diff --git a/mothership/internal/api/simulator.go b/mothership/internal/api/simulator.go
index 0817c5b..2ea1546 100644
--- a/mothership/internal/api/simulator.go
+++ b/mothership/internal/api/simulator.go
@@ -209,6 +209,19 @@ func (h *SimulatorHandler) AddNode(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	h.mu.Lock()
+	// If node has no explicit position (co-located at origin), assign a spread
+	// position so nodes don't collapse to the same point, which would cause
+	// Fresnel excess path |P-T|+|P-R|-|T-R| to approach 0 and prevent blob
+	// formation (bf-18yn, bf-4q5w). Use the existing spread-position
+	// infrastructure that mirrors cmd/sim's generateNodePositions.
+	if node.Position.X == 0 && node.Position.Y == 0 && node.Position.Z == 0 {
+		// Get current node count including the one we're about to add
+		currentNodes := h.nodes.All()
+		positions := simulator.DefaultNodePositions(h.space, len(currentNodes)+1)
+		if len(positions) > 0 {
+			node.Position = positions[len(currentNodes)]
+		}
+	}
 	h.nodes.Add(&node)
 	h.mu.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/mothership/internal/api/simulator_test.go b/mothership/internal/api/simulator_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d1f7da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mothership/internal/api/simulator_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+// Package api tests the simulator REST API
+package api
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spaxel/mothership/internal/simulator"
+)
+
+// TestAddNode_SpreadsDefaultOrigin tests that nodes created without explicit
+// positions (at origin {0,0,0}) are assigned spread-out positions instead of
+// remaining co-located, which would collapse Fresnel excess path length toward
+// 0 and prevent blob formation (bf-18yn, bf-4q5w).
+func TestAddNode_SpreadsDefaultOrigin(t *testing.T) {
+	handler := NewSimulatorHandler()
+	space := simulator.DefaultSpace()
+	handler.mu.Lock()
+	handler.space = space
+	handler.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// Create multiple nodes without positions (all at origin)
+	var createdNodes []simulator.Node
+	for i := 0; i < 4; i++ {
+		nodeJSON := map[string]interface{}{
+			"id":   string(rune('a' + i)),
+			"name": "Node Name",
+		}
+		body, _ := json.Marshal(nodeJSON)
+
+		req := httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/api/simulator/nodes", bytes.NewReader(body))
+		req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+		handler.AddNode(w, req)
+
+		if w.Code != http.StatusCreated {
+			t.Fatalf("expected status %d, got %d", http.StatusCreated, w.Code)
+		}
+
+		var node simulator.Node
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &node); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to decode response: %v", err)
+		}
+		createdNodes = append(createdNodes, node)
+	}
+
+	// Verify all nodes have distinct positions (not co-located at origin)
+	positions := make(map[[3]float64]int)
+	for _, node := range createdNodes {
+		pos := [3]float64{node.Position.X, node.Position.Y, node.Position.Z}
+
+		// Check not at origin
+		if node.Position.X == 0 && node.Position.Y == 0 && node.Position.Z == 0 {
+			t.Errorf("node %s still at origin (0,0,0)", node.ID)
+		}
+
+		// Check distinct
+		positions[pos]++
+		if positions[pos] > 1 {
+			t.Errorf("duplicate position %v for node %s", pos, node.ID)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Verify positions span the room (not all at same point)
+	_, _, _, _, _, _ = space.Bounds()
+
+	var minXSeen, maxXSeen, minYSeen, maxYSeen float64
+	for i, node := range createdNodes {
+		if i == 0 {
+			minXSeen, maxXSeen = node.Position.X, node.Position.X
+			minYSeen, maxYSeen = node.Position.Y, node.Position.Y
+		}
+		if node.Position.X < minXSeen {
+			minXSeen = node.Position.X
+		}
+		if node.Position.X > maxXSeen {
+			maxXSeen = node.Position.X
+		}
+		if node.Position.Y < minYSeen {
+			minYSeen = node.Position.Y
+		}
+		if node.Position.Y > maxYSeen {
+			maxYSeen = node.Position.Y
+		}
+	}
+
+	// For 4 nodes, we should see some spread across the room
+	// (not strictly required for correctness, but verifies the fix works)
+	if minXSeen == maxXSeen && minYSeen == maxYSeen {
+		t.Errorf("nodes don't span room: all at (%.2f, %.2f)", minXSeen, minYSeen)
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("Successfully spread %d nodes across room: X=[%.2f,%.2f] Y=[%.2f,%.2f]",
+		len(createdNodes), minXSeen, maxXSeen, minYSeen, maxYSeen)
+}
+
+// TestAddNode_KeepsExplicitPosition tests that nodes with explicit positions
+// are not modified.
+func TestAddNode_KeepsExplicitPosition(t *testing.T) {
+	handler := NewSimulatorHandler()
+
+	nodeJSON := map[string]interface{}{
+		"id": "test-node",
+		"position": map[string]interface{}{
+			"x": 1.5,
+			"y": 2.3,
+			"z": 1.0,
+		},
+	}
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(nodeJSON)
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/api/simulator/nodes", bytes.NewReader(body))
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	handler.AddNode(w, req)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status %d, got %d", http.StatusCreated, w.Code)
+	}
+
+	var node simulator.Node
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &node); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to decode response: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Verify explicit position was preserved
+	if node.Position.X != 1.5 || node.Position.Y != 2.3 || node.Position.Z != 1.0 {
+		t.Errorf("explicit position not preserved: got (%.2f, %.2f, %.2f)",
+			node.Position.X, node.Position.Y, node.Position.Z)
+	}
+}