diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/pai/recruit.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/pai/recruit.dm
index 07df995658e..9dfaa8337fc 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/pai/recruit.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/pai/recruit.dm
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ var/datum/paiController/paiController			// Global handler for pAI candidates
 			var/obj/item/paicard/card = locate(href_list["device"])
 			if(card.pai)
 				return
+			if(usr.incapacitated() || isobserver(usr) || !card.Adjacent(usr))
+				return
 			if(istype(card,/obj/item/paicard) && istype(candidate,/datum/paiCandidate))
 				var/mob/living/silicon/pai/pai = new(card)
 				if(!candidate.name)