diff --git a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/presets.dm b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/presets.dm
index 1eafc222a52a..204755a9ad9b 100644
--- a/code/game/machinery/telecomms/presets.dm
+++ b/code/game/machinery/telecomms/presets.dm
@@ -313,15 +313,25 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(all_static_telecomms_towers)
 /obj/structure/machinery/telecomms/relay/preset/tower/mapcomms/update_state()
 	..()
 	if(inoperable())
-		handle_xeno_acquisition(get_turf(src))
+		handle_xeno_acquisition()
+
+/// Locates a nearby cluster from GLOB.all_xeno_pylon_cluster_nodes otherwise null
+/obj/structure/machinery/telecomms/relay/preset/tower/mapcomms/proc/find_nearby_cluster()
+	for(var/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster/cluster as anything in GLOB.all_xeno_pylon_cluster_nodes)
+		if(cluster.is_in_range(src))
+			return cluster
+	return null
 
 /// Handles xenos corrupting the tower when weeds touch the turf it is located on
-/obj/structure/machinery/telecomms/relay/preset/tower/mapcomms/proc/handle_xeno_acquisition(turf/weeded_turf)
+/// caller argument just used to simplify the need for calling find_nearby_cluster if needed
+/obj/structure/machinery/telecomms/relay/preset/tower/mapcomms/proc/handle_xeno_acquisition(obj/effect/alien/weeds/signal_source, obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/invoking_pylon)
 	SIGNAL_HANDLER
 
 	if(corrupted)
 		return
 
+	var/turf/weeded_turf = get_turf(src)
+
 	if(!weeded_turf.weeds)
 		return
 
@@ -331,37 +341,43 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(all_static_telecomms_towers)
 	if(!weeded_turf.weeds.parent)
 		return
 
-	if(!istype(weeded_turf.weeds.parent, /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster))
-		return
-
 	if(SSticker.mode.is_in_endgame)
 		return
 
 	if(operable())
 		return
 
+	// This might not actually be a cluster node but we'll assert that in a moment
+	var/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster/effective_parent = weeded_turf.weeds.parent
+	if(!istype(effective_parent, /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster))
+		if(!istype(effective_parent, /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/core))
+			return
+		// Core weeds can override cluster weeds so manually look for a cluster if not already passed in args
+		effective_parent = invoking_pylon || find_nearby_cluster()
+		if(!effective_parent)
+			return
+
 	if(ROUND_TIME < XENO_COMM_ACQUISITION_TIME)
-		addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(handle_xeno_acquisition), weeded_turf), (XENO_COMM_ACQUISITION_TIME - ROUND_TIME), TIMER_UNIQUE|TIMER_OVERRIDE|TIMER_NO_HASH_WAIT)
+		addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(handle_xeno_acquisition)), (XENO_COMM_ACQUISITION_TIME - ROUND_TIME), TIMER_UNIQUE|TIMER_OVERRIDE|TIMER_NO_HASH_WAIT)
 		return
 
 	if(!COOLDOWN_FINISHED(src, corruption_delay))
-		addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(handle_xeno_acquisition), weeded_turf), (COOLDOWN_TIMELEFT(src, corruption_delay)), TIMER_UNIQUE|TIMER_OVERRIDE|TIMER_NO_HASH_WAIT)
+		addtimer(CALLBACK(src, PROC_REF(handle_xeno_acquisition)), (COOLDOWN_TIMELEFT(src, corruption_delay)), TIMER_UNIQUE|TIMER_OVERRIDE|TIMER_NO_HASH_WAIT)
 		return
 
-	var/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster/parent_node = weeded_turf.weeds.parent
-
-	var/obj/effect/alien/resin/special/cluster/cluster_parent = parent_node.resin_parent
-
-	var/list/held_children_weeds = parent_node.children
+	// Prepare to upgrade the cluster
+	var/obj/effect/alien/resin/special/cluster/cluster_parent = effective_parent.resin_parent
+	var/list/held_children_weeds = effective_parent.children - effective_parent // why does it put itself into children...
 	var/cluster_loc = cluster_parent.loc
 	var/linked_hive = cluster_parent.linked_hive
 
-	parent_node.children = list()
-
+	// Delete the old (but don't touch our list)
+	effective_parent.children = list()
 	qdel(cluster_parent)
 
