diff --git a/code/modules/antagonists/changeling/headslug_eggs.dm b/code/modules/antagonists/changeling/headslug_eggs.dm
index e4327aa3ed1..8f861aec2ec 100644
--- a/code/modules/antagonists/changeling/headslug_eggs.dm
+++ b/code/modules/antagonists/changeling/headslug_eggs.dm
@@ -6,13 +6,21 @@
 	desc = "Twitching and disgusting."
 	/// The mind of the original changeling that gave forth to the headslug mob.
 	var/datum/mind/origin
-	/// Tracks how long the egg has been growing.
-	var/time = 0
+	/// When we're expected to hatch.
+	var/hatch_time = 0
+	/// When this egg last got removed from a body. If -1, the egg hasn't been removed from a body.
+	var/removal_time = -1
+
+/obj/item/organ/internal/body_egg/changeling_egg/Insert(mob/living/carbon/egg_owner, special = FALSE, movement_flags = DELETE_IF_REPLACED)
+	. = ..()
+	hatch_time = world.time + (removal_time == -1 ? EGG_INCUBATION_TIME : (hatch_time - removal_time))
+
+/obj/item/organ/internal/body_egg/changeling_egg/Remove(mob/living/carbon/egg_owner, special, movement_flags)
+	. = ..()
+	removal_time = world.time
 
 /obj/item/organ/internal/body_egg/changeling_egg/egg_process(seconds_per_tick, times_fired)
-	// Changeling eggs grow in dead people
-	time += seconds_per_tick * 10
-	if(time >= EGG_INCUBATION_TIME)
+	if(owner && hatch_time <= world.time)
 		pop()
 
 /// Once the egg is fully grown, we gib the host and spawn a monkey (with the changeling's player controlling it). Very descriptive proc name.
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/basic/space_fauna/changeling/headslug.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/basic/space_fauna/changeling/headslug.dm
index a417b6c1394..27a9f7d07ae 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/basic/space_fauna/changeling/headslug.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/basic/space_fauna/changeling/headslug.dm
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@
 /// Just to be super-duper safe to the player, we do return TRUE if all goes well and read that value in check_and_implant() to be nice to the player.
 /mob/living/basic/headslug/proc/infect(mob/living/carbon/victim)
 	var/obj/item/organ/internal/body_egg/changeling_egg/egg = new(victim)
-	egg.Insert(victim)
 
 	egg.origin = mind