diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/Sprite.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/Sprite.java
index 7cb542d90..1f2ed7866 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/Sprite.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/Sprite.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: Sprite.java,v 1.53 2002/11/20 05:33:20 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Sprite.java,v 1.54 2002/12/02 20:11:24 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.media.sprite;
 
@@ -285,7 +285,10 @@ public abstract class Sprite extends AbstractMedia
             _path.init(this, _pathStamp = tickStamp);
         }
 
-        return _path.tick(this, tickStamp);
+        // it's possible that as a result of init() the path completed and
+        // removed itself with a call to pathCompleted(), so we have to be
+        // careful here
+        return (_path == null) ? true : _path.tick(this, tickStamp);
     }
 
     // documentation inherited
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/Path.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/Path.java
index c5447f550..9de85e777 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/Path.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/Path.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: Path.java,v 1.8 2002/06/18 22:25:33 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Path.java,v 1.9 2002/12/02 20:11:24 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.media.util;
 
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ public interface Path
 {
     /**
      * Called once to let the path prepare itself for the process of
-     * animating the supplied pathable.
+     * animating the supplied pathable. Path users should also call {@link
+     * #tick} after {@link #init} with the same initialization timestamp.
      */
     public void init (Pathable pable, long tickStamp);
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/TimedPath.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/TimedPath.java
index d5846e3e7..b1abf432d 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/TimedPath.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/util/TimedPath.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: TimedPath.java,v 1.1 2002/09/17 03:59:05 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: TimedPath.java,v 1.2 2002/12/02 20:11:24 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.media.util;
 
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ public abstract class TimedPath implements Path
         // make a note of when we started
         _startStamp = timestamp;
 
-        // update our position to the start of the path
-        tick(pable, timestamp);
+        // we'll be ticked immediately following init() which will update
+        // our position to the start of our path
     }
 
     // documentation inherited