diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/headcrab.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/headcrab.dm
index 08eb7128055..c093c8e3d36 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/headcrab.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/headcrab.dm
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@
 				if(H.stat == DEAD || (!H.check_death_method() && H.health <= HEALTH_THRESHOLD_DEAD))
 					Zombify(H)
 					break
-		var/cycles = 4
-		if(cycles >= 4)
+		if(times_fired % 4 == 0)
 			for(var/mob/living/simple_animal/K in oview(src, 1)) //Only for corpse right next to/on same tile
 				if(K.stat == DEAD || (!K.check_death_method() && K.health <= HEALTH_THRESHOLD_DEAD))
 					visible_message("<span class='danger'>[src] consumes [K] whole!</span>")
@@ -40,8 +39,6 @@
 						health += 10
 					qdel(K)
 					break
-				cycles = 0
-		cycles++
 
 /mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/headcrab/OpenFire(atom/A)
 	if(check_friendly_fire)
@@ -93,7 +90,6 @@
 	if(is_zombie)
 		qdel(src)
 
-
 /mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/headcrab/handle_automated_speech() // This way they have different screams when attacking, sometimes. Might be seen as sphagetthi code though.
 	if(speak_chance)
 		if(rand(0,200) < speak_chance)
@@ -106,7 +102,6 @@
 			M.loc = get_turf(src)
 	return ..()
 
-
 /mob/living/simple_animal/hostile/headcrab/update_icons()
 	. = ..()
 	if(is_zombie)