diff --git a/OpenDreamRuntime/DreamValue.cs b/OpenDreamRuntime/DreamValue.cs
index 2c4deecd50..df51839060 100644
--- a/OpenDreamRuntime/DreamValue.cs
+++ b/OpenDreamRuntime/DreamValue.cs
@@ -455,11 +455,19 @@ public bool Equals(DreamValue other) {
             case DreamValueType.DreamObject: {
                 Debug.Assert(_refValue is DreamObject or null, "Failed to cast _refValue to DreamObject");
                 Debug.Assert(other._refValue is DreamObject or null, "Failed to cast other._refValue to DreamObject");
-                if (_refValue != null && Unsafe.As<DreamObject>(_refValue).Deleted)
+                var thisObj = Unsafe.As<DreamObject>(_refValue);
+                var otherObj = Unsafe.As<DreamObject>(other._refValue);
+                if (thisObj != null && thisObj.Deleted) {
                     _refValue = null;
-                if (other._refValue != null && Unsafe.As<DreamObject>(other._refValue).Deleted)
+                    thisObj = null;
+                }
+
+                if (otherObj != null && otherObj.Deleted) {
                     other._refValue = null;
-                break;
+                    otherObj = null;
+                }
+
+                return thisObj == otherObj;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/OpenDreamRuntime/Objects/Types/DreamList.cs b/OpenDreamRuntime/Objects/Types/DreamList.cs
index 737bd22083..1c98194ba2 100644
--- a/OpenDreamRuntime/Objects/Types/DreamList.cs
+++ b/OpenDreamRuntime/Objects/Types/DreamList.cs
@@ -205,7 +205,9 @@ public virtual void AddValue(DreamValue value) {
 
     //Does not include associations
     public virtual bool ContainsValue(DreamValue value) {
-        for (int i = 0; i < _values.Count; i++) {
+        var count = _values.Count;
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
             if (_values[i].Equals(value))
                 return true;
         }