diff --git a/code/game/machinery/buttons.dm b/code/game/machinery/buttons.dm
index ad3dd5d720..3a90707bbe 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/buttons.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/buttons.dm
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 	resistance_flags = INDESTRUCTIBLE | LAVA_PROOF | FIRE_PROOF | UNACIDABLE | ACID_PROOF
 
 /obj/machinery/button/Initialize(mapload, ndir = 0, built = 0)
+	if(istext(id) && mapload)
+		if(copytext(id, 1, 2) == "!")
+			id = SSmapping.get_obfuscated_id(id)
 	. = ..()
 	if(built)
 		setDir(ndir)
@@ -260,6 +263,11 @@
 	req_access = list()
 	id = 1
 
+/obj/machinery/button/electrochromatic
+	name = "window dim control"
+	desc = "Controls linked electrochromatic windows"
+	device_type = /obj/item/assembly/control/electrochromatic
+
 /obj/item/wallframe/button
 	name = "button frame"
 	desc = "Used for building buttons."
diff --git a/code/game/objects/structures/window.dm b/code/game/objects/structures/window.dm
index a8c6dfb898..e4d93ea8de 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/structures/window.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/structures/window.dm
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(electrochromatic_window_lookup)
 	animate(src, color = newcolor, time = 2)
 
 /obj/structure/window/proc/remove_electrochromatic()
+	electrochromatic_off()
 	electrochromatic_status = NOT_ELECTROCHROMATIC
 	if(!electrochromatic_id)
 		return
@@ -308,14 +309,17 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(electrochromatic_window_lookup)
 	electrochromatic_id = null
 
 /obj/structure/window/vv_edit_var(var_name, var_value)
-	var/old_id
 	var/check_status
 	if(var_name == NAMEOF(src, electrochromatic_id))
-		if((electrochromatic_status != NOT_ELECTROCHROMATIC) && electrochromatic_id)
-			old_id = electrochromatic_id
+		if(electrochromatic_id && GLOB.electrochromatic_window_lookup["[electrochromatic_id]"])
+			GLOB.electrochromatic_window_lookup[electrochromatic_id] -= src
 	if(var_name == NAMEOF(src, electrochromatic_status))
 		check_status = TRUE
 	. = ..()		//do this first incase it runtimes.
+	if(var_name == NAMEOF(src, electrochromatic_id))
+		if((electrochromatic_status != NOT_ELECTROCHROMATIC) && electrochromatic_id)
+			LAZYINITLIST(GLOB.electrochromatic_window_lookup[electrochromatic_id])
+			GLOB.electrochromatic_window_lookup[electrochromatic_id] += src
 	if(check_status)
 		if(electrochromatic_status == NOT_ELECTROCHROMATIC)
 			remove_electrochromatic()
@@ -336,10 +340,6 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(electrochromatic_window_lookup)
 			return
 		else
 			remove_electrochromatic()
-	if(old_id)
-		GLOB.electrochromatic_window_lookup[old_id] -= src
-		if(electrochromatic_id)
-			GLOB.electrochromatic_window_lookup[electrochromatic_id] += src
 
 /obj/structure/window/proc/make_electrochromatic(new_id = electrochromatic_id)
 	remove_electrochromatic()