diff --git a/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.cpp b/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.cpp
index d5ce6c911e..8136a202a3 100644
--- a/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.cpp
+++ b/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.cpp
@@ -54,12 +54,16 @@ CEntitySAInterface* CFileLoaderSA::LoadObjectInstance(const char* szLine)
     return CFileLoader_LoadObjectInstance(szLine);
 }
 
+class CDamagableModelInfo;
+
 class CAtomicModelInfo
 {
 public:
     void DeleteRwObject() { ((void(__thiscall*)(CAtomicModelInfo*))(*(void***)this)[8])(this); }
 
     void SetAtomic(RpAtomic* atomic) { ((void(__thiscall*)(CAtomicModelInfo*, RpAtomic*))(*(void***)this)[15])(this, atomic); }
+
+    CDamagableModelInfo* AsDamageAtomicModelInfoPtr() { return ((CDamagableModelInfo * (__thiscall*)(CAtomicModelInfo*))(*(void***)this)[2])(this); }
 };
 
 class CDamagableModelInfo
@@ -210,12 +214,19 @@ RpAtomic* CFileLoader_SetRelatedModelInfoCB(RpAtomic* atomic, SRelatedModelInfo*
         GetNameAndDamage(frameNodeName, name, bDamage);
     }
 
+    CDamagableModelInfo* pDamagableModelInfo = bDamage ? pAtomicModelInfo->AsDamageAtomicModelInfoPtr() : nullptr;
+    if (bDamage && !pDamagableModelInfo)
+    {
+        // Returning null would stop RpClumpForAllAtomics, so leave the atomic with the clump
+        pRelatedModelInfo->bAtomicNotConsumed = true;
+        return atomic;
+    }
+
     CVisibilityPlugins_SetAtomicRenderCallback(atomic, 0);
 
     RpAtomic* pOldAtomic = reinterpret_cast<RpAtomic*>(pBaseModelInfo->pRwObject);
     if (bDamage)
     {
-        auto pDamagableModelInfo = reinterpret_cast<CDamagableModelInfo*>(pAtomicModelInfo);
         pDamagableModelInfo->SetDamagedAtomic(atomic);
     }
     else
diff --git a/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.h b/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.h
index 7819aebc92..534c8aa050 100644
--- a/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.h
+++ b/Client/game_sa/CFileLoaderSA.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ struct SRelatedModelInfo
 {
     RpClump* pClump;
     bool     bDeleteOldRwObject;
+    bool     bAtomicNotConsumed;
 };
 
 struct SFileObjectInstance
diff --git a/Client/game_sa/CRenderWareSA.cpp b/Client/game_sa/CRenderWareSA.cpp
index 7de9737519..40d678bfc1 100644
--- a/Client/game_sa/CRenderWareSA.cpp
+++ b/Client/game_sa/CRenderWareSA.cpp
@@ -527,9 +527,11 @@ bool AtomicsReplacer(RpAtomic* pAtomic, void* data)
     relatedModelInfo.bDeleteOldRwObject = true;
     CFileLoader_SetRelatedModelInfoCB(pAtomic, &relatedModelInfo);
 
-    // The above function adds a reference to the model's TXD by either
-    // calling CAtomicModelInfo::SetAtomic or CDamagableModelInfo::SetDamagedAtomic. Remove it again.
-    CTxdStore_RemoveRef(pData->usTxdID);
+    // The above function adds a reference to the model's TXD when it calls
+    // CAtomicModelInfo::SetAtomic or CDamagableModelInfo::SetDamagedAtomic. It calls neither if the
+    // atomic was left with the clump, so only remove the reference when one was taken.
+    if (!relatedModelInfo.bAtomicNotConsumed)
+        CTxdStore_RemoveRef(pData->usTxdID);
     return true;
 }