diff --git a/editor/editor_node.cpp b/editor/editor_node.cpp
index b74438f6954..6a2222345a1 100644
--- a/editor/editor_node.cpp
+++ b/editor/editor_node.cpp
@@ -925,6 +925,11 @@ void EditorNode::_save_scene(String p_file, int idx) {
 		return;
 	}
 
+	// force creation of node path cache
+	// (hacky but needed for the tree to update properly)
+	Node *dummy_scene = sdata->instance(PackedScene::GEN_EDIT_STATE_INSTANCE);
+	memdelete(dummy_scene);
+
 	int flg = 0;
 	if (EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get("filesystem/on_save/compress_binary_resources"))
 		flg |= ResourceSaver::FLAG_COMPRESS;
diff --git a/scene/resources/packed_scene.cpp b/scene/resources/packed_scene.cpp
index 0c2f07aa4af..e46d9db7bc2 100644
--- a/scene/resources/packed_scene.cpp
+++ b/scene/resources/packed_scene.cpp
@@ -995,12 +995,12 @@ int SceneState::find_node_by_path(const NodePath &p_node) const {
 		if (_get_base_scene_state().is_valid()) {
 			int idx = _get_base_scene_state()->find_node_by_path(p_node);
 			if (idx >= 0) {
-				if (!base_scene_node_remap.has(idx)) {
-					int ridx = nodes.size() + base_scene_node_remap.size();
-					base_scene_node_remap[ridx] = idx;
+				int rkey = _find_base_scene_node_remap_key(idx);
+				if (rkey == -1) {
+					rkey = nodes.size() + base_scene_node_remap.size();
+					base_scene_node_remap[rkey] = idx;
 				}
-
-				return base_scene_node_remap[idx];
+				return rkey;
 			}
 		}
 		return -1;
@@ -1013,11 +1013,24 @@ int SceneState::find_node_by_path(const NodePath &p_node) const {
 		//the node in the instanced scene, as a property may be missing
 		//from the local one
 		int idx = _get_base_scene_state()->find_node_by_path(p_node);
-		base_scene_node_remap[nid] = idx;
+		if (idx != -1) {
+			base_scene_node_remap[nid] = idx;
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nid;
 }
+
+int SceneState::_find_base_scene_node_remap_key(int p_idx) const {
+
+	for (Map<int, int>::Element *E = base_scene_node_remap.front(); E; E = E->next()) {
+		if (E->value() == p_idx) {
+			return E->key();
+		}
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
 Variant SceneState::get_property_value(int p_node, const StringName &p_property, bool &found) const {
 
 	found = false;
diff --git a/scene/resources/packed_scene.h b/scene/resources/packed_scene.h
index 5fa54413a8f..b0e89205cb3 100644
--- a/scene/resources/packed_scene.h
+++ b/scene/resources/packed_scene.h
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ class SceneState : public Reference {
 
 	PoolVector<String> _get_node_groups(int p_idx) const;
 
+	int _find_base_scene_node_remap_key(int p_idx) const;
+
 protected:
 	static void _bind_methods();