diff --git a/src/client/particles.cpp b/src/client/particles.cpp
index c6891f8ef..472ac0321 100644
--- a/src/client/particles.cpp
+++ b/src/client/particles.cpp
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ ParticleSpawner::ParticleSpawner(
 	}
 
 	size_t max_particles = 0; // maximum number of particles likely to be visible at any given time
+	assert(p.time >= 0);
 	if (p.time != 0) {
 		auto maxGenerations = p.time / std::min(p.exptime.start.min, p.exptime.end.min);
 		max_particles = p.amount / maxGenerations;
diff --git a/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp b/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp
index 9f987ccea..fbd7bdd9e 100644
--- a/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp
+++ b/src/network/clientpackethandler.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "client/client.h"
 
+#include "exceptions.h"
 #include "irr_v2d.h"
 #include "util/base64.h"
 #include "client/camera.h"
@@ -1007,6 +1008,8 @@ void Client::handleCommand_AddParticleSpawner(NetworkPacket* pkt)
 
 	p.amount             = readU16(is);
 	p.time               = readF32(is);
+	if (p.time < 0)
+		throw SerializationError("particle spawner time < 0");
 
 	bool missing_end_values = false;
 	if (m_proto_ver >= 42) {
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_particles.cpp b/src/script/lua_api/l_particles.cpp
index 80c3f27c2..efcf3725e 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_particles.cpp
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_particles.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // Copyright (C) 2013 celeron55, Perttu Ahola <celeron55@gmail.com>
 
 #include "lua_api/l_particles.h"
+#include "common/c_types.h"
 #include "lua_api/l_object.h"
 #include "lua_api/l_internal.h"
 #include "lua_api/l_particleparams.h"
@@ -280,6 +281,9 @@ int ModApiParticles::l_add_particlespawner(lua_State *L)
 		p.node_tile = getintfield_default(L, 1, "node_tile", p.node_tile);
 	}
 
+	if (p.time < 0)
+		throw LuaError("particle spawner 'time' must be >= 0");
+
 	u32 id = getServer(L)->addParticleSpawner(p, attached, playername);
 	lua_pushnumber(L, id);