diff --git a/dGame/Entity.cpp b/dGame/Entity.cpp
index 60d29dd8b..ad6987c21 100644
--- a/dGame/Entity.cpp
+++ b/dGame/Entity.cpp
@@ -493,56 +493,13 @@ void Entity::Initialize() {
 			break;
 		}
 		case eReplicaComponentType::SCRIPT: {
-		/**
-		 * This is a bit of a mess
-		 * yep i aint touching this
-		 */
-
+		// LWOScriptComponent's allocator: a script component for a registry entry, a character, or a custom script in
+		// the level config; the component picks its script
 		CDScriptComponentTable* const scriptCompTable = CDClientManager::GetTable<CDScriptComponentTable>();
 		const int32_t scriptComponentID = compRegistryTable->GetByIDAndType(m_TemplateID, eReplicaComponentType::SCRIPT, -1);
-
-		std::string scriptName = "";
-		bool client = false;
-		if (scriptComponentID > 0 || m_Character) {
-			std::string clientScriptName;
-			if (!m_Character) {
-				CDScriptComponent scriptCompData = scriptCompTable->GetByID(scriptComponentID);
-				scriptName = scriptCompData.script_name;
-				clientScriptName = scriptCompData.client_script_name;
-			} else {
-				scriptName = "";
-			}
-
-			if (scriptName != "" || (scriptName == "" && m_Character)) {
-
-			} else if (clientScriptName != "") {
-				client = true;
-			} else if (!m_Character) {
-				client = true;
-			}
-		}
-
-		std::string customScriptServer;
-		bool hasCustomServerScript = false;
-
-		const auto customScriptServerName = GetVarAsString(u"custom_script_server");
-		const auto customScriptClientName = GetVarAsString(u"custom_script_client");
-
-		if (!customScriptServerName.empty()) {
-			customScriptServer = customScriptServerName;
-			hasCustomServerScript = true;
-		}
-
-		if (!customScriptClientName.empty()) {
-			client = true;
-		}
-
-		if (hasCustomServerScript && scriptName.empty()) {
-			scriptName = customScriptServer;
-		}
-
-		if (!scriptName.empty() || client || m_Character || scriptComponentID >= 0) {
-			AddComponent<ScriptComponent>(scriptComponentID, scriptName, true, client && scriptName.empty());
+		const bool hasCustomScript = !GetVarAsString(u"custom_script_server").empty() || !GetVarAsString(u"custom_script_client").empty();
+		if (scriptComponentID >= 0 || m_Character || hasCustomScript) {
+			AddComponent<ScriptComponent>(scriptComponentID);
 			addProximityAndPathfinding();
 		}
 
diff --git a/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.cpp b/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.cpp
index fbb79ca85..287b4cba0 100644
--- a/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.cpp
+++ b/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 #include "Entity.h"
 #include "ScriptComponent.h"
+#include "CDClientManager.h"
+#include "CDScriptComponentTable.h"
 #include "GameMessages.h"
 #include "Amf3.h"
 
@@ -19,6 +21,38 @@ ScriptComponent::ScriptComponent(Entity* parent, const int32_t componentID, cons
 	Component::RegisterMsg(&ScriptComponent::OnGetObjectReportInfo);
 }
 
+ScriptComponent::ScriptComponent(Entity* parent, const int32_t componentID) : Component(parent, componentID) {
+	m_Serialized = true;
+	m_Client = false;
+	m_FromObject = true;
+	m_Script = nullptr;
+	Component::RegisterMsg(&ScriptComponent::OnGetObjectReportInfo);
+}
+
+// The ScriptComponent row's server and client scripts (a character has neither)
+void ScriptComponent::LoadDataFromTemplate() {
+	if (!m_FromObject || m_ComponentID <= 0 || m_Parent->GetCharacter()) return;
+	const auto row = CDClientManager::GetTable<CDScriptComponentTable>()->GetByID(m_ComponentID);
+	m_ScriptName = row.script_name;
+	m_ClientScriptName = row.client_script_name;
+}
+
+// custom_script_server replaces a missing server script; a client script (the row's or custom_script_client, or
+// any object's without a server script) makes it a client script component
+void ScriptComponent::LoadConfigData() {
+	if (!m_FromObject) return;
+	const bool isCharacter = m_Parent->GetCharacter() != nullptr;
+	bool client = false;
+	if ((m_ComponentID > 0 || isCharacter) && m_ScriptName.empty() && !isCharacter) client = true;
+
+	const auto customScriptServer = m_Parent->GetVarAsString(u"custom_script_server");
+	if (!m_Parent->GetVarAsString(u"custom_script_client").empty()) client = true;
+	if (!customScriptServer.empty() && m_ScriptName.empty()) m_ScriptName = customScriptServer;
+
+	m_Client = client && m_ScriptName.empty();
+	SetScript(m_ScriptName);
+}
+
 void ScriptComponent::Serialize(RakNet::BitStream& outBitStream, bool bIsInitialUpdate) {
 	// A server-only script (the zone control object's) sends nothing: the client made no script component for it
 	if (!m_Serialized) return;
diff --git a/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.h b/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.h
index 69f22268e..2fc16fa25 100644
--- a/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.h
+++ b/dGame/dComponents/ScriptComponent.h
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ public:
 
 	ScriptComponent(Entity* parent, const int32_t componentID, const std::string& scriptName, bool serialized, bool client = false);
 
+	// One the object's registry or level config gives (LWOScriptComponent's allocator): its script comes from the
+	// ScriptComponent row and custom_script_server / custom_script_client
+	ScriptComponent(Entity* parent, const int32_t componentID);
+
+	void LoadDataFromTemplate() override;
+	void LoadConfigData() override;
+
 	void Serialize(RakNet::BitStream& outBitStream, bool bIsInitialUpdate) override;
 
 	/**
@@ -79,6 +86,11 @@ private:
 	bool m_Client;
 
 	std::string m_ScriptName;
+
+	// Made from the registry / level config: LoadDataFromTemplate and LoadConfigData pick the script
+	bool m_FromObject = false;
+	// The row's client script name (the client runs one when there is no server script)
+	std::string m_ClientScriptName;
 };
 
 #endif // SCRIPTCOMPONENT_H