diff --git a/modules/gdscript/gdscript.cpp b/modules/gdscript/gdscript.cpp
index 7b9aa70686a..9338a2416f2 100644
--- a/modules/gdscript/gdscript.cpp
+++ b/modules/gdscript/gdscript.cpp
@@ -205,8 +205,13 @@ GDScriptInstance *GDScript::_create_instance(const Variant **p_args, int p_argco
 Variant GDScript::_new(const Variant **p_args, int p_argcount, Callable::CallError &r_error) {
 	/* STEP 1, CREATE */
 
+	if (!valid && shallow && !reloading && is_root_script()) {
+		reload(true);
+	}
+
 	if (!valid) {
-		r_error.error = Callable::CallError::CALL_ERROR_INVALID_METHOD;
+		ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(!valid, Variant(), "Can't instantiate invalid script.");
+		r_error.error = Callable::CallError::CALL_ERROR_INSTANCE_IS_NULL;
 		return Variant();
 	}
 
diff --git a/modules/gdscript/gdscript.h b/modules/gdscript/gdscript.h
index 9bb39aac0f7..4785ee56d09 100644
--- a/modules/gdscript/gdscript.h
+++ b/modules/gdscript/gdscript.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class GDScript : public Script {
 	bool tool = false;
 	bool valid = false;
 	bool reloading = false;
+	bool shallow = true;
 
 	struct MemberInfo {
 		int index = 0;
diff --git a/modules/gdscript/gdscript_compiler.cpp b/modules/gdscript/gdscript_compiler.cpp
index eebf2826336..c1b7232c57c 100644
--- a/modules/gdscript/gdscript_compiler.cpp
+++ b/modules/gdscript/gdscript_compiler.cpp
@@ -2645,6 +2645,7 @@ Error GDScriptCompiler::_prepare_compilation(GDScript *p_script, const GDScriptP
 
 	parsing_classes.insert(p_script);
 
+	p_script->shallow = false;
 	p_script->clearing = true;
 
 	p_script->native = Ref<GDScriptNativeClass>();