diff --git a/Content.Client/Examine/ExamineSystem.cs b/Content.Client/Examine/ExamineSystem.cs
index 0109f90cc5..9a563a8638 100644
--- a/Content.Client/Examine/ExamineSystem.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/Examine/ExamineSystem.cs
@@ -327,9 +327,9 @@ namespace Content.Client.Examine
             }
         }
 
-        public void DoExamine(EntityUid entity, bool centeredOnCursor=true)
+        public void DoExamine(EntityUid entity, bool centeredOnCursor = true, EntityUid? userOverride = null)
         {
-            var playerEnt = _playerManager.LocalPlayer?.ControlledEntity;
+            var playerEnt = userOverride ?? _playerManager.LocalPlayer?.ControlledEntity;
             if (playerEnt == null)
                 return;
 
diff --git a/Content.Client/Guidebook/Controls/GuideEntityEmbed.xaml.cs b/Content.Client/Guidebook/Controls/GuideEntityEmbed.xaml.cs
index 34b4f3bdaa..fc885b3655 100644
--- a/Content.Client/Guidebook/Controls/GuideEntityEmbed.xaml.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/Guidebook/Controls/GuideEntityEmbed.xaml.cs
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ public sealed partial class GuideEntityEmbed : BoxContainer, IDocumentTag
         // do examination?
         if (args.Function == ContentKeyFunctions.ExamineEntity)
         {
-            _examineSystem.DoExamine(entity.Value);
+            _examineSystem.DoExamine(entity.Value,
+                userOverride: _guidebookSystem.GetGuidebookUser());
             args.Handle();
             return;
         }
diff --git a/Content.Client/Guidebook/GuidebookSystem.cs b/Content.Client/Guidebook/GuidebookSystem.cs
index acaa51524b..a3c55a0f0e 100644
--- a/Content.Client/Guidebook/GuidebookSystem.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/Guidebook/GuidebookSystem.cs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ using Content.Shared.Tag;
 using Content.Shared.Verbs;
 using Robust.Client.GameObjects;
 using Robust.Client.Player;
+using Robust.Shared.Map;
 using Robust.Shared.Player;
 using Robust.Shared.Utility;
 
@@ -29,6 +30,8 @@ public sealed class GuidebookSystem : EntitySystem
     public event Action<List<string>, List<string>?, string?, bool, string?>? OnGuidebookOpen;
     public const string GuideEmbedTag = "GuideEmbeded";
 
+    private EntityUid _defaultUser;
+
     /// <inheritdoc/>
     public override void Initialize()
     {
@@ -41,6 +44,23 @@ public sealed class GuidebookSystem : EntitySystem
             OnGuidebookControlsTestGetAlternateVerbs);
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets a user entity to use for verbs and examinations. If the player has no attached entity, this will use a
+    /// dummy client-side entity so that users can still use the guidebook when not attached to anything (e.g., in the
+    /// lobby)
+    /// </summary>
+    public EntityUid GetGuidebookUser()
+    {
+        var user = _playerManager.LocalPlayer!.ControlledEntity;
+        if (user != null)
+            return user.Value;
+
+        if (!Exists(_defaultUser))
+            _defaultUser = Spawn(null, MapCoordinates.Nullspace);
+
+        return _defaultUser;
+    }
+
     private void OnGetVerbs(EntityUid uid, GuideHelpComponent component, GetVerbsEvent<ExamineVerb> args)
     {
         if (component.Guides.Count == 0 || _tags.HasTag(uid, GuideEmbedTag))
@@ -114,34 +134,26 @@ public sealed class GuidebookSystem : EntitySystem
         _audioSystem.PlayGlobal(speech.SpeechSounds, Filter.Local(), false, speech.AudioParams);
     }
 
-
     public void FakeClientActivateInWorld(EntityUid activated)
     {
-        var user = _playerManager.LocalPlayer!.ControlledEntity;
-        if (user is null)
-            return;
-        var activateMsg = new ActivateInWorldEvent(user.Value, activated);
-        RaiseLocalEvent(activated, activateMsg, true);
+        var activateMsg = new ActivateInWorldEvent(GetGuidebookUser(), activated);
+        RaiseLocalEvent(activated, activateMsg);
     }
 
     public void FakeClientAltActivateInWorld(EntityUid activated)
     {
-        var user = _playerManager.LocalPlayer!.ControlledEntity;
-        if (user is null)
-            return;
         // Get list of alt-interact verbs
-        var verbs = _verbSystem.GetLocalVerbs(activated, user.Value, typeof(AlternativeVerb));
+        var verbs = _verbSystem.GetLocalVerbs(activated, GetGuidebookUser(), typeof(AlternativeVerb), force: true);
 
         if (!verbs.Any())
             return;
 
-        _verbSystem.ExecuteVerb(verbs.First(), user.Value, activated);
+        _verbSystem.ExecuteVerb(verbs.First(), GetGuidebookUser(), activated);
     }
 
     public void FakeClientUse(EntityUid activated)
     {
-        var user = _playerManager.LocalPlayer!.ControlledEntity ?? EntityUid.Invalid;
-        var activateMsg = new InteractHandEvent(user, activated);
-        RaiseLocalEvent(activated, activateMsg, true);
+        var activateMsg = new InteractHandEvent(GetGuidebookUser(), activated);
+        RaiseLocalEvent(activated, activateMsg);
     }
 }
diff --git a/Content.Client/Verbs/VerbSystem.cs b/Content.Client/Verbs/VerbSystem.cs
index c55c3df841..1fcd7fd184 100644
--- a/Content.Client/Verbs/VerbSystem.cs
+++ b/Content.Client/Verbs/VerbSystem.cs
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ namespace Content.Client.Verbs
                 return;
             }
 
-            if (verb.ClientExclusive)
+            if (verb.ClientExclusive || target.IsClientSide())
                 // is this a client exclusive (gui) verb?
                 ExecuteVerb(verb, user.Value, target);
             else
diff --git a/Content.Shared/Verbs/Verb.cs b/Content.Shared/Verbs/Verb.cs
index 047dfa5db9..cd5edc22d9 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Verbs/Verb.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Verbs/Verb.cs
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ namespace Content.Shared.Verbs
         public EntityUid EventTarget = EntityUid.Invalid;
 
         /// <summary>
-        ///     If a verb is only defined client-side, this should be set to true.
+        ///     Whether a verb is only defined client-side. Note that this has nothing to do with whether the target of
+        ///     the verb is client-side
         /// </summary>
         /// <remarks>
         ///     If true, the client will not also ask the server to run this verb when executed locally. This just