diff --git a/code/modules/integrated_electronics/_defines.dm b/code/modules/integrated_electronics/_defines.dm
index a0b381f3a6c..017e7a1bf1d 100644
--- a/code/modules/integrated_electronics/_defines.dm
+++ b/code/modules/integrated_electronics/_defines.dm
@@ -242,11 +242,12 @@
 	var/list/linked = list()
 	var/io_type = DATA_CHANNEL
 
-/datum/integrated_io/New(var/newloc)
+/datum/integrated_io/New(var/newloc, var/name)
 	..()
+	src.name = name
 	holder = newloc
-	if(!holder)
-		message_admins("ERROR: An integrated_io ([src.name]) spawned without a holder!  This is a bug.")
+	if(!istype(holder))
+		message_admins("ERROR: An integrated_io ([src.name]) spawned without a valid holder!  This is a bug.")
 
 /datum/integrated_io/Destroy()
 	disconnect()
@@ -270,9 +271,10 @@
 		return "(null)" // Empty data means nothing to show.
 	if(istext(data))
 		return "(\"[data]\")" // Wraps the 'string' in escaped quotes, so that people know it's a 'string'.
-	if(istype(data, /atom))
-		var/atom/A = data
-		return "([A.name] \[Ref\])" // For refs, we want just the name displayed.
+	if(isweakref(data))
+		var/weakref/w = data
+		var/atom/A = w.resolve()
+		return A ? "([A.name] \[Ref\])" : "(null)" // For refs, we want just the name displayed.
 	return "([data])" // Nothing special needed for numbers or other stuff.
 
 /datum/integrated_io/activate/display_data()
diff --git a/code/modules/integrated_electronics/tools.dm b/code/modules/integrated_electronics/tools.dm
index b0bc22cddcc..e996fae872e 100644
--- a/code/modules/integrated_electronics/tools.dm
+++ b/code/modules/integrated_electronics/tools.dm
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
 
 /obj/item/device/integrated_electronics/debugger/afterattack(atom/target, mob/living/user, proximity)
 	if(accepting_refs && proximity)
-		data_to_write = target
+		data_to_write = weakref(target)
 		visible_message("<span class='notice'>[user] slides \a [src]'s over \the [target].</span>")
 		to_chat(user, "<span class='notice'>You set \the [src]'s memory to a reference to [target.name] \[Ref\].  The ref scanner is \
 		now off.</span>")
@@ -146,7 +146,12 @@
 /obj/item/device/integrated_electronics/debugger/proc/write_data(var/datum/integrated_io/io, mob/user)
 	if(io.io_type == DATA_CHANNEL)
 		io.write_data_to_pin(data_to_write)
-		to_chat(user, "<span class='notice'>You write '[data_to_write ? data_to_write : "NULL"]' to the '[io]' pin of \the [io.holder].</span>")
+		var/data_to_show = data_to_write
+		if(isweakref(data_to_write))
+			var/weakref/w = data_to_write
+			var/atom/A = w.resolve()
+			data_to_show = A.name
+		to_chat(user, "<span class='notice'>You write '[data_to_write ? data_to_show : "NULL"]' to the '[io]' pin of \the [io.holder].</span>")
 	else if(io.io_type == PULSE_CHANNEL)
 		io.holder.check_then_do_work()
 		to_chat(user, "<span class='notice'>You pulse \the [io.holder]'s [io].</span>")