diff --git a/Content.Shared/Movement/Systems/SharedMoverController.Tailed.cs b/Content.Shared/Movement/Systems/SharedMoverController.Tailed.cs
index e833e315628..ce4037060b2 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Movement/Systems/SharedMoverController.Tailed.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Movement/Systems/SharedMoverController.Tailed.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Authors: Lokilife
 using System.Numerics;
 using Content.Shared.Exodus.Tailed;
+using Robust.Shared.Map;
 using Robust.Shared.Physics.Components;
 
 namespace Content.Shared.Movement.Systems;
@@ -60,6 +61,10 @@ private void ApplySegmentVelocities(
             if (!TryComp<PhysicsComponent>(segment, out var physics))
                 continue;
 
+            var xform = Transform(segment);
+            if (!xform.ParentUid.IsValid())
+                continue;
+
             var currentPos = _transform.GetWorldPosition(segment);
             Vector2 desiredVelocity;
 
@@ -129,6 +134,9 @@ private void UpdateSegmentRotation(
         {
             var segment = tail.TailSegments[i];
             var segmentPos = _transform.GetWorldPosition(segment);
+            var segmentXform = Transform(segment);
+            if (!segmentXform.ParentUid.IsValid())
+                continue;
 
             var direction = prevPos - segmentPos;
 
diff --git a/Content.Shared/_Exodus/Tailed/TailedEntitySystem.cs b/Content.Shared/_Exodus/Tailed/TailedEntitySystem.cs
index da8e67a0936..dbe7b49fc1f 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/_Exodus/Tailed/TailedEntitySystem.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/_Exodus/Tailed/TailedEntitySystem.cs
@@ -49,6 +49,17 @@ private void OnComponentStartup(EntityUid uid, TailedEntityComponent component,
 
     private void OnComponentShutdown(EntityUid uid, TailedEntityComponent component, ComponentShutdown args)
     {
+        // CRITICAL: Remove joints before deleting entities
+        // This prevents physics from trying to update positions of entities being deleted
+        var prev = uid;
+        foreach (var segment in component.TailSegments)
+        {
+            // Remove the joint between prev and this segment
+            _joint.RemoveJoint(prev, $"TailJoint_{prev}_{segment}");
+            prev = segment;
+        }
+
+        // Now safe to queue deletion
         foreach (var segment in component.TailSegments)
             QueueDel(segment);
 
@@ -59,8 +70,8 @@ private void InitializeTailSegments(Entity<TailedEntityComponent, TransformCompo
     {
         var (uid, comp, xform) = ent;
 
-        var mapUid = xform.MapUid;
-        if (mapUid == null)
+        var parentUid = xform.ParentUid;
+        if (!parentUid.IsValid())
             return;
 
         // Ensure the head entity has physics for joints
@@ -77,7 +88,7 @@ private void InitializeTailSegments(Entity<TailedEntityComponent, TransformCompo
             var offset = headRot.ToWorldVec() * comp.Spacing * (i + 1);
             var spawnPos = headPos - offset;
 
-            var segment = PredictedSpawnAtPosition(comp.Prototype, new EntityCoordinates(mapUid.Value, spawnPos));
+            var segment = PredictedSpawnAtPosition(comp.Prototype, new EntityCoordinates(parentUid, spawnPos));
 
             _transform.SetWorldRotation(segment, headRot);