diff --git a/src/game/area.c b/src/game/area.c
index f9b58924..577ef986 100644
--- a/src/game/area.c
+++ b/src/game/area.c
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ void clear_area_graph_nodes(void) {
 void load_area(s32 index) {
     if (gCurrentArea == NULL && gAreaData[index].unk04 != NULL) {
         gCurrentArea = &gAreaData[index];
+        gCurrentArea->localAreaTimer = 0;
         gCurrAreaIndex = gCurrentArea->index;
 
         if (gCurrentArea->terrainData != NULL) {
diff --git a/src/game/area.h b/src/game/area.h
index cb0bb1e3..357c50cd 100644
--- a/src/game/area.h
+++ b/src/game/area.h
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ struct Area
     /*0x38*/ u16 musicParam2;
     /*????*/ u8 cachedBehaviors[256];
     /*????*/ Vec3f cachedPositions[256];
+    /*????*/ u32 localAreaTimer;
 };
 
 // All the transition data to be used in screen_transition.c
diff --git a/src/game/interaction.c b/src/game/interaction.c
index 5b46adde..60cce3ea 100644
--- a/src/game/interaction.c
+++ b/src/game/interaction.c
@@ -1346,6 +1346,11 @@ u32 interact_player(struct MarioState* m, UNUSED u32 interactType, struct Object
         return FALSE;
     }
 
+    // don't attack each other on level load
+    if (gCurrentArea == NULL || gCurrentArea->localAreaTimer < 60) {
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+
     u32 interaction = determine_interaction(m, o);
 
     // attacked
diff --git a/src/game/level_update.c b/src/game/level_update.c
index 14857b3d..186757b3 100644
--- a/src/game/level_update.c
+++ b/src/game/level_update.c
@@ -1309,6 +1309,10 @@ s32 update_level(void) {
         return changeLevel;
     }
 
+    if (gCurrentArea != NULL) {
+        gCurrentArea->localAreaTimer++;
+    }
+
     switch (sCurrPlayMode) {
         case PLAY_MODE_NORMAL:
             changeLevel = play_mode_normal();