diff --git a/code/modules/mob/animations.dm b/code/modules/mob/animations.dm
index 01f9a7bf026..5f120e94094 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/animations.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/animations.dm
@@ -171,7 +171,17 @@ note dizziness decrements automatically in the mob's Life() proc.
 
 /mob/living/do_attack_animation(atom/A)
 	..()
-	is_floating = 0 // If we were without gravity, the bouncing animation got stopped, so we make sure we restart the bouncing after the next movement.
+	//Check for clients with pref enabled
+	var/list/viewing = list()
+	for(var/m in viewers(A))
+		var/mob/M = m
+		var/client/C = M.client
+		if(C && C.is_preference_enabled(/datum/client_preference/attack_icons))
+			viewing += M.client
+
+	//Animals attacking each other in the distance, probably. Forgeddaboutit.
+	if(!viewing.len)
+		return FALSE
 
 	// What icon do we use for the attack?
 	var/obj/used_item
@@ -184,6 +194,9 @@ note dizziness decrements automatically in the mob's Life() proc.
 	if(!used_item && !(attack_icon && attack_icon_state))
 		return FALSE //Didn't find an item, not doing animation.
 
+	// If we were without gravity, the bouncing animation got stopped, so we make sure we restart the bouncing after the next movement.
+	is_floating = 0
+
 	var/image/I
 
 	if(used_item) //Found an in-hand item to animate
@@ -196,13 +209,7 @@ note dizziness decrements automatically in the mob's Life() proc.
 		I = image(attack_icon, A, attack_icon_state, A.layer + 1)
 		I.dir = dir
 
-	//Check for clients with pref enabled
-	var/list/viewing = list()
-	for(var/m in viewers(A))
-		var/mob/M = m
-		var/client/C = M.client
-		if(C && C.is_preference_enabled(/datum/client_preference/attack_icons))
-			viewing += M.client
+	// Show the overlay to the clients
 	flick_overlay(I, viewing, 5, TRUE) // 5 ticks/half a second
 
 	// Set the direction of the icon animation.
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
index 1a3ee31fc59..b5fc87c7698 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
@@ -298,12 +298,16 @@ proc/get_radio_key_from_channel(var/channel)
 	else
 		return 1 //If we're in nullspace, then forget it.
 
+	//Remember the speech images so we can remove them later and they can get GC'd
+	var/list/images_to_clients = list()
+
 	//The 'post-say' static speech bubble
 	var/speech_bubble_test = say_test(message)
 	//var/image/speech_bubble = image('icons/mob/talk_vr.dmi',src,"h[speech_bubble_test]") //VOREStation Edit. Commented this out in case we need to reenable.
 	var/speech_type = speech_bubble_appearance()
 	var/image/speech_bubble = image('icons/mob/talk_vr.dmi',src,"[speech_type][speech_bubble_test]") //VOREStation Edit - talk_vr.dmi instead of talk.dmi for right-side icons
-	spawn(30) qdel(speech_bubble)
+	images_to_clients[speech_bubble] = list()
+
 
 	// Attempt Multi-Z Talking
 	var/mob/above = src.shadow
@@ -312,7 +316,7 @@ proc/get_radio_key_from_channel(var/channel)
 		if(ST)
 			var/list/results = get_mobs_and_objs_in_view_fast(ST, world.view)
 			var/image/z_speech_bubble = image('icons/mob/talk_vr.dmi', above, "h[speech_bubble_test]") //VOREStation Edit - talk_vr.dmi instead of talk.dmi for right-side icons
-			spawn(30) qdel(z_speech_bubble)
+			images_to_clients[z_speech_bubble] = list()
 			for(var/item in results["mobs"])
 				if(item != above && !(item in listening))
 					listening[item] = z_speech_bubble
@@ -327,12 +331,17 @@ proc/get_radio_key_from_channel(var/channel)
 				var/dst = get_dist(get_turf(M),get_turf(src))
 
 				if(dst <= message_range || (M.stat == DEAD && !forbid_seeing_deadchat)) //Inside normal message range, or dead with ears (handled in the view proc)
-					M << (listening[M] || speech_bubble) // Send the image attached to shadow mob if available
+					if(M.client)
+						var/image/I1 = listening[M] || speech_bubble
+						images_to_clients[I1] |= M.client
+						M << I1
 					M.hear_say(message, verb, speaking, alt_name, italics, src, speech_sound, sound_vol)
-
 				if(whispering) //Don't even bother with these unless whispering
 					if(dst > message_range && dst <= w_scramble_range) //Inside whisper scramble range
-						M << (listening[M] || speech_bubble) // Send the image attached to shadow mob if available
+						if(M.client)
+							var/image/I2 = listening[M] || speech_bubble
+							images_to_clients[I2] |= M.client
+							M << I2
 						M.hear_say(stars(message), verb, speaking, alt_name, italics, src, speech_sound, sound_vol*0.2)
 					if(dst > w_scramble_range && dst <= world.view) //Inside whisper 'visible' range
 						M.show_message("<span class='game say'><span class='name'>[src.name]</span> [w_not_heard].</span>", 2)
@@ -345,6 +354,16 @@ proc/get_radio_key_from_channel(var/channel)
 				if(dst <= message_range)
 					O.hear_talk(src, message, verb, speaking)
 
+	//Remove all those images. At least it's just ONE spawn this time.
+	spawn(30)
+		for(var/img in images_to_clients)
+			var/image/I = img
+			var/list/clients_from_image = images_to_clients[I]
+			for(var/client in clients_from_image)
+				var/client/C = client
+				C.images -= I
+			qdel(I)
+
 	//Log the message to file
 	log_say("[name]/[key][whispering ? " (W)" : ""]: [message]")
 	return 1