diff --git a/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp b/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp
index 9022cd8c3..ba931b22a 100644
--- a/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp
+++ b/src/script/cpp_api/s_base.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "cpp_api/s_base.h"
 #include "cpp_api/s_internal.h"
 #include "cpp_api/s_security.h"
+#include "debug.h"
 #include "lua_api/l_object.h"
 #include "common/c_converter.h"
 #include "server/player_sao.h"
@@ -467,12 +468,8 @@ void ScriptApiBase::objectrefGetOrCreate(lua_State *L, ServerActiveObject *cobj)
 	if (!cobj) {
 		ObjectRef::create(L, nullptr); // dummy reference
 	} else if (cobj->getId() == 0) {
-		// TODO after 5.10.0: convert this to a FATAL_ERROR
-		errorstream << "ScriptApiBase::objectrefGetOrCreate(): "
-				<< "Pushing orphan ObjectRef. Please open a bug report for this."
-				<< std::endl;
-		assert(0);
-		ObjectRef::create(L, cobj);
+		FATAL_ERROR("ScriptApiBase::objectrefGetOrCreate(): "
+				"Pushing orphan ObjectRef. Please open a bug report for this.");
 	} else {
 		push_objectRef(L, cobj->getId());
 		if (cobj->isGone())