diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/_flags/item_flags.dm b/code/__DEFINES/_flags/item_flags.dm
index a84ed02dbd..58fa82ba9b 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/_flags/item_flags.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/_flags/item_flags.dm
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 #define NO_UNIFORM_REQUIRED					(1<<11) //Can be worn on certain slots (currently belt and id) that would otherwise require an uniform.
 #define NO_ATTACK_CHAIN_SOFT_STAMCRIT		(1<<12)		//Entirely blocks melee_attack_chain() if user is soft stamcritted. Uses getStaminaLoss() to check at this point in time. THIS DOES NOT BLOCK RANGED AFTERATTACK()S, ONLY MELEE RANGE AFTERATTACK()S.
 /// This item can be used to parry. Only a basic check used to determine if we should proceed with parry chain at all.
-#define ITEM_CAN_PARRY						(1<<0)
+#define ITEM_CAN_PARRY						(1<<13)
 /// This item can be used in the directional blocking system. Only a basic check used to determine if we should proceed with directional block handling at all.
-#define ITEM_CAN_BLOCK						(1<<1)
+#define ITEM_CAN_BLOCK						(1<<14)
 
 
 // Flags for the clothing_flags var on /obj/item/clothing
diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/flags/do_after.dm b/code/__DEFINES/flags/do_after.dm
index ffef70afbb..26802736cf 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/flags/do_after.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/flags/do_after.dm
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@
 #define DO_AFTER_ALLOW_NONSPACEDRIFT_RELATIVITY		(1<<8)
 
 /// Ignores checks.
-#define DO_AFTER_PROCEED		2
+#define DO_AFTER_PROCEED		"PROCEED"
 /// Uses all other checks
-#define DO_AFTER_CONTINUE		NONE
+#define DO_AFTER_CONTINUE		"CONTINUE"
 /// Breaks
-#define DO_AFTER_STOP			1
+#define DO_AFTER_STOP			"STOP"
 
 /// Stage - initiating a do_after
 #define DO_AFTER_STARTING 1
diff --git a/code/__HELPERS/do_after.dm b/code/__HELPERS/do_after.dm
index 3a4889fe4c..da49b54060 100644
--- a/code/__HELPERS/do_after.dm
+++ b/code/__HELPERS/do_after.dm
@@ -18,18 +18,14 @@
 #define INVOKE_CALLBACK cb_return = extra_checks?.Invoke(user, delay, target, world.time - starttime, do_after_flags, required_mobility_flags, required_combat_flags, mob_redirect, stage, initially_held_item, tool)
 #define CHECK_FLAG_FAILURE ((required_mobility_flags || required_combat_flags) && (!living_user || !CHECK_ALL_MOBILITY(living_user, required_mobility_flags) || !CHECK_MULTIPLE_BITFIELDS(living_user.combat_flags, required_combat_flags)))
 #define TIMELEFT (world.time - starttime)
-#define DEBUG to_chat(world, "DEBUG: [__LINE__] executing")
 /proc/do_after_advanced(atom/user, delay, atom/target, do_after_flags, datum/callback/extra_checks, required_mobility_flags, required_combat_flags, mob/living/mob_redirect, obj/item/tool)
-	DEBUG
 	// CHECK AND SET VARIABLES
 	if(!user)
 		return FALSE
-	DEBUG
 	if(!target)
 		target = user
 	if((user.loc == null) || (target.loc == null))
 		return FALSE
-	DEBUG
 	var/mob/living/living_user = mob_redirect
 	if(!living_user && isliving(user))
 		living_user = user
@@ -38,16 +34,13 @@
 	var/startloctarget = target.loc
 	var/turf/userturf = get_turf(user)
 	var/turf/targetturf = get_turf(target)
-	DEBUG
 	if(!userturf || !targetturf)
 		return FALSE
-	DEBUG
 	if((do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_REQUIRES_USER_ON_TURF) && !isturf(user.loc))
 		return FALSE
 	var/starttime = world.time
 	var/endtime = world.time + delay
 	var/obj/item/initially_held_item = mob_redirect?.get_active_held_item()
-	DEBUG
 	if(!(do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_NO_COEFFICIENT) && living_user)
 		delay *= living_user.do_after_coefficent()
 	var/atom/movable/AM_user = ismovable(user) && user
@@ -59,13 +52,11 @@
 	// DO OUR STARTING CHECKS
 	var/cb_return
 	INVOKE_CALLBACK
-	DEBUG
 	if(cb_return == DO_AFTER_STOP)
 		return FALSE
 	else if(cb_return != DO_AFTER_PROCEED)
 		if(CHECK_FLAG_FAILURE)
 			return FALSE
-	DEBUG
 	// SETUP LOOP
 	var/datum/progressbar/progbar
 	if(living_user)
@@ -86,13 +77,11 @@
 			. = FALSE
 			break
 		INVOKE_CALLBACK
-		DEBUG
 		if(cb_return == DO_AFTER_STOP)
 			. = FALSE
 			break
 		else if(cb_return == DO_AFTER_PROCEED)
 			continue
-		DEBUG
 		// otherwise, go through our normal checks.
 		if(((do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_DISALLOW_MOVING_ABSOLUTE_USER) && (user.loc != startlocuser)) || ((do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_DISALLOW_MOVING_ABSOLUTE_TARGET) && (target.loc != startloctarget)))
 			. = FALSE
@@ -111,24 +100,20 @@
 			if(locchanged && !drifting && !(do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_ALLOW_NONSPACEDRIFT_RELATIVITY))
 				. = FALSE
 				break
-		DEBUG
 		if(!AM_user.inertia_dir)
 			drifting = FALSE
 		if((do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_REQUIRES_USER_ON_TURF) && !isturf(user.loc))
 			return FALSE
-		DEBUG
 		if(CHECK_FLAG_FAILURE)
 			. = FALSE
 			break
 		held = living_user?.get_active_held_item()
-		DEBUG
 		if((do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_DISALLOW_ACTIVE_ITEM_CHANGE) && (held != (tool || initially_held_item)))
 			. = FALSE
 			break
 		if((do_after_flags & DO_AFTER_REQUIRE_FREE_HAND_OR_TOOL) && (!living_user?.is_holding(tool) && !length(living_user?.get_empty_held_indexes())))
 			. = FALSE
 			break
-	DEBUG
 
