diff --git a/src/engine/particles/particle-emitter.ts b/src/engine/particles/particle-emitter.ts
index f723e6c60b..75b1d7eb4a 100644
--- a/src/engine/particles/particle-emitter.ts
+++ b/src/engine/particles/particle-emitter.ts
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ export class ParticleEmitter extends Actor {
       beginColor: this.particle.beginColor,
       endColor: this.particle.endColor,
       pos: vec(ranX, ranY),
-      z: this.particle.transform === ParticleTransform.Global ? this.z : undefined,
+      z: this.particle.transform === ParticleTransform.Global ? (this.particle.z ?? this.z) : undefined,
       vel: vec(dx, dy),
       acc: this.particle.acc,
       angularVelocity: this.particle.angularVelocity,
diff --git a/src/spec/vitest/particle-spec.ts b/src/spec/vitest/particle-spec.ts
index 4b7d2c0abf..2b0ab2ac0f 100644
--- a/src/spec/vitest/particle-spec.ts
+++ b/src/spec/vitest/particle-spec.ts
@@ -303,4 +303,41 @@ describe('A particle', () => {
         .every((entity) => entity.transform.z === 5)
     ).toBeTruthy();
   });
+
+  it('uses particle config z when specified, overriding emitter z', () => {
+    const emitter = new ex.ParticleEmitter({
+      particle: {
+        transform: ex.ParticleTransform.Global,
+        z: 10
+      },
+      pos: new ex.Vector(0, 0),
+      z: 5,
+      random: new ex.Random(1337)
+    });
+    engine.add(emitter);
+    emitter.emitParticles(10);
+    expect(
+      engine.currentScene.world.entityManager.entities
+        .filter((entity) => entity instanceof ex.Particle)
+        .every((entity) => entity.transform.z === 10)
+    ).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it('falls back to emitter z when particle config z is not set', () => {
+    const emitter = new ex.ParticleEmitter({
+      particle: {
+        transform: ex.ParticleTransform.Global
+      },
+      pos: new ex.Vector(0, 0),
+      z: 7,
+      random: new ex.Random(1337)
+    });
+    engine.add(emitter);
+    emitter.emitParticles(10);
+    expect(
+      engine.currentScene.world.entityManager.entities
+        .filter((entity) => entity instanceof ex.Particle)
+        .every((entity) => entity.transform.z === 7)
+    ).toBeTruthy();
+  });
 });