diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/components.dm b/code/__DEFINES/components.dm
index 4bb27d56d6..78ade5c650 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/components.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/components.dm
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@
 
 // How multiple components of the exact same type are handled in the same datum
 
-#define COMPONENT_DUPE_HIGHLANDER 0 //old component is deleted (default)
-#define COMPONENT_DUPE_ALLOWED 1    //duplicates allowed
-#define COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE 2     //new component is deleted
+#define COMPONENT_DUPE_HIGHLANDER 0		//old component is deleted (default)
+#define COMPONENT_DUPE_ALLOWED 1		//duplicates allowed
+#define COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE 2			//new component is deleted
+#define COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE_PASSARGS 4	//old component is given the initialization args of the new
 
 // All signals. Format:
 // When the signal is called: (signal arguments)
diff --git a/code/datums/components/README.md b/code/datums/components/README.md
index 574e628741..026b387e27 100644
--- a/code/datums/components/README.md
+++ b/code/datums/components/README.md
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ Stands have a lot of procs which mimic mob procs. Rather than inserting hooks fo
         * `COMPONENT_DUPE_HIGHLANDER` (default): Old component will be deleted, new component will first have `/datum/component/proc/InheritComponent(datum/component/old, FALSE)` on it
         * `COMPONENT_DUPE_ALLOWED`: The components will be treated as separate, `GetComponent()` will return the first added
         * `COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE`: New component will be deleted, old component will first have `/datum/component/proc/InheritComponent(datum/component/new, TRUE)` on it
+        * `COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE_PASSARGS`: New component will never exist and instead its initialization arguments will be passed on to the old component.
 1. `/datum/component/var/dupe_type` (protected, type)
     * Definition of a duplicate component type
         * `null` means exact match on `type` (default)
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ Stands have a lot of procs which mimic mob procs. Rather than inserting hooks fo
     * All components a datum owns are deleted with the datum
     * Returns the component that was created. Or the old component in a dupe situation where `COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE` was set
     * If this tries to add an component to an incompatible type, the component will be deleted and the result will be `null`. This is very unperformant, try not to do it
+    * Properly handles duplicate situations based on the `dupe_mode` var
 1. `/datum/proc/LoadComponent(component_type(type), ...) -> datum/component` (public, final)
     * Equivalent to calling `GetComponent(component_type)` where, if the result would be `null`, returns `AddComponent(component_type, ...)` instead
 1. `/datum/proc/ComponentActivated(datum/component/C)` (abstract, async)
@@ -104,9 +106,8 @@ Stands have a lot of procs which mimic mob procs. Rather than inserting hooks fo
     * Allows the component to react to ownership transfers
 1. `/datum/component/proc/_RemoveFromParent()` (private, final)
     * Clears `parent` and removes the component from it's component list
-1. `/datum/component/proc/_CheckDupesAndJoinParent` (private, final)
+1. `/datum/component/proc/_JoinParent` (private, final)
     * Tries to add the component to it's `parent`s `datum_components` list
-    * Properly handles duplicate situations based on the `dupe_mode` var
 1. `/datum/component/proc/RegisterSignal(signal(string/list of strings), proc_ref(type), override(boolean))` (protected, final) (Consider removing for performance gainz)
     * If signal is a list it will be as if RegisterSignal was called for each of the entries with the same following arguments
     * Makes a component listen for the specified `signal` on it's `parent` datum.
diff --git a/code/datums/components/_component.dm b/code/datums/components/_component.dm
index c54376d787..fcd4651459 100644
--- a/code/datums/components/_component.dm
+++ b/code/datums/components/_component.dm
@@ -6,54 +6,16 @@
 	var/datum/parent
 
 /datum/component/New(datum/P, ...)
-	if(type == /datum/component)
-		qdel(src)
-		CRASH("[type] instantiated!")
-
-	//check for common mishaps
-	if(!isnum(dupe_mode))
-		qdel(src)
-		CRASH("[type]: Invalid dupe_mode!")
-	var/dt = dupe_type
-	if(dt && !ispath(dt))
-		qdel(src)
-		CRASH("[type]: Invalid dupe_type!")
-
 	parent = P
 	var/list/arguments = args.Copy(2)
 	if(Initialize(arglist(arguments)) == COMPONENT_INCOMPATIBLE)
 		qdel(src, TRUE, TRUE)
 		return
 
-	_CheckDupesAndJoinParent(P)
+	_JoinParent(P)
 
-/datum/component/proc/_CheckDupesAndJoinParent()
+/datum/component/proc/_JoinParent()
 	var/datum/P = parent
-	var/dm = dupe_mode
-
-	var/datum/component/old
-	if(dm != COMPONENT_DUPE_ALLOWED)
-		var/dt = dupe_type
-		if(!dt)
-			old = P.GetExactComponent(type)
-		else
-			old = P.GetComponent(dt)
-		if(old)
-			//One or the other has to die
-			switch(dm)
-				if(COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE)
-					old.InheritComponent(src, TRUE)
-					qdel(src, TRUE, TRUE)
-					return
-				if(COMPONENT_DUPE_HIGHLANDER)
-					InheritComponent(old, FALSE)
-					qdel(old, FALSE, TRUE)
-
-	//provided we didn't eat someone
-	if(!old)
-		//let the others know
-		P.SendSignal(COMSIG_COMPONENT_ADDED, src)
-
 	//lazy init the parent's dc list
 	var/list/dc = P.datum_components
 	if(!dc)
@@ -212,10 +174,59 @@
 		return list(.)
 
