diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/gamemode.dm b/code/__DEFINES/gamemode.dm
index fd39493da80..38e820b4768 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/gamemode.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/gamemode.dm
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define TARGET_INVALID_IS_OWNER		1
 #define TARGET_INVALID_NOT_HUMAN	2
 #define TARGET_INVALID_DEAD			3
+#define TARGET_INVALID_NOCKEY		4
 
 //gamemode istype helpers
 #define GAMEMODE_IS_BLOB		(ticker && istype(ticker.mode, /datum/game_mode/blob))
@@ -45,4 +46,4 @@
 #define SPECIAL_ROLE_XENOMORPH_HUNTER "Xenomorph Hunter"
 #define SPECIAL_ROLE_XENOMORPH_DRONE "Xenomorph Drone"
 #define SPECIAL_ROLE_XENOMORPH_SENTINEL "Xenomorph Sentinel"
-#define SPECIAL_ROLE_XENOMORPH_LARVA "Xenomorph Larva"
\ No newline at end of file
+#define SPECIAL_ROLE_XENOMORPH_LARVA "Xenomorph Larva"
diff --git a/code/game/gamemodes/objective.dm b/code/game/gamemodes/objective.dm
index 07836c824d7..743abff0d27 100644
--- a/code/game/gamemodes/objective.dm
+++ b/code/game/gamemodes/objective.dm
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ var/list/potential_theft_objectives = subtypesof(/datum/theft_objective) \
 		return TARGET_INVALID_NOT_HUMAN
 	if(!possible_target.current.stat == DEAD)
 		return TARGET_INVALID_DEAD
+	if(possible_target.key == null)
+		return TARGET_INVALID_NOCKEY
 
 /datum/objective/proc/find_target()
 	var/list/possible_targets = list()