diff --git a/src/scripting/thingdef.cpp b/src/scripting/thingdef.cpp
index d0b7df4497..5b842ce078 100644
--- a/src/scripting/thingdef.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/thingdef.cpp
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ PFunction *FindClassMemberFunction(PStruct *selfcls, PStruct *funccls, FName nam
 		{
 			sc.Message(MSG_ERROR, "%s is not a member function of %s", name.GetChars(), selfcls->TypeName.GetChars());
 		}
-		else if (funcsym->Variants[0].Flags & VARF_Private && symtable != &funccls->Symbols)
+		else if ((funcsym->Variants[0].Flags & VARF_Private) && symtable != &funccls->Symbols)
 		{
 			// private access is only allowed if the symbol table belongs to the class in which the current function is being defined.
 			sc.Message(MSG_ERROR, "%s is declared private and not accessible", symbol->SymbolName.GetChars());
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
index bd73fa06c6..187e2f3417 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
@@ -599,10 +599,9 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CreateClassTypes()
 					}
 				}
 				if (c->Type() == nullptr) c->cls->Type = parent->FindClassTentative(c->NodeName());
-				if (c->cls->Flags & ZCC_Abstract)
-				{
+				// [ZZ] if parent class is abstract, this one should be abstract as well - otherwise we can subclass Actor and be able to new() our subclass
+				if ((c->cls->Flags & ZCC_Abstract) || (parent && parent->ObjectFlags & OF_Abstract))
 					c->Type()->ObjectFlags |= OF_Abstract;
-				}
 				c->Type()->bExported = true;	// this class is accessible to script side type casts. (The reason for this flag is that types like PInt need to be skipped.)
 				c->cls->Symbol = new PSymbolType(c->NodeName(), c->Type());
 				OutNamespace->Symbols.AddSymbol(c->cls->Symbol);