diff --git a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
index 5a96937406..07cbaee374 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
@@ -1809,14 +1809,6 @@ namespace NifOsg
             if (specFlags == 0)
                 mat->setSpecular(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK, osg::Vec4f(0.f,0.f,0.f,0.f));
 
-            // Particles don't have normals, so can't be diffuse lit.
-            if (particleMaterial)
-            {
-                // NB ignoring diffuse.a()
-                mat->setDiffuse(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK, osg::Vec4f(0,0,0,1));
-                mat->setColorMode(osg::Material::AMBIENT);
-            }
-
             if (lightmode == 0)
             {
                 osg::Vec4f diffuse = mat->getDiffuse(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK);
diff --git a/components/nifosg/particle.cpp b/components/nifosg/particle.cpp
index c1ccede1a8..2a79af1c87 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/particle.cpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/particle.cpp
@@ -159,8 +159,11 @@ void ParticleColorAffector::operate(osgParticle::Particle* particle, double /* d
 {
     float time = static_cast<float>(particle->getAge()/particle->getLifeTime());
     osg::Vec4f color = mData.interpKey(time);
+    float alpha = color.a();
+    color.a() = 1.0f;
 
     particle->setColorRange(osgParticle::rangev4(color, color));
+    particle->setAlphaRange(osgParticle::rangef(alpha, alpha));
 }
 
 GravityAffector::GravityAffector(const Nif::NiGravity *gravity)