diff --git a/code/controllers/master.dm b/code/controllers/master.dm
index 5844ee749d1..084bdaa11a6 100644
--- a/code/controllers/master.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/master.dm
@@ -431,6 +431,10 @@ GLOBAL_REAL(Master, /datum/controller/master) = new
 			continue
 		if ((SS_flags & (SS_TICKER|SS_KEEP_TIMING)) == SS_KEEP_TIMING && SS.last_fire + (SS.wait * 0.75) > world.time)
 			continue
+		if (SS.postponed_fires >= 1)
+			SS.postponed_fires--
+			SS.update_nextfire()
+			continue
 		SS.enqueue()
 	. = 1
 
@@ -525,20 +529,8 @@ GLOBAL_REAL(Master, /datum/controller/master) = new
 
 			queue_node.last_fire = world.time
 			queue_node.times_fired++
-			
-			var/postpone = queue_node.next_fire - queue_node.queued_time 
-			
-			if (queue_node_flags & SS_TICKER)
-				queue_node.next_fire = world.time + (world.tick_lag * queue_node.wait)
-			else if (queue_node_flags & SS_POST_FIRE_TIMING)
-				queue_node.next_fire = world.time + queue_node.wait + (world.tick_lag * (queue_node.tick_overrun/100))
-			else if (queue_node_flags & SS_KEEP_TIMING)
-				queue_node.next_fire += queue_node.wait
-			else
-				queue_node.next_fire = queue_node.queued_time + queue_node.wait + (world.tick_lag * (queue_node.tick_overrun/100))
 
-			if (postpone >= world.tick_lag)
-				queue_node.next_fire += postpone
+			queue_node.update_nextfire()
 
 			queue_node.queued_time = 0
 
diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem.dm
index b9c49dfe8e7..a1315c484bd 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem.dm
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@
 	/// Tracks the amount of completed runs for the subsystem
 	var/times_fired = 0
 
+	/// How many fires have we been requested to postpone
+	var/postponed_fires = 0
+
 	/// Time the subsystem entered the queue, (for timing and priority reasons)
 	var/queued_time = 0
 
@@ -125,6 +128,31 @@
 	Master.subsystems -= src
 	return ..()
 
+
+/** Update next_fire for the next run.
+ *  reset_time (bool) - Ignore things that would normally alter the next fire, like tick_overrun, and last_fire. (also resets postpone)
+ */
+/datum/controller/subsystem/proc/update_nextfire(reset_time = FALSE)
+	var/queue_node_flags = flags
+
+	if (reset_time)
+		postponed_fires = 0
+		if (queue_node_flags & SS_TICKER)
+			next_fire = world.time + (world.tick_lag * wait)
+		else
+			next_fire = world.time + wait
+		return
+
+	if (queue_node_flags & SS_TICKER)
+		next_fire = world.time + (world.tick_lag * wait)
+	else if (queue_node_flags & SS_POST_FIRE_TIMING)
+		next_fire = world.time + wait + (world.tick_lag * (tick_overrun/100))
+	else if (queue_node_flags & SS_KEEP_TIMING)
+		next_fire += wait
+	else
+		next_fire = queued_time + wait + (world.tick_lag * (tick_overrun/100))
+
+
 //Queue it to run.
 // (we loop thru a linked list until we get to the end or find the right point)
 // (this lets us sort our run order correctly without having to re-sort the entire already sorted list)
@@ -241,11 +269,10 @@
 		if (SS_IDLE)
 			. = "  "
 
-//could be used to postpone a costly subsystem for (default one) var/cycles, cycles
-//for instance, during cpu intensive operations like explosions
+/// Causes the next "cycle" fires to be missed. Effect is accumulative but can reset by calling update_nextfire(reset_time = TRUE)
 /datum/controller/subsystem/proc/postpone(cycles = 1)
-	if(next_fire - world.time < wait)
-		next_fire += (wait*cycles)
+	if (can_fire && cycles >= 1)
+		postponed_fires += cycles
 
 //usually called via datum/controller/subsystem/New() when replacing a subsystem (i.e. due to a recurring crash)
 //should attempt to salvage what it can from the old instance of subsystem
@@ -256,7 +283,7 @@
 		if (NAMEOF(src, can_fire))
 			//this is so the subsystem doesn't rapid fire to make up missed ticks causing more lag
 			if (var_value)
-				next_fire = world.time + wait
+				update_nextfire(reset_time = TRUE)
 		if (NAMEOF(src, queued_priority)) //editing this breaks things.
 			return FALSE
 	. = ..()
diff --git a/code/modules/admin/view_variables/reference_tracking.dm b/code/modules/admin/view_variables/reference_tracking.dm
index 3154f64740a..f8ee92fb67e 100644
--- a/code/modules/admin/view_variables/reference_tracking.dm
+++ b/code/modules/admin/view_variables/reference_tracking.dm
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 			running_find_references = null
 			//restart the garbage collector
 			SSgarbage.can_fire = TRUE
-			SSgarbage.next_fire = world.time + world.tick_lag
+			SSgarbage.update_nextfire(reset_time = TRUE)
 			return
 
 		if(!skip_alert && tgui_alert(usr,"Running this will lock everything up for about 5 minutes.  Would you like to begin the search?", "Find References", list("Yes", "No")) != "Yes")
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 	//restart the garbage collector
 	SSgarbage.can_fire = TRUE
-	SSgarbage.next_fire = world.time + world.tick_lag
+	SSgarbage.update_nextfire(reset_time = TRUE)
 
 /datum/proc/DoSearchVar(potential_container, container_name, recursive_limit = 64, search_time = world.time)
 	#ifdef REFERENCE_TRACKING_DEBUG