diff --git a/src/laige-sim/include/laige/sim/particles.h b/src/laige-sim/include/laige/sim/particles.h
index e327268..51ef579 100644
--- a/src/laige-sim/include/laige/sim/particles.h
+++ b/src/laige-sim/include/laige/sim/particles.h
@@ -507,6 +507,19 @@ class ParticleSystem {
     ++spawnedTotal_;
   }
 
+  // An integer v < 2^24 as a Scalar — exact on both backends (the fpx
+  // raw units; the fp32 24-bit mantissa represents every integer < 2^24
+  // exactly). Not a static_cast: the fpx16_16 aggregate's single-member
+  // parenthesized cast is rejected by the older AppleClang of the
+  // macOS P0 toolchain.
+  static Scalar fromInt(std::uint32_t v) noexcept {
+    if constexpr (std::is_same_v<Backend, laige::sim::Fpx16_16>) {
+      return Scalar{static_cast<std::int32_t>(v)};
+    } else {
+      return static_cast<Scalar>(static_cast<std::int32_t>(v));
+    }
+  }
+
   // One uniform scalar in [lo, hi]: one 24-bit Prng tap resolved to
   // [0, 1) (u / 2^24 — the tap resolution, the header's
   // determinism section) and one SimMath lerp (the ADR 0002 rounding
@@ -514,8 +527,7 @@ class ParticleSystem {
   // beyond the documented draw).
   Scalar sampleScalar(Scalar lo, Scalar hi) noexcept {
     const std::uint32_t u = rng_.next_range(0, kParticleSampleDenominator);
-    const Scalar t =
-        M::div(static_cast<Scalar>(u), static_cast<Scalar>(kParticleSampleDenominator));
+    const Scalar t = M::div(fromInt(u), fromInt(kParticleSampleDenominator));
     return M::lerp(lo, hi, t);
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/laige-sim/particles_tests.cpp b/tests/laige-sim/particles_tests.cpp
index 97b700f..dbddedd 100644
--- a/tests/laige-sim/particles_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/laige-sim/particles_tests.cpp
@@ -234,6 +234,20 @@ std::uint64_t particlesStateHash(const ParticleSystem<Backend>& sys) {
 
 // One uniform scalar exactly as the engine samples it (the test-side
 // oracle for the 4-draw contract).
+// Integer → Scalar, exact on both backends (v < 2^24) — mirrors the
+// engine's ParticleSystem::fromInt (the oracle must follow the
+// engine's sample path; not a static_cast — the older AppleClang of
+// the macOS P0 toolchain rejects the fpx16_16 aggregate cast).
+template <typename Backend>
+typename M_<Backend>::Scalar sampleFromInt(std::uint32_t v) {
+  using Scalar = typename M_<Backend>::Scalar;
+  if constexpr (std::is_same_v<Backend, laige::sim::Fpx16_16>) {
+    return laige::fpx16_16{static_cast<std::int32_t>(v)};
+  } else {
+    return static_cast<Scalar>(static_cast<std::int32_t>(v));
+  }
+}
+
 template <typename Backend>
 typename M_<Backend>::Scalar oracleSample(laige::Prng& oracle,
                                           typename M_<Backend>::Scalar lo,
@@ -241,8 +255,9 @@ typename M_<Backend>::Scalar oracleSample(laige::Prng& oracle,
   using M = M_<Backend>;
   const std::uint32_t u =
       oracle.next_range(0, laige::kParticleSampleDenominator);
-  const auto t = M::div(static_cast<typename M::Scalar>(u),
-                        static_cast<typename M::Scalar>(laige::kParticleSampleDenominator));
+  const auto t =
+      M::div(sampleFromInt<Backend>(u),
+             sampleFromInt<Backend>(laige::kParticleSampleDenominator));
   return M::lerp(lo, hi, t);
 }