diff --git a/data/nitro.xml b/data/nitro.xml
index 07cda2921..12828135a 100644
--- a/data/nitro.xml
+++ b/data/nitro.xml
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
     <material  file="nitro-particle.png"  />
     
     <!-- Amount of particles emitted per second -->
-    <rate      min="5"
-               max="10"          />
+    <rate      min="130"
+               max="160"          />
     
     <!-- Minimal and maximal lifetime of a particle, in milliseconds. -->
     <lifetime  min="1000"
diff --git a/src/graphics/particle_emitter.hpp b/src/graphics/particle_emitter.hpp
index dc77324e0..4e65ba910 100644
--- a/src/graphics/particle_emitter.hpp
+++ b/src/graphics/particle_emitter.hpp
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ public:
     void         setCreationRate(float f);
     
     void         setPosition(core::vector3df pos);
+    
+    ParticleKind* getParticlesInfo() { return m_particle_type; }
 };
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/karts/kart.cpp b/src/karts/kart.cpp
index 8e20fa63f..4b53ff176 100644
--- a/src/karts/kart.cpp
+++ b/src/karts/kart.cpp
@@ -1584,8 +1584,13 @@ void Kart::updateGraphics(const Vec3& offset_xyz,
     {
         // fabs(speed) is important, otherwise the negative number will
         // become a huge unsigned number in the particle scene node!
+        const float minRate = m_nitro->getParticlesInfo()->getMinRate();
+        const float maxRate = m_nitro->getParticlesInfo()->getMaxRate();
+        const float rate    = fabsf(getSpeed())/m_kart_properties->getMaxSpeed();
+        assert(rate >= 0.0f); // allow for rounding errors...
+        //assert(rate <= 2.0f); // max speed is not always respected it seems...
         m_nitro->setCreationRate(m_controls.m_nitro && isOnGround() && m_collected_energy>0
-                                 ? (10.0f + fabsf(getSpeed())*20.0f) : 0);
+                                 ? (minRate + rate*(maxRate - minRate)) : 0);
     }
 
     // For testing purposes mis-use the nitro graphical effects to show