diff --git a/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm b/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
index 2b9812abade4..41006baffcb0 100644
--- a/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/subsystem/ticker.dm
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 
 	var/current_state = GAME_STATE_STARTUP //State of current round used by process()
 	var/force_ending = FALSE //Round was ended by admin intervention
+
+	/// If TRUE, there is no lobby phase, the game starts immediately.
+	var/start_immediately = FALSE
+
 	var/bypass_checks = FALSE //Bypass mode init checks
 	var/setup_failed = FALSE //If the setup has failed at any point
 	var/setup_started = FALSE
@@ -80,6 +84,10 @@ SUBSYSTEM_DEF(ticker)
 				var/mob/new_player/player = i
 				if(player.ready) // TODO: port this  == PLAYER_READY_TO_PLAY)
 					++totalPlayersReady
+
+			if(start_immediately)
+				time_left = 0
+
 			if(time_left < 0 || delay_start)
 				return
 
diff --git a/code/game/world.dm b/code/game/world.dm
index 958278042ea5..e55741ca71e5 100644
--- a/code/game/world.dm
+++ b/code/game/world.dm
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_INIT(reboot_sfx, file2list("config/reboot_sfx.txt"))
 /world/proc/HandleTestRun()
 	// Wait for the game ticker to initialize
 	Master.sleep_offline_after_initializations = FALSE
+	SSticker.start_immediately = TRUE
 	UNTIL(SSticker.initialized)
 
 	//trigger things to run the whole process