+	// Make a new endgame pylon
 	var/obj/effect/alien/resin/special/pylon/endgame/new_pylon = new(cluster_loc, linked_hive)
-	new_pylon.node.children = held_children_weeds
+	new_pylon.node.children += held_children_weeds
 
 	for(var/obj/effect/alien/weeds/weed in new_pylon.node.children)
 		weed.parent = new_pylon.node
@@ -388,9 +404,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(all_static_telecomms_towers)
 	SIGNAL_HANDLER
 
 	corrupted = FALSE
-
 	overlays -= corruption_image
-
 	COOLDOWN_START(src, corruption_delay, XENO_PYLON_DESTRUCTION_DELAY)
 
 /// Handles moving the overlay from growing to idle
@@ -399,7 +413,6 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(all_static_telecomms_towers)
 		return
 
 	corruption_image = image(icon, icon_state = "resin_idle")
-
 	overlays += corruption_image
 
 /obj/structure/machinery/telecomms/relay/preset/telecomms
diff --git a/code/modules/cm_aliens/weeds.dm b/code/modules/cm_aliens/weeds.dm
index 3d2b3021a254..123752374f80 100644
--- a/code/modules/cm_aliens/weeds.dm
+++ b/code/modules/cm_aliens/weeds.dm
@@ -579,10 +579,9 @@
 /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/Destroy()
 	// When the node is removed, weeds should start dying out
 	// Make all the children look for a new parent node
-	for(var/X in children)
-		var/obj/effect/alien/weeds/W = X
-		remove_child(W)
-		addtimer(CALLBACK(W, PROC_REF(avoid_orphanage)), WEED_BASE_DECAY_SPEED + rand(0, 1 SECONDS)) // Slight variation whilst decaying
+	for(var/obj/effect/alien/weeds/child as anything in children)
+		remove_child(child)
+		addtimer(CALLBACK(child, PROC_REF(avoid_orphanage)), WEED_BASE_DECAY_SPEED + rand(0, 1 SECONDS)) // Slight variation whilst decaying
 
 	. = ..()
 
@@ -595,6 +594,13 @@
 	))
 	health = NODE_HEALTH_STANDARD
 
+/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/proc/is_in_range(atom/thing)
+	if(!thing?.loc)
+		return FALSE
+	var/x_diff = abs(thing.x - x)
+	var/y_diff = abs(thing.y - y)
+	return (x_diff <= node_range && y_diff < node_range) || (x_diff < node_range && y_diff <= node_range)
+
 /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/alpha
 	hivenumber = XENO_HIVE_ALPHA
 
@@ -618,16 +624,6 @@
 	spread_on_semiweedable = TRUE
 	var/obj/effect/alien/resin/special/resin_parent
 
-/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/proc/set_parent_damaged()
-	if(!resin_parent)
-		return
-
-	var/obj/effect/alien/resin/special/pylon/parent_pylon = resin_parent
-	parent_pylon.damaged = TRUE
-
-/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/core
-	node_range = WEED_RANGE_CORE
-
 /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/Destroy()
 	resin_parent = null
 	return ..()
@@ -647,12 +643,41 @@
 /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/acid_spray_act()
 	return
 
+/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/proc/set_parent_damaged()
+	if(!resin_parent)
+		return
+
+	var/obj/effect/alien/resin/special/pylon/parent_pylon = resin_parent
+	parent_pylon.damaged = TRUE
+
+/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/core
+	node_range = WEED_RANGE_CORE
+
 /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/hunted
 	hivenumber = XENO_HIVE_HUNTED
 
+GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(all_xeno_pylon_cluster_nodes)
+
 /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster
 	spread_on_semiweedable = TRUE
 
+/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster/Initialize(mapload, obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/node, mob/living/carbon/xenomorph/xeno, datum/hive_status/hive)
+	GLOB.all_xeno_pylon_cluster_nodes += src
+	return ..()
+
+/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster/Destroy()
+	GLOB.all_xeno_pylon_cluster_nodes -= src
+	return ..()
+
+/obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster/complete_growth()
+	. = ..()
+
+	if(length(children) != 1)
+		return
+	for(var/obj/structure/machinery/telecomms/relay/preset/tower/mapcomms/tower in GLOB.all_static_telecomms_towers)
+		if(is_in_range(tower))
+			tower.handle_xeno_acquisition(invoking_pylon=src)
+
 /obj/effect/alien/weeds/node/pylon/cluster/set_parent_damaged()
 	if(!resin_parent)
 		return