diff --git a/src/content/Content.hpp b/src/content/Content.hpp
index dd0e30bf8..27596c4ac 100644
--- a/src/content/Content.hpp
+++ b/src/content/Content.hpp
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ public:
     ContentUnitDefs<GeneratorDef> generators;
     std::unique_ptr<DrawGroups> const drawGroups;
     ResourceIndicesSet resourceIndices {};
+    std::set<std::string> components {};
 
     Content(
         std::unique_ptr<ContentIndices> indices,
diff --git a/src/content/ContentLoader.cpp b/src/content/ContentLoader.cpp
index 14da690a2..3c45c4438 100644
--- a/src/content/ContentLoader.cpp
+++ b/src/content/ContentLoader.cpp
@@ -506,6 +506,7 @@ void ContentLoader::loadScripts(Content& content) {
     scripting::on_scripts_loading();
     load_scripts(content, content.blocks);
     load_scripts(content, content.items);
+    auto& tmpContent = content;
 
     for (const auto& [packid, runtime] : content.getPacks()) {
         auto env = runtime->getEnvironment();
@@ -516,7 +517,7 @@ void ContentLoader::loadScripts(Content& content) {
 
         // Load entity components
         io::path componentsDir = folder / "scripts/components";
-        foreach_file(componentsDir, [&pack, env](const io::path& file) {
+        foreach_file(componentsDir, [&pack, env, &tmpContent](const io::path& file) {
             auto name = pack.id + ":" + file.stem();
             scripting::load_entity_component(
                 env,
@@ -524,9 +525,21 @@ void ContentLoader::loadScripts(Content& content) {
                 file,
                 pack.id + ":scripts/components/" + file.name()
             );
+            tmpContent.components.insert(name);
         });
     }
 
+    for (const auto& [eid, def] : content.entities.getDefs()) {
+        for (const auto& instance : def->components) {
+            if (content.components.find(instance.component) == content.components.end()) {
+                throw std::runtime_error(
+                    "component " + instance.component +
+                    " is not available (required by entity " + eid + ")"
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     scripting::on_content_loaded();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/logic/scripting/scripting.cpp b/src/logic/scripting/scripting.cpp
index 6954ee6b8..8c039fa32 100644
--- a/src/logic/scripting/scripting.cpp
+++ b/src/logic/scripting/scripting.cpp
@@ -744,9 +744,10 @@ void scripting::load_entity_component(
     const io::path& file,
     const std::string& fileName
 ) {
+    logger.info() << "script (component) " << file.string();
+
     auto L = lua::get_main_state();
     std::string src = io::read_string(file);
-    logger.info() << "script (component) " << file.string();
     lua::loadbuffer(L, *env, src, fileName);
     lua::store_in_registry(L, lua::CHUNKS_TABLE, name);
 }
diff --git a/src/logic/scripting/scripting_entities.cpp b/src/logic/scripting/scripting_entities.cpp
index ca9ed6db1..2de177562 100644
--- a/src/logic/scripting/scripting_entities.cpp
+++ b/src/logic/scripting/scripting_entities.cpp
@@ -148,7 +148,12 @@ void scripting::on_entity_spawn(
         lua::call(L, 1);
     }
     for (auto& component : components) {
-        create_component(L, -1, *component, args, saved);
+        try {
+            create_component(L, -1, *component, args, saved);
+        } catch (const std::runtime_error& err) {
+            logger.error() << "could not to initialize user component "
+                           << component->name << ": " << err.what();
+        }
     }
 
     for (auto& [packid, pack] : content->getPacks()) {
@@ -166,6 +171,9 @@ static void process_entity_callback(
     const std::string& name,
     std::function<int(lua::State*)> args
 ) {
+    if (env == nullptr) {
+        return;
+    }
     auto L = lua::get_main_state();
     lua::pushenv(L, *env);
     if (lua::hasfield(L, "__disabled")) {
diff --git a/src/objects/Entity.cpp b/src/objects/Entity.cpp
index 6629d2981..46664e24e 100644
--- a/src/objects/Entity.cpp
+++ b/src/objects/Entity.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ dv::value Entity::serialize() const {
     if (!scripts.components.empty()) {
         auto& compsMap = root.object("comps");
         for (auto& comp : scripts.components) {
+            if (comp->env == nullptr) {
+                continue;
+            }
             auto data =
                 scripting::get_component_value(comp->env, SAVED_DATA_VARNAME);
             compsMap[comp->name] = data;