 
diff --git a/code/datums/skills/_skill.dm b/code/datums/skills/_skill.dm
index 35cfc15a412..a4387949fec 100644
--- a/code/datums/skills/_skill.dm
+++ b/code/datums/skills/_skill.dm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /datum/skill
-	var/name = "skill"
+	var/name = "Skill"
 	var/desc = "the art of doing things"
 
 /datum/skill/proc/get_skill_speed_modifier(level)
diff --git a/code/datums/skills/mining.dm b/code/datums/skills/mining.dm
index 3846efa7f08..e2021d34d7a 100644
--- a/code/datums/skills/mining.dm
+++ b/code/datums/skills/mining.dm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /datum/skill/mining
-	name = "mining"
+	name = "Mining"
 	desc = "A dwarf's biggest skill, after drinking."
 
 /datum/skill/mining/get_skill_speed_modifier(level)