diff --git a/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/InlineComponent/index.ts b/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/InlineComponent/index.ts
index f44170cda1..5b2883850a 100644
--- a/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/InlineComponent/index.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/InlineComponent/index.ts
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ export default class InlineComponentWrapper extends Wrapper {
 				}
 
 				if (${switch_value}) {
-					${name} = new ${switch_value}(${switch_props}(#ctx));
+					${name} = @construct_svelte_component(${switch_value}, ${switch_props}(#ctx));
 
 					${munged_bindings}
 					${munged_handlers}
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ export default class InlineComponentWrapper extends Wrapper {
 
 					if (${switch_value}) {
 						${update_insert}
-						${name} = new ${switch_value}(${switch_props}(#ctx));
+						${name} = @construct_svelte_component(${switch_value}, ${switch_props}(#ctx));
 
 						${munged_bindings}
 						${munged_handlers}
diff --git a/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts b/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts
index 32d14571d9..9d24ad2a07 100644
--- a/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,24 @@ export function validate_void_dynamic_element(tag: undefined | string) {
 	}
 }
 
+export function construct_svelte_component_dev(component, props) {
+	const error_message = 'this={...} of <svelte:component> should specify a Svelte component.';
+	try {
+		const instance = new component(props);
+		if (!instance.$$ || !instance.$set || !instance.$on || !instance.$destroy) {
+			throw new Error(error_message);
+		}
+		return instance;
+	} catch (err) {
+		const { message } = err;
+		if (typeof message === 'string' && message.indexOf('is not a constructor') !== -1) {
+			throw new Error(error_message);
+		} else {
+			throw err;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 type Props = Record<string, any>;
 export interface SvelteComponentDev {
 	$set(props?: Props): void;
diff --git a/src/runtime/internal/dom.ts b/src/runtime/internal/dom.ts
index d359513eb4..a1c0e1c0aa 100644
--- a/src/runtime/internal/dom.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/internal/dom.ts
@@ -768,3 +768,7 @@ export function get_custom_elements_slots(element: HTMLElement) {
 	});
 	return result;
 }
+
+export function construct_svelte_component(component, props) {
+	return new component(props);
+}
diff --git a/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts b/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts
index dc4c16dffb..571a25f1ac 100644
--- a/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ export const missing_component = {
 export function validate_component(component, name) {
 	if (!component || !component.$$render) {
 		if (name === 'svelte:component') name += ' this={...}';
-		throw new Error(`<${name}> is not a valid SSR component. You may need to review your build config to ensure that dependencies are compiled, rather than imported as pre-compiled modules`);
+		throw new Error(`<${name}> is not a valid SSR component. You may need to review your build config to ensure that dependencies are compiled, rather than imported as pre-compiled modules. Otherwise you may need to fix a <${name}>.`);
 	}
 
 	return component;
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor-dev/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor-dev/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..15ea469a0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor-dev/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+export default {
+	skip_if_ssr: true,
+	skip_if_hydrate_from_ssr: true,
+	compileOptions: {
+		dev: true
+	},
+	error: 'this={...} of <svelte:component> should specify a Svelte component.'
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor-dev/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor-dev/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..80f9f969e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor-dev/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<script>
+	let banana = {};
+</script>
+
+<svelte:component this={banana} />
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/Sub.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/Sub.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd6d0bb1a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/Sub.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div>Sub</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8c0dcced41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+export default {
+	skip_if_ssr: true,
+	skip_if_hydrate_from_ssr: true,
+	props: {
+		selected: false
+	},
+	error: 'component is not a constructor'
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dec7e2af79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<script>
+	import Sub from './Sub.svelte';
+	export let selected;
+	let banana = {};
+	let component = banana;
+	$: selected ? component = Sub : component = banana;
+</script>
+
+<svelte:component this={component} />
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/Sub.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/Sub.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd6d0bb1a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/Sub.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div>Sub</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..98e3cc942b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+export default {
+	compileOptions: {
+		dev: true
+	},
+	props: {
+		componentName: 'Sub'
+	},
+	html: '<div>Sub</div>',
+	test({ assert, component, target }) {
+		component.componentName = 'Proxy';
+		assert.htmlEqual(target.innerHTML, '<div>Sub</div>');
+		try {
+			component.componentName = 'banana';
+			throw new Error('Expected an error');
+		} catch (err) {
+			assert.equal(err.message, 'this={...} of <svelte:component> should specify a Svelte component.');
+		}
+	}
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..331fdfc385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2-dev/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<script>
+	import Sub from './Sub.svelte';
+	export let componentName = 'Sub';
+	let proxy = new Proxy(Sub, {});
+	let banana = {};
+	let component;
+	$: {
+		if (componentName === 'Sub') component = Sub;
+		else if (componentName === 'Proxy') component = proxy;
+		else component = banana;
+	};
+</script>
+
+<svelte:component this={component} />
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/Sub.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/Sub.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd6d0bb1a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/Sub.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div>Sub</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fae65afdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+export default {
+	props: {
+		componentName: 'Sub'
+	},
+	html: '<div>Sub</div>',
+	test({ assert, component, target }) {
+		component.componentName = 'Proxy';
+		assert.htmlEqual(target.innerHTML, '<div>Sub</div>');
+		try {
+			component.componentName = 'banana';
+			throw new Error('Expected an error');
+		} catch (err) {
+			assert.equal(err.message, 'component is not a constructor');
+		}
+	}
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..331fdfc385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/component-not-constructor2/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<script>
+	import Sub from './Sub.svelte';
+	export let componentName = 'Sub';
+	let proxy = new Proxy(Sub, {});
+	let banana = {};
+	let component;
+	$: {
+		if (componentName === 'Sub') component = Sub;
+		else if (componentName === 'Proxy') component = proxy;
+		else component = banana;
+	};
+</script>
+
+<svelte:component this={component} />