diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm
index 6de2d8e5dd..f353b9c5ca 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm
@@ -201,23 +201,25 @@ Please contact me on #coderbus IRC. ~Carn x
 
 
 /mob/living/carbon/human/proc/get_scale()
-	var/h_mul = LAZYACCESS(descriptors, "height")
-	if (h_mul)
+	var/height_modifier = 0
+	var/height_descriptor = LAZYACCESS(descriptors, "height")
+	if (height_descriptor)
 		var/datum/mob_descriptor/height/H = species.descriptors["height"]
 		if (H)
 			var/list/scale_effect = H.scale_effect[species.name]
-			if (scale_effect)
-				h_mul = 0.01 * scale_effect[h_mul]
-	var/b_mul = LAZYACCESS(descriptors, "build")
-	if (b_mul)
+			if (length(scale_effect))
+				height_modifier = 0.01 * scale_effect[height_descriptor]
+	var/build_modifier = 0
+	var/build_descriptor = LAZYACCESS(descriptors, "build")
+	if (build_descriptor)
 		var/datum/mob_descriptor/build/B = species.descriptors["build"]
 		if (B)
 			var/list/scale_effect = B.scale_effect[species.name]
-			if (scale_effect)
-				b_mul = 0.01 * scale_effect[b_mul]
+			if (length(scale_effect))
+				build_modifier = 0.01 * scale_effect[build_descriptor]
 	return list(
-		(1 + b_mul) * size_multiplier,
-		(1 + h_mul) * size_multiplier
+		(1 + build_modifier) * size_multiplier,
+		(1 + height_modifier) * size_multiplier
 	)
 
 var/global/list/damage_icon_parts = list()