diff --git a/code/datums/cache/air_alarm.dm b/code/datums/cache/air_alarm.dm
index 2edc0792a34..fd9e529d70a 100644
--- a/code/datums/cache/air_alarm.dm
+++ b/code/datums/cache/air_alarm.dm
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#define AIR_ALARM_DATA_CACHE_DURATION 10 SECONDS
+
 GLOBAL_DATUM_INIT(air_alarm_repository, /datum/repository/air_alarm, new())
 
 /datum/repository/air_alarm/proc/air_alarm_data(var/list/monitored_alarms, var/refresh = 0, var/obj/machinery/alarm/passed_alarm)
@@ -8,7 +10,7 @@ GLOBAL_DATUM_INIT(air_alarm_repository, /datum/repository/air_alarm, new())
 		cache_entry = new/datum/cache_entry
 		cache_data = cache_entry
 
-	if(!refresh)
+	if(!refresh && cache_entry.timestamp + AIR_ALARM_DATA_CACHE_DURATION > world.time)
 		return cache_entry.data
 
 	if(SSticker && SSticker.current_state < GAME_STATE_PLAYING && istype(passed_alarm)) // Generating the list for the first time as the game hasn't started - no need to run through the machines list everything every time
@@ -29,3 +31,5 @@ GLOBAL_DATUM_INIT(air_alarm_repository, /datum/repository/air_alarm, new())
 
 /datum/repository/air_alarm/proc/update_cache(var/obj/machinery/alarm/alarm)
 	return air_alarm_data(refresh = 1, passed_alarm = alarm)
+
+#undef AIR_ALARM_DATA_CACHE_DURATION