diff --git a/server/web/src/components/Layout/Layout.tsx b/server/web/src/components/Layout/Layout.tsx
index 269fd21..6366e44 100644
--- a/server/web/src/components/Layout/Layout.tsx
+++ b/server/web/src/components/Layout/Layout.tsx
@@ -348,10 +348,9 @@ export default function Layout({ children }: LayoutProps) {
 
   return (
     <div
-      className={`layout${isMobile ? ' layout--mobile' : ''}${othersOnline ? ' layout--comrades-online' : ''}${!isMobile && glowParticles ? ' layout--hacker-cursor' : ''}`}
+      className={`layout${isMobile ? ' layout--mobile' : ''}${othersOnline ? ' layout--comrades-online' : ''}`}
       data-operator-deck={operatorDeckId(location.pathname)}
     >
-      {!isMobile && glowParticles && <CursorFire />}
       <AmbientBackground weather={pageWeather} />
       {glowParticles && <SacredGeometryLayer />}
       <nav className="sidebar sidebar--desktop desktop-only">
diff --git a/server/web/src/components/Visual/CursorFire.tsx b/server/web/src/components/Visual/CursorFire.tsx
index d34a246..4dea461 100644
--- a/server/web/src/components/Visual/CursorFire.tsx
+++ b/server/web/src/components/Visual/CursorFire.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-import { useRef } from 'react';
-import './CursorFire.css';
-
 export default function CursorFire() {
-  const canvasRef = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);
-  return <canvas ref={canvasRef} className="cursor-hacker-fx" aria-hidden="true" />;
+  return null;
 }
diff --git a/server/web/src/components/components.test.tsx b/server/web/src/components/components.test.tsx
index 81a7452..47be577 100644
--- a/server/web/src/components/components.test.tsx
+++ b/server/web/src/components/components.test.tsx
@@ -907,29 +907,10 @@ describe('AmbientBackground', () => {
 describe('CursorFire', () => {
   afterEach(() => cleanup());
 
-  it('mounts fullscreen hacker-trail canvas', () => {
+  it('returns null as cursor particle effects are disabled', () => {
     const { container } = render(<CursorFire />);
     const canvas = container.querySelector('canvas.cursor-hacker-fx');
-    expect(canvas).toBeTruthy();
-    expect(canvas).toHaveAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
-  });
-
-  it('skips animation loop when prefers-reduced-motion', () => {
-    const rafSpy = vi.spyOn(window, 'requestAnimationFrame');
-    const matchMediaSpy = vi.spyOn(window, 'matchMedia').mockReturnValue({
-      matches: true,
-      media: '(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)',
-      onchange: null,
-      addListener: vi.fn(),
-      removeListener: vi.fn(),
-      addEventListener: vi.fn(),
-      removeEventListener: vi.fn(),
-      dispatchEvent: vi.fn(),
-    });
-    render(<CursorFire />);
-    expect(rafSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    matchMediaSpy.mockRestore();
-    rafSpy.mockRestore();
+    expect(canvas).toBeNull();
   });
 });
 
@@ -990,7 +971,7 @@ describe('Layout', () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole('link', { name: /Onion/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('mounts MatrixRain on Command Deck only and CursorFire on all desktop deck pages', async () => {
+  it('mounts MatrixRain on Command Deck only', async () => {
     const { container: deck } = render(
       <MemoryRouter initialEntries={['/dashboard']} future={routerFuture}>
         <Layout>
@@ -1000,7 +981,6 @@ describe('Layout', () => {
     );
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(deck.querySelector('.matrix-rain-canvas')).toBeTruthy();
-      expect(deck.querySelector('.cursor-hacker-fx')).toBeTruthy();
     });
     cleanup();
 
@@ -1015,7 +995,5 @@ describe('Layout', () => {
       expect(screen.getByText('crucible')).toBeInTheDocument();
     });
     expect(crucible.querySelector('.matrix-rain-canvas')).toBeNull();
-    expect(crucible.querySelector('.cursor-hacker-fx')).toBeTruthy();
-    expect(crucible.querySelector('.layout--hacker-cursor')).toBeTruthy();
   });
 });