diff --git a/src/game/ship.rs b/src/game/ship.rs
index f76adba..390f2f8 100644
--- a/src/game/ship.rs
+++ b/src/game/ship.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ use cgmath::{Deg, Point2, Point3};
 use crate::{
 	content::{self, ship::Engine},
 	physics::PhysicsBody,
-	render::Sprite,
-	render::SpriteTexture,
-	render::Spriteable,
+	render::{Sprite, SpriteTexture, Spriteable, SubSprite},
 };
 
 pub struct Ship {
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ impl Spriteable for Ship {
 			Some(
 				self.engines
 					.iter()
-					.map(|e| Sprite {
+					.map(|e| SubSprite {
 						pos: Point3 {
 							x: e.pos.x,
 							y: e.pos.y,
@@ -44,7 +42,6 @@ impl Spriteable for Ship {
 						texture: SpriteTexture("flare::ion".to_owned()),
 						angle: Deg(0.0),
 						size: e.size,
-						children: None,
 					})
 					.collect(),
 			)
diff --git a/src/render/gpustate.rs b/src/render/gpustate.rs
index d298b8c..9fa132e 100644
--- a/src/render/gpustate.rs
+++ b/src/render/gpustate.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use super::{
 	consts::{OPENGL_TO_WGPU_MATRIX, SPRITE_INSTANCE_LIMIT, STARFIELD_INSTANCE_LIMIT},
 	globaldata::{GlobalData, GlobalDataContent},
 	pipeline::PipelineBuilder,
+	sprite::SubSprite,
 	texturearray::TextureArray,
 	vertexbuffer::{
 		consts::{SPRITE_INDICES, SPRITE_VERTICES},
@@ -285,15 +286,10 @@ impl GPUState {
 		&self,
 		game: &Game,
 		instances: &mut Vec<SpriteInstance>,
-		s: Sprite,
+		s: SubSprite,
 		parent_pos: Point2<f32>,
 		parent_angle: Deg<f32>,
 	) {
-		// TODO: clean up
-		if s.children.is_some() {
-			panic!("Child sprites must not have child sprites!")
-		}
-
 		let texture = self.texture_array.get_sprite_texture(s.texture);
 		let scale = s.size / (s.pos.z * game.camera.zoom);
 		let sprite_aspect_and_scale =
diff --git a/src/render/mod.rs b/src/render/mod.rs
index 445ba36..f7993a6 100644
--- a/src/render/mod.rs
+++ b/src/render/mod.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ mod texturearray;
 mod vertexbuffer;
 
 pub use gpustate::GPUState;
-pub use sprite::{Sprite, Spriteable};
+pub use sprite::{Sprite, Spriteable, SubSprite};
 
 /// A handle to a sprite texture
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
diff --git a/src/render/sprite.rs b/src/render/sprite.rs
index 3a85248..6323aca 100644
--- a/src/render/sprite.rs
+++ b/src/render/sprite.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use cgmath::{Deg, Point3};
 use super::SpriteTexture;
 
 pub struct Sprite {
-	/// Name of the sprite to draw
+	/// The sprite texture to draw
 	pub texture: SpriteTexture,
 
 	/// This object's position, in world coordinates.
@@ -18,13 +18,26 @@ pub struct Sprite {
 	pub angle: Deg<f32>,
 
 	/// Sprites that should be drawn relative to this sprite.
-	/// Coordinates of sprites in this array will be interpreted
-	/// as world units, relative to the center of this sprite,
-	/// before any rotation or scaling.
-	/// Children rotate with their parent sprite.
-	///
-	/// Note that child sprites may NOT have children.
-	pub children: Option<Vec<Sprite>>,
+	pub children: Option<Vec<SubSprite>>,
+}
+
+pub struct SubSprite {
+	/// The sprite texture to draw
+	pub texture: SpriteTexture,
+
+	/// This object's position, in world coordinates.
+	/// This is relative to this sprite's parent.
+	pub pos: Point3<f32>,
+
+	/// The size of this sprite,
+	/// given as height in world units.
+	pub size: f32,
+
+	/// This sprite's rotation
+	/// (relative to north, measured ccw)
+	/// Just as position, this is relative to this
+	/// subsprite's parent sprite.
+	pub angle: Deg<f32>,
 }
 
 pub trait Spriteable {