diff --git a/Content.Client/GameObjects/Components/Mobs/ClientActionsComponent.cs b/Content.Client/GameObjects/Components/Mobs/ClientActionsComponent.cs
index 2040dcbbf1..0ccaf31299 100644
--- a/Content.Client/GameObjects/Components/Mobs/ClientActionsComponent.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/GameObjects/Components/Mobs/ClientActionsComponent.cs
@@ -184,8 +184,10 @@ namespace Content.Client.GameObjects.Components.Mobs
 
             // only do something for actual target-based actions
             if (_ui?.SelectingTargetFor?.Action == null ||
-                (_ui.SelectingTargetFor.Action.BehaviorType != BehaviorType.TargetEntity &&
-                 _ui.SelectingTargetFor.Action.BehaviorType != BehaviorType.TargetPoint)) return false;
+                (!_ui.SelectingTargetFor.Action.IsTargetAction)) return false;
+
+            // do nothing if we know it's on cooldown
+            if (_ui.SelectingTargetFor.IsOnCooldown) return false;
 
             var attempt = _ui.SelectingTargetFor.ActionAttempt();
             if (attempt == null)
@@ -217,6 +219,13 @@ namespace Content.Client.GameObjects.Components.Mobs
                     }
                     return true;
                 }
+                // we are supposed to target an entity but we didn't click it
+                case BehaviorType.TargetEntity when args.EntityUid == EntityUid.Invalid:
+                {
+                    if (attempt.Action.DeselectWhenEntityNotClicked)
+                        _ui.StopTargeting();
+                    return false;
+                }
                 default:
                     _ui.StopTargeting();
                     return false;
diff --git a/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionMenu.cs b/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionMenu.cs
index 06b6312267..31d1a8ad55 100644
--- a/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionMenu.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionMenu.cs
@@ -404,8 +404,7 @@ namespace Content.Client.UserInterface
                 ItemTag => action is ItemActionPrototype,
                 NotItemTag => action is ActionPrototype,
                 InstantActionTag => action.BehaviorType == BehaviorType.Instant,
-                TargetActionTag => action.BehaviorType == BehaviorType.TargetEntity ||
-                                   action.BehaviorType == BehaviorType.TargetPoint,
+                TargetActionTag => action.IsTargetAction,
                 ToggleActionTag => action.BehaviorType == BehaviorType.Toggle,
                 _ => action.Filters.Contains(tag)
             };
diff --git a/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionsUI.cs b/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionsUI.cs
index 7fe3703df8..c0c6085279 100644
--- a/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionsUI.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/UserInterface/ActionsUI.cs
@@ -337,9 +337,9 @@ namespace Content.Client.UserInterface
                 actionSlot.EnableAction();
                 actionSlot.Cooldown = actionState.Cooldown;
 
-                // if we are targeting with an action now on cooldown, stop targeting
+                // if we are targeting for this action and it's now on cooldown, stop targeting if we're supposed to
                 if (SelectingTargetFor?.Action != null && SelectingTargetFor.Action == action &&
-                    actionState.IsOnCooldown(_gameTiming))
+                    actionState.IsOnCooldown(_gameTiming) && action.DeselectOnCooldown)
                 {
                     StopTargeting();
                 }
@@ -410,10 +410,10 @@ namespace Content.Client.UserInterface
                 // action is currently granted
                 actionSlot.EnableAction();
 
-                // if we are targeting with an action now on cooldown, stop targeting
+                // if we are targeting with an action now on cooldown, stop targeting if we should
                 if (SelectingTargetFor?.Action != null && SelectingTargetFor.Action == action &&
                     SelectingTargetFor.Item == itemEntity &&
-                    actionState.IsOnCooldown(_gameTiming))
+                    actionState.IsOnCooldown(_gameTiming) && action.DeselectOnCooldown)
                 {
                     StopTargeting();
                 }
diff --git a/Content.Client/UserInterface/Controls/ActionSlot.cs b/Content.Client/UserInterface/Controls/ActionSlot.cs
index 68ea495db6..e98f898d7c 100644
--- a/Content.Client/UserInterface/Controls/ActionSlot.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/UserInterface/Controls/ActionSlot.cs
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ namespace Content.Client.UserInterface.Controls
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Is there an action in the slot that can currently be used?
+        /// Target-basedActions on cooldown can still be selected / deselected if they've been configured as such
         /// </summary>
-        public bool CanUseAction => HasAssignment && ActionEnabled && !IsOnCooldown;
+        public bool CanUseAction => Action != null && ActionEnabled &&
+                                    (!IsOnCooldown || (Action.IsTargetAction && !Action.DeselectOnCooldown));
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Item the action is provided by, only valid if Action is an ItemActionPrototype. May be null
@@ -340,8 +342,10 @@ namespace Content.Client.UserInterface.Controls
         /// </summary>
         public void Depress(bool depress)
         {
+            // action can still be toggled if it's allowed to stay selected
             if (!CanUseAction) return;
 
+
             if (_depressed && !depress)
             {
                 // fire the action
diff --git a/Content.Shared/Actions/BaseActionPrototype.cs b/Content.Shared/Actions/BaseActionPrototype.cs
index 4068c9da79..669ee18254 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Actions/BaseActionPrototype.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Actions/BaseActionPrototype.cs
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ namespace Content.Shared.Actions
         [ViewVariables]
         public SpriteSpecifier IconOn { get; private set; }
 
-
-
         /// <summary>
         /// Name to show in UI. Accepts formatting.
         /// </summary>
@@ -60,6 +58,18 @@ namespace Content.Shared.Actions
         /// </summary>
         public bool Repeat { get; private set; }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// For TargetEntity/TargetPoint actions, should the action be de-selected if currently selected (choosing a target)
+        /// when it goes on cooldown. Defaults to false.
+        /// </summary>
+        public bool DeselectOnCooldown { get; private set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// For TargetEntity actions, should the action be de-selected if the user doesn't click an entity when
+        /// selecting a target. Defaults to false.
+        /// </summary>
+        public bool DeselectWhenEntityNotClicked { get; private set; }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Filters that can be used to filter this item in action menu.
         /// </summary>
@@ -70,6 +80,12 @@ namespace Content.Shared.Actions
         /// </summary>
         public IEnumerable<string> Keywords { get; private set; }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// True if this is an action that requires selecting a target
+        /// </summary>
+        public bool IsTargetAction =>
+            BehaviorType == BehaviorType.TargetEntity || BehaviorType == BehaviorType.TargetPoint;
+
         public virtual void LoadFrom(YamlMappingNode mapping)
         {
             var serializer = YamlObjectSerializer.NewReader(mapping);
@@ -106,6 +122,9 @@ namespace Content.Shared.Actions
                     Name, BehaviorType);
             }
 
+            serializer.DataField(this, x => x.DeselectOnCooldown, "deselectOnCooldown", false);
+            serializer.DataField(this, x => x.DeselectWhenEntityNotClicked, "deselectWhenEntityNotClicked", false);
+
             serializer.DataReadFunction("filters", new List<string>(),
                 rawTags =>
                 {