 /datum/proc/AddComponent(new_type, ...)
-	var/nt = new_type
+	var/datum/component/nt = new_type
+	var/dm = initial(nt.dupe_mode)
+	var/dt = initial(nt.dupe_type)
+
+	var/datum/component/old_comp
+	var/datum/component/new_comp
+	
+	if(ispath(nt))
+		if(nt == /datum/component)
+			CRASH("[nt] attempted instantiation!")
+		if(!isnum(dm))
+			CRASH("[nt]: Invalid dupe_mode ([dm])!")
+		if(dt && !ispath(dt))
+			CRASH("[nt]: Invalid dupe_type ([dt])!")
+	else
+		new_comp = nt
+
 	args[1] = src
-	var/datum/component/C = new nt(arglist(args))
-	return QDELING(C) ? GetExactComponent(new_type) : C
+
+	if(dm != COMPONENT_DUPE_ALLOWED)
+		if(!dt)
+			old_comp = GetExactComponent(nt)
+		else
+			old_comp = GetComponent(dt)
+		if(old_comp)
+			switch(dm)
+				if(COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE)
+					if(!new_comp)
+						new_comp = new nt(arglist(args))
+					if(!QDELETED(new_comp))
+						old_comp.InheritComponent(new_comp, TRUE)
+						qdel(new_comp)
+				if(COMPONENT_DUPE_HIGHLANDER)
+					if(!new_comp)
+						new_comp = new nt(arglist(args))
+					if(!QDELETED(new_comp))
+						new_comp.InheritComponent(old_comp, FALSE)
+						qdel(old_comp)
+				if(COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE_PASSARGS)
+					if(!new_comp)
+						var/list/arguments = args.Copy(2)
+						old_comp.InheritComponent(null, TRUE, arguments)
+					else
+						old_comp.InheritComponent(new_comp, TRUE)
+		else if(!new_comp)
+			new_comp = new nt(arglist(args)) // There's a valid dupe mode but there's no old component, act like normal
+	else if(!new_comp)
+		new_comp = new nt(arglist(args)) // Dupes are allowed, act like normal
+
+	if(!old_comp && !QDELETED(new_comp)) // Nothing related to duplicate components happened and the new component is healthy
+		SendSignal(COMSIG_COMPONENT_ADDED, new_comp)
+		return new_comp
+	return old_comp
 
 /datum/proc/LoadComponent(component_type, ...)
 	. = GetComponent(component_type)
@@ -235,7 +246,8 @@
 	C._RemoveFromParent()
 	helicopter.SendSignal(COMSIG_COMPONENT_REMOVING, C)
 	C.parent = src
-	C._CheckDupesAndJoinParent()
+	if(C == AddComponent(C))
+		C._JoinParent()
 
 /datum/proc/TransferComponents(datum/target)
 	var/list/dc = datum_components
diff --git a/code/datums/components/radioactive.dm b/code/datums/components/radioactive.dm
index c149fd8492..fc0456ad10 100644
--- a/code/datums/components/radioactive.dm
+++ b/code/datums/components/radioactive.dm
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #define RAD_AMOUNT_EXTREME 1000
 
 /datum/component/radioactive
-	dupe_mode = COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE
+	dupe_mode = COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE_PASSARGS
 
 	var/source
 
@@ -47,13 +47,16 @@
 	if(strength <= RAD_BACKGROUND_RADIATION)
 		return PROCESS_KILL
 
-/datum/component/radioactive/InheritComponent(datum/component/C, i_am_original)
+/datum/component/radioactive/InheritComponent(datum/component/C, i_am_original, list/arguments)
 	if(!i_am_original)
 		return
 	if(!hl3_release_date) // Permanently radioactive things don't get to grow stronger
 		return
-	var/datum/component/radioactive/other = C
-	strength = max(strength, other.strength)
+	if(C)
+		var/datum/component/radioactive/other = C
+		strength = max(strength, other.strength)
+	else
+		strength = max(strength, arguments[1])
 
 /datum/component/radioactive/proc/rad_examine(mob/user, atom/thing)
 	var/atom/master = parent
diff --git a/code/datums/components/thermite.dm b/code/datums/components/thermite.dm
index f76178213d..11611cadfb 100644
--- a/code/datums/components/thermite.dm
+++ b/code/datums/components/thermite.dm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /datum/component/thermite
-	dupe_mode = COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE
+	dupe_mode = COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE_PASSARGS
 	var/amount
 	var/overlay
 
@@ -46,10 +46,13 @@
 	master.cut_overlay(overlay)
 	return ..()
 
-/datum/component/thermite/InheritComponent(datum/component/thermite/newC, i_am_original)
+/datum/component/thermite/InheritComponent(datum/component/thermite/newC, i_am_original, list/arguments)
 	if(!i_am_original)
 		return
-	amount += newC.amount
+	if(newC)
+		amount += newC.amount
+	else
+		amount += arguments[1]
 
 /datum/component/thermite/proc/thermite_melt(mob/user)
 	var/turf/master = parent