diff --git a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/structree/load.js b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/structree/load.js
index 10400213e7..3c511c99dc 100644
--- a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/structree/load.js
+++ b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/structree/load.js
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ function getGatherRates(templateName)
 
 function loadUnit(templateName)
 {
-	var template = loadTemplate(templateName);
-	if (!template)
+	if (!Engine.TemplateExists(templateName))
 		return null;
+	var template = loadTemplate(templateName);
 
 	var unit = GetTemplateDataHelper(template);
 	unit.phase = false;
diff --git a/source/gui/GUIManager.cpp b/source/gui/GUIManager.cpp
index f4a7a31ca6..de3260f940 100644
--- a/source/gui/GUIManager.cpp
+++ b/source/gui/GUIManager.cpp
@@ -402,10 +402,13 @@ void CGUIManager::UpdateResolution()
 		it->gui->UpdateResolution();
 }
 
+bool CGUIManager::TemplateExists(const std::string& templateName)
+{
+	return m_TemplateLoader.TemplateExists(templateName);
+}
+
 const CParamNode& CGUIManager::GetTemplate(const std::string& templateName)
 {
-	if (!m_TemplateLoader.TemplateExists(templateName))
-		return NULL;
 	const CParamNode& templateRoot = m_TemplateLoader.GetTemplateFileData(templateName).GetChild("Entity");
 	if (!templateRoot.IsOk())
 		LOGERROR("Invalid template found for '%s'", templateName.c_str());
diff --git a/source/gui/GUIManager.h b/source/gui/GUIManager.h
index fa0a2946e4..5e2964b210 100644
--- a/source/gui/GUIManager.h
+++ b/source/gui/GUIManager.h
@@ -140,6 +140,11 @@ public:
  
 	void RestoreSavedGameData(std::string jsonData);
 
+	/**
+	 * Check if a template with this name exists
+	 */
+	bool TemplateExists(const std::string& templateName);
+
 	/**
 	 * Retrieve the requested template, used for displaying faction specificities.
 	 */
diff --git a/source/gui/scripting/ScriptFunctions.cpp b/source/gui/scripting/ScriptFunctions.cpp
index e837bfa2c8..f2a6003008 100644
--- a/source/gui/scripting/ScriptFunctions.cpp
+++ b/source/gui/scripting/ScriptFunctions.cpp
@@ -825,6 +825,11 @@ void WriteJSONFile(ScriptInterface::CxPrivate* pCxPrivate, std::wstring filePath
 	g_VFS->CreateFile(path, buf.Data(), buf.Size());
 }
 
+bool TemplateExists(ScriptInterface::CxPrivate* UNUSED(pCxPrivate), std::string templateName)
+{
+	return g_GUI->TemplateExists(templateName);
+}
+
 CParamNode GetTemplate(ScriptInterface::CxPrivate* UNUSED(pCxPrivate), std::string templateName)
 {
 	return g_GUI->GetTemplate(templateName);
@@ -991,6 +996,7 @@ void GuiScriptingInit(ScriptInterface& scriptInterface)
 	scriptInterface.RegisterFunction<std::wstring, int, &GetBuildTimestamp>("GetBuildTimestamp");
 	scriptInterface.RegisterFunction<JS::Value, std::wstring, &ReadJSONFile>("ReadJSONFile");
 	scriptInterface.RegisterFunction<void, std::wstring, JS::HandleValue, &WriteJSONFile>("WriteJSONFile");
+	scriptInterface.RegisterFunction<bool, std::string, &TemplateExists>("TemplateExists");
 	scriptInterface.RegisterFunction<CParamNode, std::string, &GetTemplate>("GetTemplate");
 
 	// User report functions