diff --git a/code/game/objects/objs.dm b/code/game/objects/objs.dm
index 518d615552..0e6ff27dc7 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/objs.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/objs.dm
@@ -16,14 +16,11 @@
 	var/damtype = "brute"
 	var/force = 0
 
-/obj/Topic(href, href_list, var/nowindow = 0, var/datum/topic_state/custom_state)
+/obj/Topic(href, href_list, var/nowindow = 0, var/datum/topic_state/custom_state = default_state)
 	// Calling Topic without a corresponding window open causes runtime errors
 	if(!nowindow && ..())
 		return 1
 
-	if(!custom_state)
-		custom_state = default_state
-
 	// In the far future no checks are made in an overriding Topic() beyond if(..()) return
 	// Instead any such checks are made in CanUseTopic()
 	var/obj/host = nano_host()
diff --git a/code/modules/nano/nanoui.dm b/code/modules/nano/nanoui.dm
index 0a6b6ede8e..71cb84edef 100644
--- a/code/modules/nano/nanoui.dm
+++ b/code/modules/nano/nanoui.dm
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ nanoui is used to open and update nano browser uis
   *
   * @return /nanoui new nanoui object
   */
-/datum/nanoui/New(nuser, nsrc_object, nui_key, ntemplate_filename, ntitle = 0, nwidth = 0, nheight = 0, var/atom/nref = null, var/datum/nanoui/master_ui = null, var/datum/topic_state/custom_state = null)
+/datum/nanoui/New(nuser, nsrc_object, nui_key, ntemplate_filename, ntitle = 0, nwidth = 0, nheight = 0, var/atom/nref = null, var/datum/nanoui/master_ui = null, var/datum/topic_state/custom_state = default_state)
 	user = nuser
 	src_object = nsrc_object
 	ui_key = nui_key
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ nanoui is used to open and update nano browser uis
 	src.master_ui = master_ui
 	if(master_ui)
 		master_ui.children += src
-	src.custom_state = custom_state ? custom_state : new/datum/topic_state()
+	src.custom_state = custom_state
 
 	// add the passed template filename as the "main" template, this is required
 	add_template("main", ntemplate_filename)