diff --git a/code/modules/mob/dead/observer/observer.dm b/code/modules/mob/dead/observer/observer.dm
index 65d618d7ce..42e0f89d68 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/dead/observer/observer.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/dead/observer/observer.dm
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 	var/started_as_observer //This variable is set to 1 when you enter the game as an observer.
 							//If you died in the game and are a ghsot - this will remain as null.
 							//Note that this is not a reliable way to determine if admins started as observers, since they change mobs a lot.
+	universal_speak = 1
 
 /mob/dead/observer/New(mob/body)
 	sight |= SEE_TURFS | SEE_MOBS | SEE_OBJS | SEE_SELF
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/new_player/new_player.dm b/code/modules/mob/new_player/new_player.dm
index 7cabdec941..b26a2bef6d 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/new_player/new_player.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/new_player/new_player.dm
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 	var/spawning = 0//Referenced when you want to delete the new_player later on in the code.
 	var/totalPlayers = 0		 //Player counts for the Lobby tab
 	var/totalPlayersReady = 0
+	universal_speak = 1
 
 	invisibility = 101