diff --git a/src/dobject.h b/src/dobject.h
index b5f7ef8c4..5bcb81c50 100644
--- a/src/dobject.h
+++ b/src/dobject.h
@@ -206,9 +206,8 @@ enum EObjectFlags
 	OF_Spawned			= 1 << 12,      // Thinker was spawned at all (some thinkers get deleted before spawning)
 	OF_Released			= 1 << 13,		// Object was released from the GC system and should not be processed by GC function
 	OF_Abstract			= 1 << 14,		// Marks a class that cannot be created with new() function at all
-	OF_NoNew			= 1 << 15,		// Marks a class that can only be created with new() in the exact class that has this keyword
-	OF_UI				= 1 << 16,		// Marks a class that defaults to VARF_UI for it's fields/methods
-	OF_Play				= 1 << 17,		// Marks a class that defaults to VARF_Play for it's fields/methods
+	OF_UI				= 1 << 15,		// Marks a class that defaults to VARF_UI for it's fields/methods
+	OF_Play				= 1 << 16,		// Marks a class that defaults to VARF_Play for it's fields/methods
 };
 
 template<class T> class TObjPtr;
diff --git a/src/sc_man_scanner.re b/src/sc_man_scanner.re
index f4aac0cb5..ba839813f 100644
--- a/src/sc_man_scanner.re
+++ b/src/sc_man_scanner.re
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ std2:
 		'virtual'					{ RET(TK_Virtual); }
 		'override'					{ RET(TK_Override); }
 		'vararg'					{ RET(TK_VarArg); }
-		'nonew'						{ RET(TK_NoNew); }
 		'ui'						{ RET(TK_UI); }
 		'play'						{ RET(TK_Play); }
 		'clearscope'				{ RET(TK_ClearScope); }
diff --git a/src/sc_man_tokens.h b/src/sc_man_tokens.h
index fdcb72229..320601414 100644
--- a/src/sc_man_tokens.h
+++ b/src/sc_man_tokens.h
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ xx(TK_Optional,				"'optional'")
 xx(TK_Export,				"'expert'")
 xx(TK_Virtual,				"'virtual'")
 xx(TK_VarArg,               "'vararg'")
-xx(TK_NoNew, 				"'nonew'")
 xx(TK_UI,					"'ui'")
 xx(TK_Play,					"'play'")
 xx(TK_ClearScope,			"'clearscope'")
diff --git a/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp b/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
index edc5066fb..1700dd3e6 100644
--- a/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/backend/codegen.cpp
@@ -5095,19 +5095,6 @@ FxExpression *FxNew::Resolve(FCompileContext &ctx)
 			return nullptr;
 		}
 