 	// CLEANUP
 	qdel(progbar)
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/living_active_block.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/living_active_block.dm
index c5836abbde..ae779f2dd4 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/living_active_block.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/living_active_block.dm
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@
 	if(!active_blocking)
 		return FALSE
 	var/obj/item/I = active_block_item
-	active_block_effect_end()
 	active_blocking = FALSE
 	active_block_item = null
 	REMOVE_TRAIT(src, TRAIT_MOBILITY_NOUSE, ACTIVE_BLOCK_TRAIT)
-	remove_movespeed_modifier(MOVESPEED_ID_ACTIVE_BLOCK)
+	remove_movespeed_modifier(/datum/movespeed_modifier/active_block)
+	active_block_effect_end()
 	var/datum/block_parry_data/data = I.get_block_parry_data()
 	if(timeToNextMove() < data.block_end_click_cd_add)
 		changeNext_move(data.block_end_click_cd_add)
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 	active_block_item = I
 	if(data.block_lock_attacking)
 		ADD_TRAIT(src, TRAIT_MOBILITY_NOUSE, ACTIVE_BLOCK_TRAIT)		//probably should be something else at some point
-	add_movespeed_modifier(MOVESPEED_ID_ACTIVE_BLOCK, TRUE, 100, override = TRUE, multiplicative_slowdown = data.block_slowdown, blacklisted_movetypes = FLOATING)
+	add_or_update_variable_movespeed_modifier(/datum/movespeed_modifier/active_block, multiplicative_slowdown = data.block_slowdown)
 	active_block_effect_start()
 	return TRUE
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 	animate(src, pixel_x = get_standard_pixel_x_offset(), pixel_y = get_standard_pixel_y_offset(), time = 2.5, FALSE, SINE_EASING | EASE_IN)
 
 /mob/living/proc/continue_starting_active_block()
-	return active_block_starting != ACTIVE_BLOCK_STARTING_INTERRUPT
+	return (active_block_starting != ACTIVE_BLOCK_STARTING_INTERRUPT)? DO_AFTER_CONTINUE : DO_AFTER_STOP
 
 /mob/living/get_standard_pixel_x_offset()
 	. = ..()
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/living_block.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/living_block.dm
index 6245859bf0..6fc20f6478 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/living_block.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/living_block.dm
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@
 /mob/living/proc/get_blocking_items()
 	. = list()
 	if(active_block_item)
-		.[active_block_item] = active_block_item.block_parry_data.block_active_priority
+		var/datum/block_parry_data/data = active_block_item.get_block_parry_data()
+		.[active_block_item] = data.block_active_priority
 	SEND_SIGNAL(src, COMSIG_LIVING_GET_BLOCKING_ITEMS, .)
 	for(var/obj/item/I in held_items)
 		// this is a bad check but i am not removing it until a better catchall is made
diff --git a/code/modules/movespeed/modifiers/mobs.dm b/code/modules/movespeed/modifiers/mobs.dm
index aa60966591..d468c133a6 100644
--- a/code/modules/movespeed/modifiers/mobs.dm
+++ b/code/modules/movespeed/modifiers/mobs.dm
@@ -118,3 +118,7 @@
 /datum/movespeed_modifier/liver_cirrhosis
 	blacklisted_movetypes = FLOATING
 	variable = TRUE
+
+/datum/movespeed_modifier/active_block
+	variable = TRUE
+	flags = IGNORE_NOSLOW