diff --git a/code/game/area/areas.dm b/code/game/area/areas.dm
index 2115b5e68e6..a5e9b3876eb 100644
--- a/code/game/area/areas.dm
+++ b/code/game/area/areas.dm
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@
 		thunk(L)
 
 	// Ambience goes down here -- make sure to list each area seperately for ease of adding things in later, thanks! Note: areas adjacent to each other should have the same sounds to prevent cutoff when possible.- LastyScratch
-	if(!L.client.ambience_playing && L && L.client && (L.client.prefs.sound & SOUND_BUZZ))	//split off the white noise from the rest of the ambience because of annoyance complaints - Kluys
+	if(L && L.client && !L.client.ambience_playing && (L.client.prefs.sound & SOUND_BUZZ))	//split off the white noise from the rest of the ambience because of annoyance complaints - Kluys
 		L.client.ambience_playing = 1
 		L << sound('sound/ambience/shipambience.ogg', repeat = 1, wait = 0, volume = 35, channel = 2)
 	else if (L && L.client && !(L.client.prefs.sound & SOUND_BUZZ)) L.client.ambience_playing = 0