diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/emotes.dm b/code/__DEFINES/emotes.dm
index 99704553f99..5880f171d7f 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/emotes.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/emotes.dm
@@ -37,9 +37,12 @@
 
 // Each mob can only play an emote with audio every AUDIO_EMOTE_COOLDOWN seconds, unless a given emote overrides its own audio cooldown.
 
-/// Default cooldown for audio that comes from emotes.
+/// Default cooldown for emote-emitted audio.
 #define AUDIO_EMOTE_COOLDOWN (5 SECONDS)
 
+/// Cooldown for emotes that are emitted unintentionally, to prevent them from getting audibly spammy.
+#define AUDIO_EMOTE_UNINTENTIONAL_COOLDOWN (2 SECONDS)
+
 // Emote parameter types
 // If nothing is passed in for a target, this can determine the possible target.
 
diff --git a/code/datums/emote.dm b/code/datums/emote.dm
index 1b2edf9e488..d4a7663ee76 100644
--- a/code/datums/emote.dm
+++ b/code/datums/emote.dm
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@
 	var/cooldown = DEFAULT_EMOTE_COOLDOWN
 	/// How long is the cooldown on the audio of the emote, if it has one?
 	var/audio_cooldown = AUDIO_EMOTE_COOLDOWN
+	/// If the emote is triggered unintentionally, how long would that cooldown be?
+	var/unintentional_audio_cooldown = AUDIO_EMOTE_UNINTENTIONAL_COOLDOWN
+	/// If true, an emote will completely bypass any cooldown when called unintentionally. Necessary for things like deathgasp.
+	var/bypass_unintentional_cooldown = FALSE
 	/// How loud is the audio emote?
 	var/volume = 50
 
@@ -184,7 +188,7 @@
 	var/sound_volume = get_volume(user)
 	// If our sound emote is forced by code, don't worry about cooldowns at all.
 	if(tmp_sound && should_play_sound(user, intentional) && sound_volume > 0)
-		if(!intentional || user.start_audio_emote_cooldown(audio_cooldown))
+		if(bypass_unintentional_cooldown || user.start_audio_emote_cooldown(intentional, intentional ? audio_cooldown : unintentional_audio_cooldown))
 			play_sound_effect(user, intentional, tmp_sound, sound_volume)
 
 	if(msg)
@@ -303,7 +307,7 @@
 		return TRUE
 	// if our emote would play sound but another audio emote is on cooldown, prevent this emote from being used.
 	// Note that this only applies to intentional emotes
-	if(get_sound(user) && should_play_sound(user, intentional) && !user.can_use_audio_emote())
+	if(get_sound(user) && should_play_sound(user, intentional) && !user.can_use_audio_emote(intentional))
 		return FALSE
 	var/cooldown_in_use
 	if(!isnull(user.emote_cooldown_override))
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_emote.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_emote.dm
index ee9d2730220..344aafb872d 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_emote.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/human_emote.dm
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
 	vary = TRUE
 	age_based = TRUE
 	cooldown = 5 SECONDS
+	unintentional_audio_cooldown = 3.5 SECONDS
 	mob_type_blacklist_typecache = list(
 		/mob/living/carbon/human/monkey, // screech instead
 		/mob/living/silicon // Robot sounds
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/living_emote.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/living_emote.dm
index 7270e45f6e4..62df24c9b5c 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/living_emote.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/living_emote.dm
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 	cooldown = 10 SECONDS
 	volume = 40
 	unintentional_stat_allowed = DEAD
+	bypass_unintentional_cooldown = TRUE  // again, this absolutely MUST play when a user dies, if it can.
 	message = "seizes up and falls limp, their eyes dead and lifeless..."
 	message_alien = "seizes up and falls limp, their eyes dead and lifeless..."
 	message_robot = "shudders violently for a moment before falling still, its eyes slowly darkening."
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/robot/robot.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/robot/robot.dm
index adc24e80b39..171a50e1c30 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/robot/robot.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/silicon/robot/robot.dm
@@ -1542,7 +1542,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(robot_verbs_default, list(
 
 
 	if(!is_component_functioning("power cell") || !cell || !cell.charge)
-		if(!start_audio_emote_cooldown(10 SECONDS))
+		if(!start_audio_emote_cooldown(TRUE, 10 SECONDS))
 			to_chat(src, "<span class='warning'>The low-power capacitor for your speaker system is still recharging, please try again later.</span>")
 			return
 		visible_message("<span class='warning'>The power warning light on <span class='name'>[src]</span> flashes urgently.</span>",\
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/mob_defines.dm b/code/modules/mob/mob_defines.dm
index 1882292a24c..278e424fcbb 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/mob_defines.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/mob_defines.dm
@@ -102,12 +102,14 @@
 	/// Cooldown on audio effects from emotes.
 	var/audio_emote_cd_status = EMOTE_READY
 
