diff --git a/source/funkin/game/PlayState.hx b/source/funkin/game/PlayState.hx
index 4e125724..77e39ca9 100644
--- a/source/funkin/game/PlayState.hx
+++ b/source/funkin/game/PlayState.hx
@@ -865,12 +865,12 @@ class PlayState extends MusicBeatState
 		Conductor.songPosition = 0;
 		Conductor.songPosition -= Conductor.crochet * introLength - Conductor.songOffset;
 
-		var swagCounter:Int = 0;
-
-		startTimer = new FlxTimer().start(Conductor.crochet / 1000, function(tmr:FlxTimer)
-		{
-			countdown(swagCounter++);
-		}, introLength);
+		if(introLength > 0) {
+			var swagCounter:Int = 0;
+			startTimer = new FlxTimer().start(Conductor.crochet / 1000, (tmr:FlxTimer) -> {
+				countdown(swagCounter++);
+			}, introLength);
+		}
 		scripts.call("onPostStartCountdown");
 	}
 
@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ class PlayState extends MusicBeatState
 				vocals.pause();
 			}
 
-			if (!startTimer.finished)
+			if (startTimer != null && !startTimer.finished)
 				startTimer.active = false;
 		}
 
@@ -1067,7 +1067,7 @@ class PlayState extends MusicBeatState
 				resyncVocals();
 			}
 
-			if (!startTimer.finished)
+			if (startTimer != null && !startTimer.finished)
 				startTimer.active = true;
 			paused = false;
 
diff --git a/source/funkin/game/StrumLine.hx b/source/funkin/game/StrumLine.hx
index 17650a5a..3e88bc7c 100644
--- a/source/funkin/game/StrumLine.hx
+++ b/source/funkin/game/StrumLine.hx
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ class StrumLine extends FlxTypedGroup<Strum> {
 			babyArrow.scrollSpeed = data.scrollSpeed;
 
 		var event = EventManager.get(StrumCreationEvent).recycle(babyArrow, PlayState.instance.strumLines.members.indexOf(this), i, animPrefix);
-		event.__doAnimation = !MusicBeatState.skipTransIn;
+		event.__doAnimation = !MusicBeatState.skipTransIn && (PlayState.instance != null ? PlayState.instance.introLength > 0 : true);
 		event = PlayState.instance.scripts.event("onStrumCreation", event);
 
 		if (!event.cancelled) {