-		if (cls->ObjectFlags & OF_NoNew)
-		{
-			PClass* pcls = cls;
-			while (pcls && pcls->ParentClass && (pcls->ParentClass->ObjectFlags & OF_NoNew))
-				pcls = pcls->ParentClass;
-			if (pcls != ctx.Class)
-			{
-				ScriptPosition.Message(MSG_ERROR, "Cannot instantiate class %s directly", cls->TypeName.GetChars());
-				delete this;
-				return nullptr;
-			}
-		}
-
 		ValueType = NewPointer(cls);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h b/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h
index d47a3bf48..64ea0b7c3 100644
--- a/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h
+++ b/src/scripting/vm/vmexec.h
@@ -801,18 +801,6 @@ begin:
 		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());
-		if (cls->ObjectFlags & OF_NoNew)
-		{
-			// trace to the first nonew class in the hierarchy.
-			// compare that class to the context class.
-			// if not matching, disallow creation.
-			// this ensures that only the root class can have a static factory method that can also create instances of subclasses via new().
-			PClass* pcls = cls;
-			while (pcls && pcls->ParentClass && (pcls->ParentClass->ObjectFlags & OF_NoNew))
-				pcls = pcls->ParentClass;
-			if (!callingfunc || pcls != callingfunc->OwningClass)
-				ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Cannot instantiate class %s directly", cls->TypeName.GetChars());
-		}
 		// [ZZ] validate readonly and between scope construction
 		if (callingfunc)
 			FScopeBarrier_ValidateNew(cls, callingfunc);
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc-parse.lemon b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc-parse.lemon
index 2f412f5cf..f80a09974 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc-parse.lemon
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc-parse.lemon
@@ -212,7 +212,6 @@ class_ancestry(X) ::= COLON dottable_id(A).	{ X = A; /*X-overwrites-A*/ }
 %type class_flags{ClassFlagsBlock}
 class_flags(X) ::= .										{ X.Flags = 0; X.Replaces = NULL; }
 class_flags(X) ::= class_flags(A) ABSTRACT.					{ X.Flags = A.Flags | ZCC_Abstract; X.Replaces = A.Replaces; }
-class_flags(X) ::= class_flags(A) NONEW.					{ X.Flags = A.Flags | ZCC_NoNew; X.Replaces = A.Replaces; }
 class_flags(X) ::= class_flags(A) NATIVE.					{ X.Flags = A.Flags | ZCC_Native; X.Replaces = A.Replaces; }
 class_flags(X) ::= class_flags(A) UI.						{ X.Flags = A.Flags | ZCC_UIFlag; X.Replaces = A.Replaces; }
 class_flags(X) ::= class_flags(A) PLAY.						{ X.Flags = A.Flags | ZCC_Play; X.Replaces = A.Replaces; }
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
index 68b22a05e..923b52cfd 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
@@ -611,9 +611,6 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CreateClassTypes()
 				if (c->Type() == nullptr) c->cls->Type = parent->FindClassTentative(c->NodeName());
 				if (c->cls->Flags & ZCC_Abstract)
 					c->Type()->ObjectFlags |= OF_Abstract;
-				// [ZZ] inherit nonew keyword
-				if (c->cls->Flags & ZCC_NoNew || (parent->ObjectFlags & OF_NoNew))
-					c->Type()->ObjectFlags |= OF_NoNew;
 				// 
 				static int incompatible[] = { ZCC_UIFlag, ZCC_Play, ZCC_ClearScope };
 				int incompatiblecnt = 0;
@@ -1273,7 +1270,7 @@ bool ZCCCompiler::CompileProperties(PClass *type, TArray<ZCC_Property *> &Proper
 FString ZCCCompiler::FlagsToString(uint32_t flags)
 {
 
-	const char *flagnames[] = { "native", "static", "private", "protected", "latent", "final", "meta", "action", "deprecated", "readonly", "const", "abstract", "extend", "virtual", "override", "transient", "vararg", "nonew", "ui", "play", "clearscope", "virtualscope" };
+	const char *flagnames[] = { "native", "static", "private", "protected", "latent", "final", "meta", "action", "deprecated", "readonly", "const", "abstract", "extend", "virtual", "override", "transient", "vararg", "ui", "play", "clearscope", "virtualscope" };
 	FString build;
 
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < countof(flagnames); i++)
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp
index 9f1117193..e48033bcc 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ static void InitTokenMap()
 	TOKENDEF (TK_Play,			ZCC_PLAY);
 	TOKENDEF (TK_ClearScope,	ZCC_CLEARSCOPE);
 	TOKENDEF (TK_VirtualScope,  ZCC_VIRTUALSCOPE);
-	TOKENDEF (TK_NoNew, 		ZCC_NONEW);
 	TOKENDEF (TK_Override,		ZCC_OVERRIDE);
 	TOKENDEF (TK_Final,			ZCC_FINAL);
 	TOKENDEF (TK_Meta,			ZCC_META);
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.h b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.h
index 7cc41318d..c414c0e9c 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.h
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_parser.h
@@ -37,11 +37,10 @@ enum
 	ZCC_Override		= 1 << 14,
 	ZCC_Transient		= 1 << 15,
 	ZCC_VarArg			= 1 << 16,
-	ZCC_NoNew			= 1 << 17,
-	ZCC_UIFlag			= 1 << 18, // there's also token called ZCC_UI
-	ZCC_Play			= 1 << 19,
-	ZCC_ClearScope		= 1 << 20,
-	ZCC_VirtualScope	= 1 << 21,
+	ZCC_UIFlag			= 1 << 17, // there's also token called ZCC_UI
+	ZCC_Play			= 1 << 18,
+	ZCC_ClearScope		= 1 << 19,
+	ZCC_VirtualScope	= 1 << 20,
 };
 
 // Function parameter modifiers