diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Skinning/LegacyHitExplosion.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Skinning/LegacyHitExplosion.cs
index ca2a54aa62..5cfbc1d847 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Skinning/LegacyHitExplosion.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Skinning/LegacyHitExplosion.cs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Skinning
             float explosionScale = GetManiaSkinConfig<float>(skin, LegacyManiaSkinConfigurationLookups.ExplosionScale)?.Value
                                    ?? 1;
 
-            InternalChild = explosion = skin.GetAnimation(imageName, true, false, startAtCurrentTime: true).With(d =>
+            explosion = skin.GetAnimation(imageName, true, false, startAtCurrentTime: true).With(d =>
             {
                 if (d == null)
                     return;
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Skinning
                     texAnimation.DefaultFrameLength = Math.Max(texAnimation.DefaultFrameLength, 170.0 / texAnimation.FrameCount);
             });
 
+            if (explosion != null)
+                InternalChild = explosion;
+
             direction.BindTo(scrollingInfo.Direction);
             direction.BindValueChanged(onDirectionChanged, true);
         }