diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/mob.dm b/code/__DEFINES/mob.dm
index 7ab8a19f86d..0e4a9f40ef1 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/mob.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/mob.dm
@@ -129,11 +129,21 @@
 #define isswarmer(A)	(istype((A), /mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/swarmer))
 #define isguardian(A)	(istype((A), /mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/guardian))
 
+
+
 #define issilicon(A)	(istype((A), /mob/living/silicon))
 #define isAI(A)			(istype((A), /mob/living/silicon/ai))
 #define isrobot(A)		(istype((A), /mob/living/silicon/robot))
 #define ispAI(A)		(istype((A), /mob/living/silicon/pai))
 
+// For the tcomms monitor
+#define ispathhuman(A)		(ispath(A, /mob/living/carbon/human))
+#define ispathbrain(A)		(ispath(A, /mob/living/carbon/brain))
+#define ispathslime(A)		(ispath(A, /mob/living/carbon/slime))
+#define ispathbot(A)			(ispath(A, /mob/living/simple_animal/bot))
+#define ispathsilicon(A)	(ispath(A, /mob/living/silicon))
+#define ispathanimal(A)		(ispath(A, /mob/living/simple_animal))
+
 #define isAutoAnnouncer(A)	(istype((A), /mob/living/automatedannouncer))
 
 #define isAIEye(A)		(istype((A), /mob/camera/aiEye))
diff --git a/code/controllers/communications.dm b/code/controllers/communications.dm
index e65cc040917..9b056472bde 100644
--- a/code/controllers/communications.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/communications.dm
@@ -347,3 +347,21 @@ var/global/datum/controller/radio/radio_controller
 			var/list/L = data[i]
 			for(var/t in L)
 				. += "data\[\"[i]\"\] list has: [t]"
+
+/datum/signal/proc/get_race(mob/M)
+	if(ishuman(M))
+		var/mob/living/carbon/human/H = M
+		. = H.species.name
+	else if(isbrain(M))
+		var/mob/living/carbon/brain/B = M
+		. = B.get_race()
+	else if(issilicon(M))
+		. = "Artificial Life"
+	else if(isslime(M))
+		. = "Slime"
+	else if(isbot(M))
+		. = "Bot"
+	else if(isanimal(M))
+		. = "Domestic Animal"
+	else
+		. = "Unidentifiable"
diff --git a/code/game/dna/dna2.dm b/code/game/dna/dna2.dm
index 82f7ffb2e93..c8a4d91038e 100644
--- a/code/game/dna/dna2.dm
+++ b/code/game/dna/dna2.dm
@@ -426,3 +426,7 @@ var/global/list/bad_blocks[0]
 	species = data["species"]
 	b_type = data["b_type"]
 	real_name = data["real_name"]
+
+// a nice hook for if/when we refactor species on dna
+/datum/dna/proc/get_species_name()
+	return species
diff --git a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/logbrowser.dm b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/logbrowser.dm
index ae0b2738d1b..5b799d3a2e4 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/logbrowser.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/logbrowser.dm
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
 		if(stat & (BROKEN|NOPOWER))
 			return
 		user.set_machine(src)
-		var/dat = "<TITLE>Telecommunication Server Monitor</TITLE><center><b>Telecommunications Server Monitor</b></center>"
+		var/list/dat = list()
+		dat += "<TITLE>Telecommunication Server Monitor</TITLE><center><b>Telecommunications Server Monitor</b></center>"
 
 		switch(screen)
 
@@ -63,55 +64,16 @@
 				var/i = 0
 				for(var/datum/comm_log_entry/C in SelectedServer.log_entries)
 					i++
-
-
 					// If the log is a speech file
 					if(C.input_type == "Speech File")
-
 						dat += "<li><font color = #008F00>[C.name]</font color>  <font color = #FF0000><a href='?src=[UID()];delete=[i]'>\[X\]</a></font color><br>"
 
-						// -- Determine race of orator --
-
-						var/race			   // The actual race of the mob
-						var/language = "Human" // MMIs, pAIs, Cyborgs and humans all speak Human
-						var/mobtype = C.parameters["mobtype"]
-						var/mob/M = new mobtype
-
-						if(ishuman(M) || isbrain(M))
-							var/mob/living/carbon/human/H = M
-							race = "[H.species.name]"
-
-
-						else if(issmall(M))
-							race = "Monkey"
-							language = race
-
-						else if(issilicon(M) || C.parameters["job"] == "AI") // sometimes M gets deleted prematurely for AIs... just check the job
-							race = "Artificial Life"
-
-						else if(isslime(M)) // NT knows a lot about slimes, but not aliens. Can identify slimes
-							race = "Slime"
-							language = race
-
-						else if(isbot(M))
-							race = "Bot"
-
-						else if(isanimal(M))
-							race = "Domestic Animal"
-							language = race
-
-						else
-							race = "<i>Unidentifiable</i>"
-							language = race
-
-						qdel(M)
-
 						// -- If the orator is a human, or universal translate is active, OR mob has universal speech on --
 
-						if(language == "Human" || universal_translate || C.parameters["uspeech"])
+						if(user.say_understands(null, C.parameters["language"]) || universal_translate || C.parameters["uspeech"])
 							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Data type</font color></u>: [C.input_type]<br>"
 							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Source</font color></u>: [C.parameters["name"]] (Job: [C.parameters["job"]])<br>"
-							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Class</font color></u>: [race]<br>"
+							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Class</font color></u>: [C.parameters["race"]]<br>"
 							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Contents</font color></u>: \"[C.parameters["message"]]\"<br>"
 
