diff --git a/src/graphics/material.cpp b/src/graphics/material.cpp
index f44f61eb4..31d537e9e 100644
--- a/src/graphics/material.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/material.cpp
@@ -46,10 +46,15 @@ Material::Material(const XMLNode *node, int index)
     node->get("name", &m_texname);
     if (m_texname=="")
     {
-        throw std::runtime_error("No texture name specified in %s file\n");
-    }    
+        throw std::runtime_error("[Material] No texture name specified in file\n");
+    }
     init(index);
     
+    if (m_texname == "smoke.png")
+    {
+        printf("breakpoint here\n");
+    }
+    
     bool b = false;
     node->get("clampU", &b);  if (b) m_clamp_tex |= UCLAMP;
     b = false;
diff --git a/src/graphics/material.hpp b/src/graphics/material.hpp
index 8d76e39ae..b21cb8277 100644
--- a/src/graphics/material.hpp
+++ b/src/graphics/material.hpp
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ public:
     const std::string& 
           getTexFname        () const { return m_texname;            }
     int   getIndex           () const { return m_index;              }
+    
+    bool  isTransparent      () const { return m_alpha_testing || m_alpha_blending || m_add; }
+    
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     /** Returns the fraction of maximum speed on this material. */
     float getMaxSpeedFraction() const { return m_max_speed_fraction; }
diff --git a/src/graphics/material_manager.cpp b/src/graphics/material_manager.cpp
index 1f4327c82..33111cc7c 100644
--- a/src/graphics/material_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/material_manager.cpp
@@ -229,3 +229,15 @@ Material *MaterialManager::getMaterial(const std::string& fname,
     return m ;
 }   // getMaterial
 
+
+bool MaterialManager::hasMaterial(const std::string& fname)
+{
+    std::string basename=StringUtils::getBasename(fname);
+    
+    // Search backward so that temporary (track) textures are found first
+    for(int i = (int)m_materials.size()-1; i>=0; i-- )
+    {
+        if(m_materials[i]->getTexFname()==basename) return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
diff --git a/src/graphics/material_manager.hpp b/src/graphics/material_manager.hpp
index f2c8fe90f..d4102ddd8 100644
--- a/src/graphics/material_manager.hpp
+++ b/src/graphics/material_manager.hpp
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ public:
     void      addSharedMaterial(const std::string& filename);
     bool      pushTempMaterial (const std::string& filename);
     void      popTempMaterial  ();
+    
+    bool      hasMaterial(const std::string& fname);
 };
 
 extern MaterialManager *material_manager;
diff --git a/src/graphics/particle_emitter.cpp b/src/graphics/particle_emitter.cpp
index 3a8049277..949fa1760 100644
--- a/src/graphics/particle_emitter.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/particle_emitter.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ ParticleEmitter::ParticleEmitter(const ParticleKind* type, core::vector3df posit
                                  scene::ISceneNode* parent) : m_position(position)
 {
     m_node = NULL;
+    m_particle_type = NULL;
     m_parent = parent;
     setParticleType(type);
     
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ void ParticleEmitter::setPosition(core::vector3df pos)
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 void ParticleEmitter::setParticleType(const ParticleKind* type)
-{
+{    
     if (m_particle_type == type) return; // already the right type
     
     if (m_node != NULL)
@@ -116,11 +117,13 @@ void ParticleEmitter::setParticleType(const ParticleKind* type)
     m_node->setName(debug_name.c_str());
 #endif
     
+    video::SMaterial& mat0 = m_node->getMaterial(0);
+    
     m_node->setPosition(m_position);
-    material->setMaterialProperties(&(m_node->getMaterial(0)));
+    material->setMaterialProperties(&mat0);
     m_node->setMaterialTexture(0, material->getTexture());
     
-    m_node->getMaterial(0).ZWriteEnable = false; // disable z-buffer writes
+    mat0.ZWriteEnable = !material->isTransparent(); // disable z-buffer writes if material is transparent
     
     switch (type->getShape())
     {
diff --git a/src/graphics/particle_kind.cpp b/src/graphics/particle_kind.cpp
index a0aa48b7b..5b6bf8918 100644
--- a/src/graphics/particle_kind.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/particle_kind.cpp
@@ -120,10 +120,17 @@ ParticleKind::ParticleKind(const std::string file) : m_min_start_color(255,255,2
         throw std::runtime_error("[ParticleKind] <material> tag has invalid 'file' attribute");
     }
     
-    m_material = material_manager->getMaterial(materialFile);
-    if (m_material->getTexture() == NULL)
+    if (material_manager->hasMaterial(materialFile))
     {
-        throw std::runtime_error("[ParticleKind] Cannot locate file " + materialFile);
+        m_material = material_manager->getMaterial(materialFile);
+        if (m_material->getTexture() == NULL)
+        {
+            throw std::runtime_error("[ParticleKind] Cannot locate file " + materialFile);
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "[ParticleKind] WARNING: particle image '%s' does not appear in the list of currently known materials, it will be opaque", materialFile.c_str());
     }
     
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------------