diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
index 94e4a34dbca..4214bb27b07 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@
 		//world << "channel_prefix=[channel_prefix]; message_mode=[message_mode]"
 		if (message_mode)
 			message = trim(copytext(message, 3))
-			//if (!ishuman(src) && (message_mode=="department" || (message_mode in radiochannels)))
-			//	message_mode = null //only humans can use headsets
+			if (!(ishuman(src) || istype(src, /mob/living/simple_animal)) && (message_mode=="department" || (message_mode in radiochannels)))
+				message_mode = null //only humans can use headsets
 			// Check removed so parrots can use headsets!
 
 	if (!message)
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/life.dm b/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/life.dm
index 7816457a940..2a3e918a6eb 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/life.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/life.dm
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@
 	var/wall_smash = 0 //if they can smash walls
 
 	var/speed = 0 //LETS SEE IF I CAN SET SPEEDS FOR SIMPLE MOBS WITHOUT DESTROYING EVERYTHING. Higher speed is slower, negative speed is faster
+
+	var/obj/item/device/radio/headset/ears = null
 /mob/living/simple_animal/New()
 	..()
 	verbs -= /mob/verb/observe
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/parrot.dm b/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/parrot.dm
index e31ab772792..48faf0c9c7d 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/parrot.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/simple_animal/parrot.dm
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 	response_disarm = "gently moves aside the"
 	response_harm   = "swats the"
 
-	var/obj/item/device/radio/headset/ears = new /obj/item/device/radio/headset/heads/ce()
+	ears = new /obj/item/device/radio/headset/heads/ce()
 
 /mob/living/simple_animal/parrot/DrProfessor
 	name = "Doctor Professor Parrot, PhD"