diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticlePointMesh.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticlePointMesh.java
index 28db3e6dd..d6e4222e9 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticlePointMesh.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticlePointMesh.java
@@ -62,53 +62,55 @@ public class ParticlePointMesh extends ParticleMesh {
 
         // set positions
         FloatBuffer pb = BufferUtils.createVector3Buffer(numParticles);
-        VertexBuffer pvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Position);
-        pvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 3, Format.Float, pb);
-         
+        
         //if the buffer is already set only update the data
         VertexBuffer buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Position);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(pb);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer pvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Position);
+            pvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 3, Format.Float, pb);
             setBuffer(pvb);
         }
 
         // set colors
         ByteBuffer cb = BufferUtils.createByteBuffer(numParticles * 4);
-        VertexBuffer cvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Color);
-        cvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 4, Format.UnsignedByte, cb);
-        cvb.setNormalized(true);
         
         buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Color);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(cb);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer cvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Color);
+            cvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 4, Format.UnsignedByte, cb);
+            cvb.setNormalized(true);
             setBuffer(cvb);
         }
 
         // set sizes
         FloatBuffer sb = BufferUtils.createFloatBuffer(numParticles);
-        VertexBuffer svb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Size);
-        svb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 1, Format.Float, sb);
-                
+        
         buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Size);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(sb);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer svb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Size);
+            svb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 1, Format.Float, sb);
             setBuffer(svb);
         }
 
         // set UV-scale
         FloatBuffer tb = BufferUtils.createFloatBuffer(numParticles*4);
-        VertexBuffer tvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.TexCoord);
-        tvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 4, Format.Float, tb);
         
         buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.TexCoord);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(tb);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer tvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.TexCoord);
+            tvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 4, Format.Float, tb);
             setBuffer(tvb);
         }
+        
+        updateCounts();
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticleTriMesh.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticleTriMesh.java
index 8d27838da..735a77aed 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticleTriMesh.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/effect/ParticleTriMesh.java
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import com.jme3.scene.VertexBuffer;
 import com.jme3.scene.VertexBuffer.Format;
 import com.jme3.scene.VertexBuffer.Usage;
 import com.jme3.util.BufferUtils;
-import com.jme3.util.SortUtil;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.FloatBuffer;
 import java.nio.ShortBuffer;
@@ -50,9 +49,9 @@ public class ParticleTriMesh extends ParticleMesh {
     private int imagesX = 1;
     private int imagesY = 1;
     private boolean uniqueTexCoords = false;
-    private ParticleComparator comparator = new ParticleComparator();
+//    private ParticleComparator comparator = new ParticleComparator();
     private ParticleEmitter emitter;
-    private Particle[] particlesCopy;
+//    private Particle[] particlesCopy;
 
     @Override
     public void initParticleData(ParticleEmitter emitter, int numParticles) {
@@ -60,38 +59,34 @@ public class ParticleTriMesh extends ParticleMesh {
 
         this.emitter = emitter;
 
-        particlesCopy = new Particle[numParticles];
+//        particlesCopy = new Particle[numParticles];
 
         // set positions
         FloatBuffer pb = BufferUtils.createVector3Buffer(numParticles * 4);
-        VertexBuffer pvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Position);
-        pvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 3, Format.Float, pb);
-        
-        //if the buffer is already set only update the data
+        // if the buffer is already set only update the data
         VertexBuffer buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Position);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(pb);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer pvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Position);
+            pvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 3, Format.Float, pb);
             setBuffer(pvb);
         }
         
         // set colors
         ByteBuffer cb = BufferUtils.createByteBuffer(numParticles * 4 * 4);
-        VertexBuffer cvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Color);
-        cvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 4, Format.UnsignedByte, cb);
-        cvb.setNormalized(true);
-        
         buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Color);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(cb);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer cvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Color);
+            cvb.setupData(Usage.Stream, 4, Format.UnsignedByte, cb);
+            cvb.setNormalized(true);
             setBuffer(cvb);
         }
 
         // set texcoords
-        VertexBuffer tvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.TexCoord);
         FloatBuffer tb = BufferUtils.createVector2Buffer(numParticles * 4);
-        
         uniqueTexCoords = false;
         for (int i = 0; i < numParticles; i++){
             tb.put(0f).put(1f);
@@ -100,12 +95,13 @@ public class ParticleTriMesh extends ParticleMesh {
             tb.put(1f).put(0f);
         }
         tb.flip();
-        tvb.setupData(Usage.Static, 2, Format.Float, tb);
         
         buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.TexCoord);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(tb);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer tvb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.TexCoord);
+            tvb.setupData(Usage.Static, 2, Format.Float, tb);
             setBuffer(tvb);
         }
 
@@ -125,17 +121,17 @@ public class ParticleTriMesh extends ParticleMesh {
               .put((short)(startIdx + 3));
         }
         ib.flip();
-        
-        VertexBuffer ivb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Index);
-        ivb.setupData(Usage.Static, 3, Format.UnsignedShort, ib);
-        
+
         buf = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Index);
         if (buf != null) {
             buf.updateData(ib);
         } else {
+            VertexBuffer ivb = new VertexBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Index);
+            ivb.setupData(Usage.Static, 3, Format.UnsignedShort, ib);
             setBuffer(ivb);
         }
         
+        updateCounts();
     }
     
     @Override
@@ -150,12 +146,12 @@ public class ParticleTriMesh extends ParticleMesh {
 
     @Override
     public void updateParticleData(Particle[] particles, Camera cam, Matrix3f inverseRotation) {
-        System.arraycopy(particles, 0, particlesCopy, 0, particlesCopy.length);
-        comparator.setCamera(cam);
+//        System.arraycopy(particles, 0, particlesCopy, 0, particlesCopy.length);
+//        comparator.setCamera(cam);
 //        Arrays.sort(particlesCopy, comparator);
 //        SortUtil.qsort(particlesCopy, comparator);
-        SortUtil.msort(particles, particlesCopy, comparator);
-        particles = particlesCopy;
+//        SortUtil.msort(particles, particlesCopy, comparator);
+//        particles = particlesCopy;
 
         VertexBuffer pvb = getBuffer(VertexBuffer.Type.Position);
         FloatBuffer positions = (FloatBuffer) pvb.getData();
diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/scene/VertexBuffer.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/scene/VertexBuffer.java
index 1a844bb51..64a75b495 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/scene/VertexBuffer.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/scene/VertexBuffer.java
@@ -542,9 +542,11 @@ public class VertexBuffer extends NativeObject implements Savable, Cloneable {
      * data already set, e.g. vb.updateData(vb.getData()), this will just
      * set the proper update flag indicating the data should be sent to the GPU
      * again.
+     * <p>
      * It is allowed to specify a buffer with different capacity than the
-     * originally set buffer.
-     *
+     * originally set buffer, HOWEVER, if you do so, you must
+     * call Mesh.updateCounts() otherwise bizarre errors can occur.
+     * 
      * @param data The data buffer to set
      */
     public void updateData(Buffer data){