diff --git a/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp b/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
index 12a0c44e08..addc07f4b7 100644
--- a/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
@@ -5105,7 +5105,18 @@ ExpEmit FxNew::Emit(VMFunctionBuilder *build)
 	ExpEmit from = val->Emit(build);
 	from.Free(build);
 	ExpEmit to(build, REGT_POINTER);
-	build->Emit(from.Konst ? OP_NEW_K : OP_NEW, to.RegNum, from.RegNum, build->GetConstantAddress(CallingFunction, ATAG_OBJECT));
+
+	if (!from.Konst)
+	{
+		int outerside = FScopeBarrier::SideFromFlags(CallingFunction->Variants[0].Flags);
+		if (outerside == FScopeBarrier::Side_Virtual)
+			outerside = FScopeBarrier::SideFromObjectFlags(CallingFunction->OwningClass->ObjectFlags);
+		build->Emit(OP_NEW, to.RegNum, from.RegNum, outerside+1);	// +1 to ensure it's not 0
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		build->Emit(OP_NEW_K, to.RegNum, from.RegNum);
+	}
 	return to;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.cpp b/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.cpp
index ad104f3178..3ba207fba1 100644
--- a/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.cpp
@@ -173,11 +173,8 @@ void FScopeBarrier::AddFlags(int flags1, int flags2, const char* name)
 }
 
 // these are for vmexec.h
-void FScopeBarrier::ValidateNew(PClass* cls, PFunction* callingfunc)
+void FScopeBarrier::ValidateNew(PClass* cls, int outerside)
 {
-	int outerside = callingfunc->Variants.Size() ? FScopeBarrier::SideFromFlags(callingfunc->Variants[0].Flags) : FScopeBarrier::Side_Virtual;
-	if (outerside == FScopeBarrier::Side_Virtual)
-		outerside = FScopeBarrier::SideFromObjectFlags(callingfunc->OwningClass->ObjectFlags);
 	int innerside = FScopeBarrier::SideFromObjectFlags(cls->ObjectFlags);
 	if ((outerside != innerside) && (innerside != FScopeBarrier::Side_PlainData)) // "cannot construct ui class ... from data context"
 		ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Cannot construct %s class %s from %s context", FScopeBarrier::StringFromSide(innerside), cls->TypeName.GetChars(), FScopeBarrier::StringFromSide(outerside));
diff --git a/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.h b/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.h
index db8a5044a4..af3951a8d6 100644
--- a/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.h
+++ b/src/scripting/backend/scopebarrier.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ struct FScopeBarrier
 	void AddFlags(int flags1, int flags2, const char* name);
 
 	// this is called from vmexec.h
-	static void ValidateNew(PClass* cls, PFunction* callingfunc);
+	static void ValidateNew(PClass* cls, int scope);
 	static void ValidateCall(PFunction* calledfunc, PFunction* callingfunc, PClass* selftype);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h b/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h
index 0281be3df1..a822aef530 100644
--- a/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h
+++ b/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h
@@ -817,11 +817,10 @@ begin:
 	{
 		b = B;
 		PClass *cls = (PClass*)(pc->op == OP_NEW ? reg.a[b] : konsta[b].v);
-		PFunction *callingfunc = (PFunction*)konsta[C].o; // [ZZ] due to how this is set, it's always const
 		if (cls->ObjectFlags & OF_Abstract) ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Cannot instantiate abstract class %s", cls->TypeName.GetChars());
 		// [ZZ] validate readonly and between scope construction
-		if (callingfunc)
-			FScopeBarrier::ValidateNew(cls, callingfunc);
+		c = C;
+		if (c) FScopeBarrier::ValidateNew(cls, c - 1);
 		reg.a[a] = cls->CreateNew();
 		reg.atag[a] = ATAG_OBJECT;
 		NEXTOP;
diff --git a/src/scripting/vm/vmops.h b/src/scripting/vm/vmops.h
index 3d503932aa..b9cba87d29 100644
--- a/src/scripting/vm/vmops.h
+++ b/src/scripting/vm/vmops.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ xx(TAIL_K,	tail,	KPI8,		TAIL,	1, REGT_POINTER),
 xx(RESULT,	result,	__BCP,		NOP,	0, 0),		// Result should go in register encoded in BC (in caller, after CALL)
 xx(RET,		ret,	I8BCP,		NOP,	0, 0),		// Copy value from register encoded in BC to return value A, possibly returning
 xx(RETI,	reti,	I8I16,		NOP,	0, 0),		// Copy immediate from BC to return value A, possibly returning
-xx(NEW,		new,	RPRP,		NOP,	0, 0),
+xx(NEW,		new,	RPRPI8,		NOP,	0, 0),
 xx(NEW_K,	new,	RPKP,		NOP,	0, 0),
 xx(TRY,		try,	I24,		NOP,	0, 0),		// When an exception is thrown, start searching for a handler at pc + ABC
 xx(UNTRY,	untry,	I8,			NOP,	0, 0),		// Pop A entries off the exception stack