diff --git a/code/game/atoms.dm b/code/game/atoms.dm
index b5cd140c36..f3c3588c07 100644
--- a/code/game/atoms.dm
+++ b/code/game/atoms.dm
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@
 	LAZYINITLIST(blood_DNA["color"])
 	var/old_length = blood_DNA.len
 	blood_DNA |= new_blood_dna
-	blood_DNA["color"] += new_blood_dna["bloodcolor"]
+	blood_DNA["color"] += new_blood_dna["color"]
 	if(blood_DNA.len == old_length)
 		return FALSE
 	return TRUE
@@ -476,8 +476,8 @@
 
 	var/old_length = blood_DNA.len
 	blood_DNA |= blood_dna
-	blood_DNA["color"] += blood_dna["bloodcolor"]
 	if(blood_DNA.len > old_length)
+		blood_DNA["color"] += blood_dna["color"]
 		return TRUE
 		//some new blood DNA was added