diff --git a/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm b/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm
index 2813c64425f..6e5ca9e91ba 100644
--- a/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm
+++ b/code/__HELPERS/unsorted.dm
@@ -1562,12 +1562,6 @@ GLOBAL_DATUM_INIT(dview_mob, /mob/dview, new)
 		if(areas)
 			. |= T.loc
 
-/proc/turf_clear(turf/T)
-	for(var/atom/A in T)
-		if(A.simulated)
-			return FALSE
-	return TRUE
-
 /proc/screen_loc2turf(scr_loc, turf/origin)
 	var/tX = splittext(scr_loc, ",")
 	var/tY = splittext(tX[2], ":")
diff --git a/code/modules/events/infestation.dm b/code/modules/events/infestation.dm
index d3a9ff95745..ca3c31111b8 100644
--- a/code/modules/events/infestation.dm
+++ b/code/modules/events/infestation.dm
@@ -27,17 +27,27 @@
 
 /datum/event/infestation/start()
 	var/list/turf/simulated/floor/turfs = list()
-	spawn_area_type = pick(spawn_areas)
-	for(var/areapath in typesof(spawn_area_type))
-		var/area/A = locate(areapath)
-		if(!A)
-			log_debug("Failed to locate area for infestation event!")
-			kill()
-			return
-		for(var/turf/simulated/floor/F in A.contents)
-			if(turf_clear(F))
-				turfs += F
+	// shuffle in place so we don't have do that dance where we make a copy of
+	// the list, then pick and take, then do some conditional logic to make sure
+	// there's still areas to choose from, etc etc, it's a small list, it's cheap
+	shuffle_inplace(spawn_areas)
+	for(var/spawn_area in spawn_areas)
+		for(var/area_type in typesof(spawn_area))
+			var/area/destination = locate(area_type)
+			if(!destination)
+				continue
+			for(var/turf/simulated/floor/F in destination.contents)
+				if(!is_blocked_turf(F))
+					turfs += F
+			if(length(turfs))
+				spawn_area_type = area_type
+				spawn_on_turfs(turfs)
+				return
 
+	log_debug("Failed to locate area for infestation event!")
+	kill()
+
+/datum/event/infestation/proc/spawn_on_turfs(list/turfs)
 	var/list/spawn_types = list()
 	var/max_number
 	vermin = rand(0, 2)