diff --git a/crates/horizon-client/src/game.rs b/crates/horizon-client/src/game.rs
index 755a00f6f..f05be393a 100644
--- a/crates/horizon-client/src/game.rs
+++ b/crates/horizon-client/src/game.rs
@@ -1584,6 +1584,7 @@ struct Game<'a> {
     guest_use: Option<GuestUse>,
     /// Level events of this tick for the guests, and the guest acting now.
     lan_events: Vec<(i32, [i32; 3], i32, Option<u32>)>,
+    lan_cushion_breaks: Vec<(horizon_world::registry::BlockStateId, [f64; 3])>,
     /// Block events (position, b0, b1, state) and entity events (id, event,
     /// position) for the guests.
     lan_block_events: Vec<([i32; 3], i32, i32, u32)>,
@@ -12477,6 +12478,7 @@ impl<'a> Game<'a> {
             forced_hit: None,
             guest_use: None,
             lan_events: Vec::new(),
+            lan_cushion_breaks: Vec::new(),
             lan_block_events: Vec::new(),
             lan_entity_events: Vec::new(),
             lan_critical_hits: Vec::new(),
diff --git a/crates/horizon-client/src/game/cushions.rs b/crates/horizon-client/src/game/cushions.rs
index 0847321d6..30af72104 100644
--- a/crates/horizon-client/src/game/cushions.rs
+++ b/crates/horizon-client/src/game/cushions.rs
@@ -348,11 +348,15 @@ impl Game<'_> {
         let Some(state) = self.pack.assets.registry.default_state(&name) else {
             return;
         };
-        let at = [
-            c.position.x.floor() as i32,
-            c.position.y.floor() as i32,
-            c.position.z.floor() as i32,
-        ];
+        let p = c.position;
+        // Entity.getY(2/3) is relative to the cushion's quarter-block height.
+        let particle_at = [p.x, p.y + 0.25 * (2.0 / 3.0), p.z];
+        // Guest actions temporarily take self.lan; flush once the hub is back.
+        // Queue before resolving a sprite: a dedicated server has no renderer.
+        if self.audio.capture.is_some() {
+            self.lan_cushion_breaks.push((state, particle_at));
+        }
+        let at = [p.x.floor() as i32, p.y.floor() as i32, p.z.floor() as i32];
         let Some((sprite, tint)) = self.particle_sprite(state, at) else {
             return;
         };
@@ -361,14 +365,8 @@ impl Game<'_> {
             sprite,
             tint,
         );
-        let p = c.position;
-        self.particles.send_particles(
-            &options,
-            [p.x, p.y + 0.666_666_7, p.z],
-            [0.25, 0.0625, 0.25],
-            0.05,
-            10,
-        );
+        self.particles
+            .send_particles(&options, particle_at, [0.25, 0.0625, 0.25], 0.05, 10);
     }
 
     /// `BlockAttachedEntity.tick`: survive and burn checks after the post-increment reaches 100.
diff --git a/crates/horizon-client/src/game/lan.rs b/crates/horizon-client/src/game/lan.rs
index 63aea7e9f..75500ba79 100644
--- a/crates/horizon-client/src/game/lan.rs
+++ b/crates/horizon-client/src/game/lan.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use horizon_core::geometry::Vec3;
 use horizon_protocol::{
     crypto::offline_uuid,
     entity_data::{Value, serializer},
+    packets::play::{self, Clientbound as C},
 };
 use std::{
     collections::HashMap,
@@ -665,6 +666,7 @@ impl Game<'_> {
         self.audio.capture = None;
         self.lan_events.clear();
         self.lan_critical_hits.clear();
+        self.lan_cushion_breaks.clear();
         self.streaming.extra.clear();
         if announce {
             self.system_message(Text::translate(
@@ -1229,6 +1231,33 @@ impl Game<'_> {
     /// Send the tick's level events, sounds and mob animations.
     fn lan_flush_effects(&mut self, host: &mut LanHost) {
         let critical_hits = std::mem::take(&mut self.lan_critical_hits);
+        for (state, at) in std::mem::take(&mut self.lan_cushion_breaks) {
+            if let Some(id) = host
+                .hub
+                .registry_id("minecraft:particle_type", "minecraft:block")
+            {
+                host.hub.broadcast_near(
+                    at,
+                    32.0,
+                    &C::LevelParticles(play::LevelParticles {
+                        particle: horizon_protocol::entity_data::Particle {
+                            id,
+                            data: Some(horizon_protocol::entity_data::ParticleData::State(
+                                state.0 as i32,
+                            )),
+                        },
+                        override_limiter: false,
+                        always_show: false,
+                        pos: at,
+                        dist: [0.25, 0.0625, 0.25],
+                        max_speed: [0.05; 3],
+                        count: 10,
+                        randomization: 0,
+                    }),
+                    None,
+                );
+            }
+        }
         for (kind, pos, data, acting) in std::mem::take(&mut self.lan_events) {
             if kind == 2001 {
                 host.broken
diff --git a/tests/test_cushion_particles.py b/tests/test_cushion_particles.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..adfbf2e00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cushion_particles.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""Cushion particles must reach clients even when the server has no sprite atlas."""
