diff --git a/code/__DEFINES/atmospherics.dm b/code/__DEFINES/atmospherics.dm
index d3d1445c7d..383e4c8bcc 100644
--- a/code/__DEFINES/atmospherics.dm
+++ b/code/__DEFINES/atmospherics.dm
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #define SPACE_HEAT_TRANSFER_COEFFICIENT		0.2		//a hack to partly simulate radiative heat
 #define OPEN_HEAT_TRANSFER_COEFFICIENT		0.4
 #define WINDOW_HEAT_TRANSFER_COEFFICIENT	0.1		//a hack for now
+#define HEAT_CAPACITY_VACUUM				7000	//a hack to help make vacuums "cold", sacrificing realism for gameplay
 	//Must be between 0 and 1. Values closer to 1 equalize temperature faster
 	//Should not exceed 0.4 else strange heat flow occur
 #define FIRE_MINIMUM_TEMPERATURE_TO_SPREAD	150+T0C
diff --git a/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/gas_mixture.dm b/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/gas_mixture.dm
index 605d9b455a..44784ecec1 100644
--- a/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/gas_mixture.dm
+++ b/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/gas_mixture.dm
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(gaslist_cache, init_gaslist_cache())
 	for(var/id in cached_gases)
 		var/gas_data = cached_gases[id]
 		. += gas_data[MOLES] * gas_data[GAS_META][META_GAS_SPECIFIC_HEAT]
+	if(!.) //if no heat capacity, we're a vacuum - things get weird like this but this hack sorta works
+		. += HEAT_CAPACITY_VACUUM
+
 
 /datum/gas_mixture/proc/heat_capacity_archived() //joules per kelvin
 	var/list/cached_gases = gases
diff --git a/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/immutable_mixtures.dm b/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/immutable_mixtures.dm
index 55334cc087..4097ab5c6a 100644
--- a/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/immutable_mixtures.dm
+++ b/code/modules/atmospherics/gasmixtures/immutable_mixtures.dm
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 	initial_temperature = TCMB
 
 /datum/gas_mixture/immutable/space/heat_capacity()
-	return 7000
+	return HEAT_CAPACITY_VACUUM
 
 /datum/gas_mixture/immutable/space/remove()
 	return copy() //we're always empty, so we can just return a copy.