diff --git a/gameblocks/modules/actor-motion/SnakeMotionController.js b/gameblocks/modules/actor-motion/SnakeMotionController.js
index f57c664..00dcfee 100644
--- a/gameblocks/modules/actor-motion/SnakeMotionController.js
+++ b/gameblocks/modules/actor-motion/SnakeMotionController.js
@@ -112,15 +112,21 @@ export class SnakeMotionController {
     direction = this.initialDirection,
     startCell = this.startCell,
     pendingGrowth = 0,
-  }) {
+  } = {}) {
 
-    this.direction = {
+    this.initialLength = Math.max(2, Math.floor(initialLength));
+    this.initialDirection = {
       right: direction.right,
       forward: direction.forward,
     };
+    this.startCell = cloneCell(startCell);
+    this.direction = {
+      right: this.initialDirection.right,
+      forward: this.initialDirection.forward,
+    };
     this.segments = segments
       ? cloneCells(segments)
-      : createDefaultSegments(initialLength, direction, startCell);
+      : createDefaultSegments(this.initialLength, this.direction, this.startCell);
     this.pendingGrowth = Math.max(0, Math.floor(pendingGrowth));
     return this.getSegments();
   }
diff --git a/gameblocks/modules/actor-motion/SnakeMotionController.test.js b/gameblocks/modules/actor-motion/SnakeMotionController.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4c4ccc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gameblocks/modules/actor-motion/SnakeMotionController.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import test from 'node:test';
+import { SnakeMotionController } from './SnakeMotionController.js';
+
+test('reset without args uses the last startCell, not the constructor origin', () => {
+  const snake = new SnakeMotionController({
+    initialLength: 3,
+    startCell: { right: 0, forward: 0 },
+    initialDirection: { right: 1, forward: 0 },
+  });
+  snake.reset({
+    startCell: { right: 4, forward: 2 },
+    direction: { right: 0, forward: 1 },
+    initialLength: 3,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(snake.head, { right: 4, forward: 2 });
+  snake.move({ left: false, right: false, forward: true, backward: false });
+  assert.deepEqual(snake.head, { right: 4, forward: 3 });
+  snake.reset();
+  assert.deepEqual(snake.head, { right: 4, forward: 2 });
+  assert.deepEqual(snake.getDirection(), { right: 0, forward: 1 });
+});