+from pathlib import Path
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+
+@unittest.skipUnless(shutil.which("rustc"), "requires Rust")
+class CushionParticlesTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_headless_server_records_break_effect_before_sprite_lookup(self):
+        source = (ROOT / "crates/horizon-client/src/game/cushions.rs").read_text()
+        start = source.index("    fn cushion_break_particles(")
+        end = source.index("    /// `BlockAttachedEntity.tick`", start)
+        fixture = r'''
+#![allow(dead_code)]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+struct Vec3 { x: f64, y: f64, z: f64 }
+struct Cushion { position: Vec3 }
+impl Cushion { fn color_name(&self) -> &str { "blue" } }
+struct Registry;
+impl Registry {
+    fn default_state(&self, name: &str) -> Option<u32> {
+        assert_eq!(name, "minecraft:blue_wool"); Some(123)
+    }
+}
+struct Assets { registry: Registry }
+struct Pack { assets: Assets }
+struct Audio { capture: Option<()> }
+mod horizon_client { pub mod particles {
+    pub enum ParticleType { Block }
+    pub struct ParticleOptions;
+    impl ParticleOptions {
+        pub fn block(_: ParticleType, _: String, _: u32) -> Self { Self }
+    }
+} }
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct Particles { count: u32 }
+impl Particles {
+    fn send_particles(&mut self, _: &horizon_client::particles::ParticleOptions,
+        at: [f64; 3], spread: [f64; 3], speed: f64, count: u32) {
+        assert!((at[1] - (10.0 + 1.0/6.0)).abs() < 1e-12);
+        assert_eq!(spread, [0.25, 0.0625, 0.25]);
+        assert_eq!(speed, 0.05); assert_eq!(count, 10); self.count += count;
+    }
+}
+struct Game {
+    pack: Pack, audio: Audio, particles: Particles, headless: bool,
+    lan_cushion_breaks: Vec<(u32, [f64; 3])>,
+}
+impl Game {
+    fn particle_sprite(&self, _: u32, _: [i32; 3]) -> Option<(String, u32)> {
+        (!self.headless).then(|| ("block/blue_wool".into(), 0xffffff))
+    }
+METHOD
+}
+fn main() {
+    let cushion = Cushion { position: Vec3 { x: 1.5, y: 10.0, z: 2.5 } };
+    for headless in [true, false] {
+        for serving in [true, false] {
+            let mut game = Game {
+                pack: Pack { assets: Assets { registry: Registry } },
+                audio: Audio { capture: serving.then_some(()) },
+                particles: Particles::default(), headless, lan_cushion_breaks: vec![],
+            };
+            game.cushion_break_particles(&cushion);
+            assert_eq!(game.lan_cushion_breaks.len(), usize::from(serving));
+            if serving {
+                let (state, at) = game.lan_cushion_breaks[0];
+                assert_eq!(state, 123);
+                assert_eq!([at[0], at[2]], [1.5, 2.5]);
+                assert!((at[1] - (10.0 + 1.0/6.0)).abs() < 1e-12);
+            }
+            assert_eq!(game.particles.count, if headless { 0 } else { 10 });
+        }
+    }
+}
+'''.replace("METHOD", source[start:end])
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="cushion-particles-") as directory:
+            path = Path(directory)
+            (path / "main.rs").write_text(fixture)
+            subprocess.run(["rustc", "--edition=2024", str(path / "main.rs"), "-o", str(path / "probe")],
+                           check=True, capture_output=True, text=True)
+            result = subprocess.run([str(path / "probe")], capture_output=True, text=True)
+            self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 0, result.stdout + result.stderr)
diff --git a/tools/lan_e2e.py b/tools/lan_e2e.py
index c508a67d6..6847f8322 100755
--- a/tools/lan_e2e.py
+++ b/tools/lan_e2e.py
@@ -7235,9 +7235,15 @@ def check_cushions(host, guest, out):
         assert player('status').get('riding') is None, seen
         player('command', command='gamemode creative')
         player.raw('look-at', at[0], at[1] + .125, at[2])
+        before = {g.name: g('status').get('particles', {}).get('block', 0) for g in (host, guest)}
         player.raw('mouse', 'left', 'click')
         player.wait(10)
         assert not cushions(host) and not cushions(player), seen
+        seen[label]['break_particles'] = {
+            g.name: g('status').get('particles', {}).get('block', 0) - before[g.name]
+            for g in (host, guest)
+        }
+        assert all(n == 10 for n in seen[label]['break_particles'].values()), seen
     return seen