diff --git a/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp b/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
index 76414e235..0ea6517da 100644
--- a/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
@@ -8815,8 +8815,12 @@ ExpEmit FxVMFunctionCall::Emit(VMFunctionBuilder *build)
 			if (outerside == FScopeBarrier::Side_Virtual)
 				outerside = FScopeBarrier::SideFromObjectFlags(CallingFunction->OwningClass->ObjectFlags);
 
-			// Check the self object against the calling function's flags at run time
-			build->Emit(OP_SCOPE, selfemit.RegNum, outerside + 1, build->GetConstantAddress(vmfunc, ATAG_OBJECT));
+			// [ZZ] only emit if target side cannot be checked at compile time.
+			if (selfside == FScopeBarrier::Side_PlainData)
+			{
+				// Check the self object against the calling function's flags at run time
+				build->Emit(OP_SCOPE, selfemit.RegNum, outerside + 1, build->GetConstantAddress(vmfunc, ATAG_OBJECT));
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (selfemit.Fixed && selfemit.Target)