+	/// Cooldown on audio effects from unintentional emotes.
+	var/audio_emote_unintentional_cd_status = EMOTE_READY
+
 	/// Override for cooldowns on non-audio emotes. Should be a number in deciseconds.
 	var/emote_cooldown_override = null
 
 	/// Tracks last uses of emotes for cooldown purposes
 	var/list/emotes_used
-	var/list/emotes_on_cooldown
 
 	var/job = null //Living
 
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/mob_helpers.dm b/code/modules/mob/mob_helpers.dm
index 5ac82f4e641..584b619b0b5 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/mob_helpers.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/mob_helpers.dm
@@ -755,8 +755,9 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(intents, list(INTENT_HELP,INTENT_DISARM,INTENT_GRAB,INTENT_HARM
 /**
  * Helper proc to determine if a mob can use emotes that make sound or not.
  */
-/mob/proc/can_use_audio_emote()
-	switch(audio_emote_cd_status)
+/mob/proc/can_use_audio_emote(intentional)
+	var/emote_status = intentional ? audio_emote_cd_status : audio_emote_unintentional_cd_status
+	switch(emote_status)
 		if(EMOTE_INFINITE)  // Spam those emotes
 			return TRUE
 		if(EMOTE_ADMIN_BLOCKED)  // Cooldown emotes were disabled by an admin, prevent use
@@ -769,24 +770,37 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(intents, list(INTENT_HELP,INTENT_DISARM,INTENT_GRAB,INTENT_HARM
 	CRASH("Invalid emote type")
 
 /**
- * # Start the cooldown for an emote that plays audio.
+ * Start the cooldown for an emote that plays audio.
  *
- * * cooldown: The amount of time that should be waited before any other audio emote can fire.
+ * Arguments:
+ * * intentional - Whether or not the user deliberately triggered this emote.
+ * * cooldown - The amount of time that should be waited before any other audio emote can fire.
  */
-/mob/proc/start_audio_emote_cooldown(cooldown = AUDIO_EMOTE_COOLDOWN)
-	if(!can_use_audio_emote())
+/mob/proc/start_audio_emote_cooldown(intentional, cooldown = AUDIO_EMOTE_COOLDOWN)
+	if(!can_use_audio_emote(intentional))
 		return FALSE
 
-	if(audio_emote_cd_status == EMOTE_READY)
-		audio_emote_cd_status = EMOTE_ON_COOLDOWN	// Starting cooldown
-		addtimer(CALLBACK(src, .proc/on_audio_emote_cooldown_end), cooldown)
+	var/cooldown_source = intentional ? audio_emote_cd_status : audio_emote_unintentional_cd_status
+
+	if(cooldown_source == EMOTE_READY)
+		// we do have to juggle between cooldowns a little bit, but this lets us keep them on separate cooldowns so
+		// a user screaming every five seconds doesn't prevent them from sneezing.
+		if(intentional)
+			audio_emote_cd_status = EMOTE_ON_COOLDOWN	// Starting cooldown
+		else
+			audio_emote_unintentional_cd_status = EMOTE_ON_COOLDOWN
+		addtimer(CALLBACK(src, .proc/on_audio_emote_cooldown_end, intentional), cooldown)
 	return TRUE  // proceed with emote
 
 
-/mob/proc/on_audio_emote_cooldown_end()
-	if(audio_emote_cd_status == EMOTE_ON_COOLDOWN)
-		// only reset emotes that probably weren't set by an admin
-		audio_emote_cd_status = EMOTE_READY
+/mob/proc/on_audio_emote_cooldown_end(intentional)
+	if(intentional)
+		if(audio_emote_cd_status == EMOTE_ON_COOLDOWN)
+			// only reset to ready if we're in a cooldown state
+			audio_emote_cd_status = EMOTE_READY
+	else
+		if(audio_emote_unintentional_cd_status == EMOTE_ON_COOLDOWN)
+			audio_emote_unintentional_cd_status = EMOTE_READY
 
 /proc/stat_to_text(stat)
 	switch(stat)