diff --git a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/alarm.dm b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/alarm.dm
index 1979672080d..f3cb91bc292 100644
--- a/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/alarm.dm
+++ b/code/modules/modular_computers/file_system/programs/alarm.dm
@@ -26,20 +26,6 @@
 	QDEL_NULL(alert_control)
 	return ..()
 
-/datum/computer_file/program/alarm_monitor/process_tick(seconds_per_tick)
-	..()
-
-	if(has_alert)
-		program_icon_state = "alert-red"
-		ui_header = "alarm_red.gif"
-		update_computer_icon()
-	else
-		if(!has_alert)
-			program_icon_state = "alert-green"
-			ui_header = "alarm_green.gif"
-			update_computer_icon()
-	return 1
-
 /datum/computer_file/program/alarm_monitor/ui_data(mob/user)
 	var/list/data = list()
 	data += alert_control.ui_data(user)
@@ -47,9 +33,19 @@
 
 /datum/computer_file/program/alarm_monitor/proc/update_alarm_display()
 	SIGNAL_HANDLER
-	has_alert = FALSE
-	if(length(alert_control.listener.alarms))
-		has_alert = TRUE
+	// has_alert is true if there are any active alarms in our listener.
+	has_alert = (length(alert_control.listener.alarms) > 0)
+
+	if(!has_alert)
+		program_icon_state = "alert-green"
+		ui_header = "alarm_green.gif"
+	else
+		// If we don't know the status, assume the worst.
+		// Technically we should never have anything other than a truthy or falsy value
+		// but this will allow for unknown values to fall through to be an actual alert.
+		program_icon_state = "alert-red"
+		ui_header = "alarm_red.gif"
+	update_computer_icon() // Always update the icon after we check our conditional because we might've changed it
 
 /datum/computer_file/program/alarm_monitor/on_start(mob/user)
 	. = ..(user)