diff --git a/game/modules/tome/data/gfx/particles/apply_poison.lua b/game/modules/tome/data/gfx/particles/apply_poison.lua
index 9c63473bc25d0b9a5015b827f83c193f8ed200dc..25ce3bd64d95d21118836ff5bbeda9d44efd3f98 100644
--- a/game/modules/tome/data/gfx/particles/apply_poison.lua
+++ b/game/modules/tome/data/gfx/particles/apply_poison.lua
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ base_size = 64
 toback = false
 can_shift = true
 
+local run = true
 return { generator = function()
 	local ad = rng.range(0, 360)
 	local a = math.rad(ad)
@@ -47,7 +48,8 @@ return { generator = function()
 	}
 end, },
 function(self)
-	self.ps:emit(1)
+	if run then self.ps:emit(1) end
+	run = not run
 end,
 32,
 "particles_images/apply_poison"..rng.range(1, 4)