diff --git a/src/playsim/p_effect.cpp b/src/playsim/p_effect.cpp
index bc9e88163..86b9ac1bf 100644
--- a/src/playsim/p_effect.cpp
+++ b/src/playsim/p_effect.cpp
@@ -1006,7 +1006,6 @@ void DVisualThinker::Construct()
 	PT.subsector = nullptr;
 	cursector = nullptr;
 	PT.color = 0xffffff;
-	spr = new HWSprite();
 	AnimatedTexture.SetNull();
 }
 
@@ -1018,11 +1017,6 @@ DVisualThinker::DVisualThinker()
 void DVisualThinker::OnDestroy()
 {
 	PT.alpha = 0.0; // stops all rendering.
-	if(spr)
-	{
-		delete spr;
-		spr = nullptr;
-	}
 	Super::OnDestroy();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/playsim/p_visualthinker.h b/src/playsim/p_visualthinker.h
index c52cc1cd4..953f2f0ff 100644
--- a/src/playsim/p_visualthinker.h
+++ b/src/playsim/p_visualthinker.h
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ public:
 
 	// internal only variables
 	particle_t		PT;
-	HWSprite		*spr; //in an effort to cache the result. 
 
 	DVisualThinker();
 	void Construct();
diff --git a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_bsp.cpp b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_bsp.cpp
index ef4c89cb1..2c1abdf7c 100644
--- a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_bsp.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_bsp.cpp
@@ -669,10 +669,9 @@ void HWDrawInfo::RenderParticles(subsector_t *sub, sector_t *front)
 			int clipres = mClipPortal->ClipPoint(sp->PT.Pos.XY());
 			if (clipres == PClip_InFront) continue;
 		}
-		
-		assert(sp->spr);
 
-		sp->spr->ProcessParticle(this, &sp->PT, front, sp);
+		HWSprite sprite;
+		sprite.ProcessParticle(this, &sp->PT, front, sp);
 	}
 	for (int i = Level->ParticlesInSubsec[sub->Index()]; i != NO_PARTICLE; i = Level->Particles[i].snext)
 	{