diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Editor/ShipModPreview.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Editor/ShipModPreview.cs
index 677253561..9ed4fcec4 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Editor/ShipModPreview.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Editor/ShipModPreview.cs
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ public static class ShipModPreview
 
         // Instantiate clones the assembled root, and Unity must remap every array reference into the clone.
         var clone = UnityEngine.Object.Instantiate(ship.gameObject).GetComponent<ShipInstance>();
-        try { CheckShip(clone, plan, "clone"); }
+        try { CheckShip(clone, plan, "clone"); CheckExhaust(clone); }
         finally { UnityEngine.Object.DestroyImmediate(clone.gameObject); }
-        Debug.Log($"SHIP_MOD_ASSEMBLY_SMOKE thrusters={plan.Thrusters.Length} " +
+        Debug.Log($"SHIP_MOD_ASSEMBLY_SMOKE thrusters={plan.Thrusters.Length} exhaust=ok collider=hidden " +
                   $"weapons={plan.Weapons.Length} radiators={plan.Radiators.Length}");
     }
 
@@ -79,6 +79,42 @@ public static class ShipModPreview
                     node.FiringPoint.All(Inside)).All(ok => ok), "weapon hardpoints with their muzzles in order");
     }
 
+    // Exhaust from each hidden emitter, wired as ShipInstance wires it, from a particle system left at Unity's defaults
+    // (Use Mesh Colors on). The emitter's invisible material has alpha 0, so mesh colours would make every particle
+    // transparent; the wiring must turn them off.
+    private static void CheckExhaust(ShipInstance ship)
+    {
+        const int count = 200;
+        foreach (var hardpoint in ship.ThrusterHardpoints)
+        {
+            var exhaust = new GameObject("Smoke Exhaust").AddComponent<ParticleSystem>();
+            try
+            {
+                exhaust.Stop(true, ParticleSystemStopBehavior.StopEmittingAndClear);
+                var main = exhaust.main;
+                main.playOnAwake = false;
+                main.startSpeed = 0;
+                main.startLifetime = 10;
+                main.maxParticles = count * 2;
+                var emission = exhaust.emission;
+                emission.enabled = false;
+                var shape = exhaust.shape;
+                shape.enabled = true;
+                shape.shapeType = ParticleSystemShapeType.MeshRenderer;
+                if (!shape.useMeshColors) throw new InvalidOperationException("Unity's default Use Mesh Colors is off; the exhaust check proves nothing.");
+                ThrusterHardpoint.WireExhaust(exhaust, hardpoint);
+                exhaust.Emit(count);
+                if (exhaust.particleCount != count)
+                    throw new InvalidOperationException($"clone: exhaust from {hardpoint.name} emitted {exhaust.particleCount} of {count} particles.");
+                var alive = new ParticleSystem.Particle[count];
+                exhaust.GetParticles(alive);
+                if (alive.Any(particle => particle.GetCurrentColor(exhaust).a == 0))
+                    throw new InvalidOperationException($"clone: exhaust from {hardpoint.name} has transparent particles.");
+            }
+            finally { UnityEngine.Object.DestroyImmediate(exhaust.gameObject); }
+        }
+    }
+
     [MenuItem("Aetheria/Preview Mod Ship Package")]
     private static async void Open()
     {
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ShipInstance.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ShipInstance.cs
index 8a0b22b6e..8b2540974 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ShipInstance.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ShipInstance.cs
@@ -65,10 +65,9 @@ public class ShipInstance : EntityInstance
             {
                 var effectData = (ThrusterData) thruster.Data;
                 var particles = Instantiate(EngineAssets.Load<ParticleSystem>(effectData.ParticlesPrefab), transform, false);
-                var particlesShape = particles.shape;
                 var thrusterHardpoint = ThrusterHardpoints
                     .FirstOrDefault(t => t.name == ship.Hardpoints[thruster.Item.Position.x, thruster.Item.Position.y].Transform);
-                particlesShape.meshRenderer = thrusterHardpoint?.Emitter;
+                ThrusterHardpoint.WireExhaust(particles, thrusterHardpoint);
                 // if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(thruster.Item.Data.SoundEffectTrigger) && thrusterHardpoint != null)
                 // {
                 //     AkSoundEngine.RegisterGameObj(thrusterHardpoint.gameObject);
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ThrusterHardpoint.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ThrusterHardpoint.cs
index d3c3dbb98..b0b1d0f26 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ThrusterHardpoint.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ThrusterHardpoint.cs
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
-using System.Collections;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using UnityEngine;
+using UnityEngine;
 
 public class ThrusterHardpoint : MonoBehaviour
 {
     public MeshRenderer Emitter;
+
+    // Points an exhaust's shape at a hardpoint's emitter, or at nothing when the ship has no such hardpoint. The emitter
+    // carries the invisible material (alpha 0), so the particles never take their colour from its mesh: with Use Mesh
+    // Colors on, Unity's default, they would all be born transparent.
+    public static void WireExhaust(ParticleSystem exhaust, ThrusterHardpoint hardpoint)
+    {
+        var shape = exhaust.shape;
+        shape.useMeshColors = false;
+        shape.meshRenderer = hardpoint != null ? hardpoint.Emitter : null;
+    }
 }