diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/AnimController.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/AnimController.cs
index 7fcc25d17..018805efd 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/AnimController.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/AnimController.cs
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 
         public virtual void DragCharacter(Character target) { }
 
+        public virtual void UpdateUseItem(bool allowMovement, Vector2 handPos) { }
 
    }
 }
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/HumanoidAnimController.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/HumanoidAnimController.cs
index ae83fb868..a83e895c0 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/HumanoidAnimController.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Characters/Animation/HumanoidAnimController.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ namespace Barotrauma
 
         private float inWaterTimer;
         private bool swimming;
+
+        private float useItemTimer;
         
         protected override float TorsoPosition
         {
@@ -180,6 +182,12 @@ namespace Barotrauma
                 case Animation.UsingConstruction:
                 default:
 
+                    if (Anim == Animation.UsingConstruction)
+                    {
+                        useItemTimer -= deltaTime;
+                        if (useItemTimer <= 0.0f) Anim = Animation.None;
+                    }
+
                     if (character.SelectedCharacter != null) DragCharacter(character.SelectedCharacter);
 
                     //0.5 second delay for switching between swimming and walking
@@ -1277,6 +1285,33 @@ namespace Barotrauma
             hand.body.SmoothRotate((ang2 + handAngle * Dir), 100.0f * force);
         }
 
+        public override void UpdateUseItem(bool allowMovement, Vector2 handPos)
+        {
+            var leftHand = GetLimb(LimbType.LeftHand);
+            var rightHand = GetLimb(LimbType.RightHand);
+
+            useItemTimer = 0.5f;
+            Anim = Animation.UsingConstruction;
+
+            if (!allowMovement)
+            {
+                TargetMovement = Vector2.Zero;
+                TargetDir = handPos.X > character.SimPosition.X ? Direction.Right : Direction.Left;
+                if (Vector2.Distance(character.SimPosition, handPos) > 1.0f)
+                {
+                    TargetMovement = Vector2.Normalize(handPos - character.SimPosition);
+                }
+            }
+
+            leftHand.Disabled = true;
+            leftHand.pullJoint.Enabled = true;
+            leftHand.pullJoint.WorldAnchorB = handPos;
+
+            rightHand.Disabled = true;
+            rightHand.pullJoint.Enabled = true;
+            rightHand.pullJoint.WorldAnchorB = handPos;
+        }
+
         public override void Flip()
         {
             base.Flip();
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Holdable/Pickable.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Holdable/Pickable.cs
index e9daebd1d..58d06df34 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Holdable/Pickable.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Holdable/Pickable.cs
@@ -127,18 +127,8 @@ namespace Barotrauma.Items.Components
                     Color.Red, Color.Green);
 #endif
 
-                picker.AnimController.Anim = AnimController.Animation.UsingConstruction;
-
-                picker.AnimController.TargetMovement = Vector2.Zero;
-
-                leftHand.Disabled = true;
-                leftHand.pullJoint.Enabled = true;
-                leftHand.pullJoint.WorldAnchorB = item.SimPosition + Vector2.UnitY * ((pickTimer / 10.0f) % 0.1f);
-
-                rightHand.Disabled = true;
-                rightHand.pullJoint.Enabled = true;
-                rightHand.pullJoint.WorldAnchorB = item.SimPosition + Vector2.UnitY * ((pickTimer / 10.0f) % 0.1f);
-
+                picker.AnimController.UpdateUseItem(true, item.SimPosition + Vector2.UnitY * ((pickTimer / 10.0f) % 0.1f));
+                
                 pickTimer += CoroutineManager.DeltaTime;
 
                 yield return CoroutineStatus.Running;
diff --git a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Signal/Wire.cs b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Signal/Wire.cs
index cdbc012e9..e253efe36 100644
--- a/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Signal/Wire.cs
+++ b/Barotrauma/BarotraumaShared/Source/Items/Components/Signal/Wire.cs
@@ -258,7 +258,8 @@ namespace Barotrauma.Items.Components
 
                     if (currLength > MaxLength)
                     {
-                        Vector2 pullBackDir = Vector2.Normalize(nodes[nodes.Count - 1] - newNodePos);
+                        Vector2 diff = nodes[nodes.Count - 1] - newNodePos;
+                        Vector2 pullBackDir = diff == Vector2.Zero ? Vector2.Zero : Vector2.Normalize(diff);
                         user.AnimController.Collider.ApplyForce(pullBackDir * user.Mass * 50.0f);
                         user.AnimController.UpdateUseItem(true, user.SimPosition + pullBackDir * 2.0f);
                         if (currLength > MaxLength * 1.5f)