The effects of the particle trajectories on phase Doppler measurements were explored numerically using generalized Lorenz-Mie theory. Computations were performed for a commercial phase Doppler system and various schemes for elimination of the trajectory effects were examined. It is shown that these effects cannot be completely suppressed if the ratio of the two measured phase shifts from a single receiving unit is used to validate the measurements. On the other hand, the errors due to particle trajectories can be eliminated satisfactorily by employing an additional receiving unit, which allows one to detect the asymmetry of the scattered light pattern due to displacement of the particle trajectory from the centre of the measuring volume. A preliminary experimental evaluation of this method is presented and discussed.