 
@@ -120,7 +82,7 @@
 						else
 							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Data type</font color></u>: Audio File<br>"
 							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Source</font color></u>: <i>Unidentifiable</i><br>"
-							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Class</font color></u>: [race]<br>"
+							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Class</font color></u>: [C.parameters["race"]]<br>"
 							dat += "<u><font color = #18743E>Contents</font color></u>: <i>Unintelligble</i><br>"
 
 						dat += "</li><br>"
@@ -136,7 +98,7 @@
 
 
 
-		user << browse(dat, "window=comm_monitor;size=575x400")
+		user << browse(dat.Join(""), "window=comm_monitor;size=575x400")
 		onclose(user, "server_control")
 
 		temp = ""
diff --git a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/telecomunications.dm b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/telecomunications.dm
index a4e481f430b..953fdb68b8b 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/telecomunications.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/telecomunications.dm
@@ -475,7 +475,9 @@ var/global/list/obj/machinery/telecomms/telecomms_list = list()
 
 				// Copy the signal.data entries we want
 				log.parameters["mobtype"] = signal.data["mobtype"]
+				log.parameters["race"] = signal.data["race"]
 				log.parameters["job"] = signal.data["job"]
+				log.parameters["language"] = signal.data["language"]
 				log.parameters["key"] = signal.data["key"]
 				log.parameters["vmessage"] = signal.data["message"]
 				log.parameters["vname"] = signal.data["vname"]
diff --git a/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm b/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm
index 8ff0147256d..419ba6cc5bc 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items/devices/radio/radio.dm
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ var/global/list/default_medbay_channels = list(
 		  // Identity-associated tags:
 			"mob" = M, // store a reference to the mob
 			"mobtype" = M.type, 	// the mob's type
+			"race" = signal.get_race(M),
 			"realname" = real_name, // the mob's real name
 			"name" = displayname,	// the mob's display name
 			"job" = jobname,		// the mob's job
@@ -462,6 +463,7 @@ var/global/list/default_medbay_channels = list(
 
 		"mob" = M, // store a reference to the mob
 		"mobtype" = M.type, 	// the mob's type
+		"race" = signal.get_race(M), // text to show next to mob in comms log console
 		"realname" = real_name, // the mob's real name
 		"name" = displayname,	// the mob's display name
 		"job" = jobname,		// the mob's job
@@ -560,7 +562,7 @@ var/global/list/default_medbay_channels = list(
 	var/range = receive_range(freq, level)
 	if(range > -1)
 		return get_mobs_in_view(canhear_range, src)
-		
+
 /obj/item/device/radio/proc/is_listening()
 	var/is_listening = TRUE
 	if(!on)
@@ -571,11 +573,11 @@ var/global/list/default_medbay_channels = list(
 		is_listening = FALSE
 
 	return is_listening
-		
+
 /obj/item/device/radio/proc/send_announcement()
 	if(is_listening())
 		return get_mobs_in_view(canhear_range, src)
-		
+
 	return null
 
 /obj/item/device/radio/examine(mob/user, var/distance = -1)
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/brain/brain.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/brain/brain.dm
index e8afbb0360b..655ad111cf1 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/brain/brain.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/brain/brain.dm
@@ -82,6 +82,17 @@ I'm using this for Stat to give it a more nifty interface to work with
 /mob/living/carbon/brain/proc/has_synthetic_assistance()
 	return (container && istype(container, /obj/item/device/mmi)) || in_contents_of(/obj/mecha)
 
+/mob/living/carbon/brain/proc/get_race()
+	if(container)
+		var/obj/item/device/mmi/M = container
+		if(istype(M) && M.held_brain)
+			return M.held_brain.dna.get_species_name()
+		else
+			return "Artificial Life"
+	if(istype(loc, /obj/item/organ/internal/brain))
+		var/obj/item/organ/internal/brain/B = loc
+		return B.dna.get_species_name()
+
 /mob/living/carbon/brain/Stat()
 	..()
 	if(has_synthetic_assistance())
diff --git a/code/modules/scripting/Implementations/Telecomms.dm b/code/modules/scripting/Implementations/Telecomms.dm
index 722c21e3ef3..2cc7cae3512 100644
--- a/code/modules/scripting/Implementations/Telecomms.dm
+++ b/code/modules/scripting/Implementations/Telecomms.dm
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@
 
 	newsign.data["mob"] = null
 	newsign.data["mobtype"] = /mob/living/carbon/human
+	newsign.data["race"] = "Automated Signal"
 	newsign.data["name"] = source
 	newsign.data["realname"] = newsign.data["name"]
 	newsign.data["job"] = "[job]"
@@ -343,4 +344,4 @@
 
 	var/pass = S.relay_information(newsign, "/obj/machinery/telecomms/hub")
 	if(!pass)
-		S.relay_information(newsign, "/obj/machinery/telecomms/broadcaster") // send this simple message to broadcasters
\ No newline at end of file
+		S.relay_information(newsign, "/obj/machinery/telecomms/broadcaster") // send this simple message to broadcasters