diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES.md b/RELEASE-NOTES.md
index 9b21f246115..5b65967d34f 100644
--- a/RELEASE-NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE-NOTES.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ END TEMPLATE-->
 
 ### Bugfixes
 
-*None yet*
+* EntityPrototypeView control now avoids creating entities if the prototype is set while the control is not on the UI tree.
 
 ### Other
 
diff --git a/Robust.Client/UserInterface/Controls/EntityPrototypeView.cs b/Robust.Client/UserInterface/Controls/EntityPrototypeView.cs
index 5aa23f3dc33..5173a3da4fa 100644
--- a/Robust.Client/UserInterface/Controls/EntityPrototypeView.cs
+++ b/Robust.Client/UserInterface/Controls/EntityPrototypeView.cs
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ public EntityPrototypeView(EntProtoId? entProto, IEntityManager entMan) : base(e
 
     public void SetPrototype(EntProtoId? entProto)
     {
-        SpriteSystem ??= EntMan.System<SpriteSystem>();
-
         if (entProto == _currentPrototype
             && EntMan.TryGetComponent(Entity?.Owner, out MetaDataComponent? meta)
             && meta.EntityPrototype?.ID == _currentPrototype)
@@ -32,14 +30,10 @@ public void SetPrototype(EntProtoId? entProto)
         }
 
         _currentPrototype = entProto;
-        SetEntity(null);
-        EntMan.DeleteEntity(_ourEntity);
 
-        if (_currentPrototype != null)
+        if (_ourEntity != null)
         {
-            _ourEntity = EntMan.Spawn(_currentPrototype);
-            SpriteSystem.ForceUpdate(_ourEntity.Value);
-            SetEntity(_ourEntity);
+            UpdateEntity();
         }
     }
 
@@ -48,12 +42,34 @@ protected override void EnteredTree()
         base.EnteredTree();
 
         if (_currentPrototype != null)
-            SetPrototype(_currentPrototype);
+        {
+            UpdateEntity();
+        }
     }
 
     protected override void ExitedTree()
     {
         base.ExitedTree();
         EntMan.TryQueueDeleteEntity(_ourEntity);
+        _ourEntity = null;
+    }
+
+    private void UpdateEntity()
+    {
+        SetEntity(null);
+        EntMan.DeleteEntity(_ourEntity);
+
+        if (_currentPrototype != null)
+        {
+            SpriteSystem ??= EntMan.System<SpriteSystem>();
+
+            _ourEntity = EntMan.Spawn(_currentPrototype);
+            SpriteSystem.ForceUpdate(_ourEntity.Value);
+            SetEntity(_ourEntity);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            _ourEntity = null;
+        }
     }
 }