diff --git a/Content.Server/Station/Systems/StationSpawningSystem.cs b/Content.Server/Station/Systems/StationSpawningSystem.cs
index 3c13bce8a6..c8186223d1 100644
--- a/Content.Server/Station/Systems/StationSpawningSystem.cs
+++ b/Content.Server/Station/Systems/StationSpawningSystem.cs
@@ -105,9 +105,12 @@ public sealed class StationSpawningSystem : EntitySystem
             return jobEntity;
         }
 
-        var entity = EntityManager.SpawnEntity(
-            _prototypeManager.Index<SpeciesPrototype>(profile?.Species ?? HumanoidAppearanceSystem.DefaultSpecies).Prototype,
-            coordinates);
+        if (!_prototypeManager.TryIndex(profile?.Species ?? HumanoidAppearanceSystem.DefaultSpecies, out SpeciesPrototype? species))
+        {
+            species = _prototypeManager.Index<SpeciesPrototype>(HumanoidAppearanceSystem.DefaultSpecies);
+        }
+
+        var entity = EntityManager.SpawnEntity(species.Prototype, coordinates);
 
         if (job?.StartingGear != null)
         {
diff --git a/Content.Shared/Preferences/HumanoidCharacterProfile.cs b/Content.Shared/Preferences/HumanoidCharacterProfile.cs
index ecacf14a09..7bcdfaf6c7 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Preferences/HumanoidCharacterProfile.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Preferences/HumanoidCharacterProfile.cs
@@ -354,7 +354,11 @@ namespace Content.Shared.Preferences
         {
             var prototypeManager = IoCManager.Resolve<IPrototypeManager>();
 
-            prototypeManager.TryIndex<SpeciesPrototype>(Species, out var speciesPrototype);
+            if (!prototypeManager.TryIndex<SpeciesPrototype>(Species, out var speciesPrototype))
+            {
+                Species = SharedHumanoidAppearanceSystem.DefaultSpecies;
+                speciesPrototype = prototypeManager.Index<SpeciesPrototype>(Species);
+            }
 
             var sex = Sex switch
             {