diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
index f1732ade47fc..301f1a683d9d 100755
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
@@ -330,7 +330,8 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 
 	PostSetup()
 
-	// Toggle lightswitches on in occupied departments
+
+	// Toggle lightswitches off in unoccupied departments
 	var/list/lightup_area_typecache = list()
 	var/minimal_access = CONFIG_GET(flag/jobs_have_minimal_access)
 	for(var/mob/living/carbon/human/player in GLOB.player_list)
@@ -341,11 +342,17 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 		if(!job)
 			continue
 		lightup_area_typecache |= job.areas_to_light_up(minimal_access)
-	for(var/area in lightup_area_typecache)
-		var/area/place = locate(area) in GLOB.areas
-		if(!place || place.lights_always_start_on)
+
+	for(var/area/place as anything in GLOB.areas)
+		if(!istype(place))
 			continue
-		place.lightswitch = TRUE
+		if(place.lights_always_start_on)
+			continue
+		if(!is_station_level(place.z))
+			continue
+		if(is_type_in_typecache(place, lightup_area_typecache))
+			continue
+		place.lightswitch = FALSE
 		place.update_appearance()
 
 		for(var/obj/machinery/light_switch/lswitch in place)
diff --git a/code/game/area/Space_Station_13_areas.dm b/code/game/area/Space_Station_13_areas.dm
index b2d0e33cd69b..3a09e69d92c5 100644
--- a/code/game/area/Space_Station_13_areas.dm
+++ b/code/game/area/Space_Station_13_areas.dm
@@ -515,7 +515,6 @@ NOTE: there are two lists of areas in the end of this file: centcom and station
 /area/crew_quarters/theatre/abandoned
 	name = "Abandoned Theatre"
 	icon_state = "Theatre"
-	lights_always_start_on = FALSE
 
 /area/library
 	name = "Library"
diff --git a/code/game/area/areas.dm b/code/game/area/areas.dm
index 6f7c4e58b6ad..92cb1053db07 100644
--- a/code/game/area/areas.dm
+++ b/code/game/area/areas.dm
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@
 
 	/// Whether the lights in this area aren't turned off when it's empty at roundstart
 	var/lights_always_start_on = FALSE
+
 	
 /**
   * A list of teleport locations
diff --git a/code/game/machinery/lightswitch.dm b/code/game/machinery/lightswitch.dm
index 9e61e8634e17..4d94c08c4a52 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/lightswitch.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/lightswitch.dm
@@ -91,14 +91,6 @@
 		return INITIALIZE_HINT_LATELOAD
 	return INITIALIZE_HINT_NORMAL
 
-/obj/machinery/light_switch/LateInitialize()
-	if(!is_station_level(z))
-		return
-	var/area/source_area = get_area(get_turf(src))
-	if(source_area.lights_always_start_on)
-		return
-	turn_off()
-
 /obj/machinery/light_switch/update_appearance(updates=ALL)
 	. = ..()
 	luminosity = (stat & NOPOWER) ? 0 : 1
diff --git a/code/modules/power/lighting.dm b/code/modules/power/lighting.dm
index 63a2fb57bcf2..74489d3df45e 100644
--- a/code/modules/power/lighting.dm
+++ b/code/modules/power/lighting.dm
@@ -287,6 +287,9 @@
 	///More stress stuff.
 	var/turning_on = FALSE
 
+	///Flicker cooldown
+	COOLDOWN_DECLARE(flicker_cooldown)
+
 /obj/machinery/light/broken
 	status = LIGHT_BROKEN
 	icon_state = "tube-broken"
@@ -353,9 +356,6 @@
 	// Light projects out backwards from the dir of the light
 	set_light(l_dir = REVERSE_DIR(dir))
 
-	if(mapload && our_area.lights_always_start_on)
-		turn_on(trigger = FALSE, quiet = TRUE)
-
 	return INITIALIZE_HINT_LATELOAD
 
 /obj/machinery/light/LateInitialize()
@@ -729,8 +729,9 @@
 
 /obj/machinery/light/proc/flicker(amount = rand(10, 20))
 	set waitfor = 0
-	if(flickering)
+	if(flickering || !COOLDOWN_FINISHED(src, flicker_cooldown))
 		return
+	COOLDOWN_START(src, flicker_cooldown, 10 SECONDS)
 	flickering = 1
 	if(on && status == LIGHT_OK)
 		for(var/i = 0; i < amount; i++)
@@ -1075,9 +1076,9 @@
 	transfer_fingerprints_to(M)
 	qdel(src)
 
-/proc/flicker_all_lights()
+/proc/flicker_all_lights() //not QUITE all lights, but it reduces lag
 	for(var/obj/machinery/light/L in GLOB.machines)
-		if(is_station_level(L.z))
+		if(is_station_level(L.z) && prob(50))
 			addtimer(CALLBACK(L, TYPE_PROC_REF(/obj/machinery/light, flicker), rand(3, 6)), rand(0, 15))
 
 #undef LIGHT_ON_DELAY_UPPER