diff --git a/src/c/main.c b/src/c/main.c
index 7d19a24..e93f28b 100644
--- a/src/c/main.c
+++ b/src/c/main.c
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ static void door_layer_green_update_proc(Layer *layer, GContext *ctx) {
 
 static void door_closed_animation_stopped_handler(Animation *a, bool finished, void *ctx) {
 	if (!finished)
-		return;
+		return; // prevents running if animation is cancelled due to unload
 	if (s_door_correct)
 		s_current_triangle_num++;
 	else if (s_current_triangle_num > 1)
@@ -535,12 +535,6 @@ static void door_animation_stopped_handler(Animation *a, bool finished, void *ct
 }
 
 static void play_door_animation(bool correct) {
-	// prevent from playing if an instance is already running and not yet finished;
-	// prevents instances where the user is punished if the timer expires AFTER the submission
-	if (s_door_anim) {
-		return;
-	}
-
 	// reset shake cooldown here so it is guaranteed
 	// to be in effect while an animation is playing
 	s_shake_cooldown = SHAKE_COOLDOWN_SECS;
@@ -610,7 +604,7 @@ static void alarm_tick_handler(struct tm *tick_time, TimeUnits units_changed) {
 	}
 	snprintf(s_countdown_buf, sizeof(s_countdown_buf), "%03u", s_countdown_int);
 	text_layer_set_text(s_countdown_txt_layer, s_countdown_buf);
-	if (s_countdown_int == 0) {
+	if (s_countdown_int == 0 && !s_door_anim) {    // punish user and demote if countdown expires
 		s_continuous_zap_on_first_triangle = true; // begin zapping once the first countdown expires
 		send_zap();
 		s_secs_since_last_input = 10;