diff --git a/code/modules/unit_tests/mob_spawn.dm b/code/modules/unit_tests/mob_spawn.dm
index b26bb4666f933..609d036aa511b 100644
--- a/code/modules/unit_tests/mob_spawn.dm
+++ b/code/modules/unit_tests/mob_spawn.dm
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 /datum/unit_test/mob_spawn
 
 /datum/unit_test/mob_spawn/Run()
+	// The ghost role that we're going to iterate over. defined all the way up here for easy/cleaner static analysis
+	var/obj/effect/mob_spawn/ghost_role/ghost_role
 
 	//these are not expected to be filled out as they are base prototypes
 	var/list/prototypes = list(
@@ -12,39 +14,41 @@
 		/obj/effect/mob_spawn/ghost_role/human,
 	)
 
-	//ghost role checks
+	//vars that must not be set if the mob type isn't human
+	var/static/list/human_only_vars = list(
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, facial_haircolor),
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, facial_hairstyle),
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, haircolor),
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, hairstyle),
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, mob_species),
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, outfit),
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, skin_tone),
+	)
+
+	//vars that must be set on all ghost roles.
+	var/static/list/required_vars = list(
+		//mob_type is not included because the errors on it are loud and some types choose their mob_type on selection
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, prompt_name) = "Your ghost role has broken tgui without it.",
+		//these must be set even if show_flavor is false because the spawn menu still uses them and we simply must have higher quality roles
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, flavour_text) = "Spawners menu uses it.",
+		NAMEOF(ghost_role, you_are_text) = "Spawners menu uses it.",
+	)
+
+	//ghost role checks - where the actual work is done
 	for(var/role_spawn_path in subtypesof(/obj/effect/mob_spawn/ghost_role) - prototypes)
-		var/obj/effect/mob_spawn/ghost_role/ghost_role = allocate(role_spawn_path)
+		ghost_role = allocate(role_spawn_path)
 
 		if(ghost_role.outfit_override)
 			TEST_FAIL("[ghost_role.type] has a defined \"outfit_override\" list, which is only for mapping. Do not set this!")
 
 		var/human_type = /mob/living/carbon/human // this exists to prevent being caught by checks
 		if(ghost_role.mob_type != human_type)
-			//vars that must not be set if the mob type isn't human
-			var/list/human_only_vars = list(
-				"mob_species",
-				"outfit",
-				"hairstyle",
-				"facial_hairstyle",
-				"haircolor",
-				"facial_haircolor",
-				"skin_tone",
-			)
 			for(var/human_only_var in human_only_vars)
 				if(ghost_role.vars[human_only_var])
 					TEST_FAIL("[ghost_role.type] has a defined \"[human_only_var]\" HUMAN ONLY var, but this type doesn't spawn humans.")
 
-		//vars that must be set on
-		var/list/required_vars = list(
-			//mob_type is not included because the errors on it are loud and some types choose their mob_type on selection
-			"prompt_name" = "Your ghost role has broken tgui without it.",
-			//these must be set even if show_flavor is false because the spawn menu still uses them and in 2021 we simply must have higher quality roles
-			"you_are_text" = "Spawners menu uses it.",
-			"flavour_text" = "Spawners menu uses it.",
-		)
 		for(var/required_var in required_vars)
-			if(required_var == "prompt_name" && !ghost_role.prompt_ghost)
+			if(required_var == NAMEOF(ghost_role, prompt_name) && !ghost_role.prompt_ghost)
 				continue //only case it makes sense why you shouldn't have a prompt_name
 			if(!ghost_role.vars[required_var])
 				TEST_FAIL("[ghost_role.type] must have \"[required_var]\" defined. Reason: [required_vars[required_var]]")