diff --git a/code/datums/components/xeno/ai_behavior_overrides/base_override_behavior.dm b/code/datums/components/xeno/ai_behavior_overrides/base_override_behavior.dm
index 47488fe500..7fa76388bd 100644
--- a/code/datums/components/xeno/ai_behavior_overrides/base_override_behavior.dm
+++ b/code/datums/components/xeno/ai_behavior_overrides/base_override_behavior.dm
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(all_ai_behavior_overrides)
 
 /// Override this to check if we want our behavior to be valid for the checked_xeno, passes the common factor of "distance" which is the distance between the checked_xeno and src parent
 /datum/component/ai_behavior_override/proc/check_behavior_validity(mob/living/carbon/xenomorph/checked_xeno, distance)
-	if(length(currently_assigned) >= max_assigned && !(checked_xeno in currently_assigned))
+	if(!search_assign || length(currently_assigned) >= max_assigned && !(checked_xeno in currently_assigned))
 		remove_from_queue(checked_xeno)
 		return FALSE
 
@@ -71,12 +71,12 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(all_ai_behavior_overrides)
 		RegisterSignal(processing_xeno, COMSIG_PARENT_QDELETING, PROC_REF(remove_from_queue), TRUE)
 		currently_assigned |= processing_xeno
 
-	else if(!LAZYLEN(currently_assigned))
-		qdel(src)
-
 	return TRUE
 
 /datum/component/ai_behavior_override/proc/remove_from_queue(mob/removed_xeno)
 	SIGNAL_HANDLER
 	LAZYREMOVE(currently_assigned, removed_xeno)
 	UnregisterSignal(removed_xeno, COMSIG_PARENT_QDELETING)
+
+	if(!search_assign && !LAZYLEN(currently_assigned))
+		qdel(src)
diff --git a/code/modules/admin/game_master/game_master.dm b/code/modules/admin/game_master/game_master.dm
index ea85e202c9..2426ace529 100644
--- a/code/modules/admin/game_master/game_master.dm
+++ b/code/modules/admin/game_master/game_master.dm
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ GLOBAL_VAR_INIT(radio_communication_clarity, 100)
 #define SELECTABLE_XENO_BEHAVIORS list("Attack", "Capture", "Hive", "Build")
 #define SELECTABLE_XENO_BEHAVIORS_ASSOC list("Attack" = /datum/component/ai_behavior_override/attack, "Capture" = /datum/component/ai_behavior_override/capture, "Hive" = /datum/component/ai_behavior_override/hive, "Build" = /datum/component/ai_behavior_override/build)
 
-#define DEFAULT_BEHAVIOR_LIFE_SPAN 15
+#define DEFAULT_BEHAVIOR_LIFE_SPAN 0
 
 // Objective stuff
 #define OBJECTIVE_NUMBER_OPTIONS list("zero", "one", "two", "three", "four", "five", "six", "seven", "eight", "nine")
@@ -416,20 +416,15 @@ GLOBAL_VAR_INIT(radio_communication_clarity, 100)
 
 				return TRUE
 
+			if(!LAZYACCESS(modifiers, SHIFT_CLICK))
+				for(var/deselected_xeno in controlled_xenos)
+					deselect_xeno(deselected_xeno)
+
 			if(isxeno(object))
 				if(object in controlled_xenos)
 					deselect_xeno(object)
-					return TRUE
-
-				if(!LAZYACCESS(modifiers, SHIFT_CLICK))
-					for(var/deselected_xeno in controlled_xenos)
-						deselect_xeno(deselected_xeno)
-
-				select_xeno(object)
-				return TRUE
-
-			for(var/deselected_xeno in controlled_xenos)
-				deselect_xeno(deselected_xeno)
+				else
+					select_xeno(object)
 			return TRUE
 
 		if(OBJECTIVE_CLICK_INTERCEPT_ACTION)
@@ -527,6 +522,7 @@ GLOBAL_VAR_INIT(radio_communication_clarity, 100)
 			select_xeno(cycled_xeno)
 
 /datum/game_master/proc/select_xeno(selected_xeno)
+	RegisterSignal(selected_xeno, COMSIG_PARENT_QDELETING, PROC_REF(deselect_xeno), TRUE)
 	controlled_xenos |= selected_xeno
 	if(controlled_xenos?[selected_xeno])
 		return
@@ -537,6 +533,7 @@ GLOBAL_VAR_INIT(radio_communication_clarity, 100)
 	game_master_client.images |= selection_image
 
 /datum/game_master/proc/deselect_xeno(deselected_xeno)
+	UnregisterSignal(deselected_xeno, COMSIG_PARENT_QDELETING)
 	game_master_client.images -= controlled_xenos[deselected_xeno]
 	controlled_xenos -= deselected_xeno