diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index c0dfa06a..a2b79330 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ export(method_explain)
 export(methods_register)
 export(new_S3_class)
 export(new_class)
+export(new_empty_object)
 export(new_external_generic)
 export(new_generic)
 export(new_object)
diff --git a/R/class.R b/R/class.R
index 29887e47..35479fe0 100644
--- a/R/class.R
+++ b/R/class.R
@@ -252,8 +252,22 @@ new_object <- function(.parent, ...) {
     stop(msg)
   }
 
-  # force .parent before ...
   # TODO: Some type checking on `.parent`?
+  object <- new_empty_object(class, ..., .parent = .parent)
+
+  # Don't need to validate if parent class already validated,
+  # i.e. it's a non-abstract S7 class
+  parent_validated <- inherits(class@parent, "S7_object") && !class@parent@abstract
+  validate(object, recursive = !parent_validated)
+
+  object
+}
+
+#' @param class The S7 class of the object to create.
+#' @rdname new_class
+#' @export
+new_empty_object <- function(class, ..., .parent = class@parent()) {
+  # force .parent before ...
   object <- .parent
 
   args <- list(...)
@@ -276,11 +290,6 @@ new_object <- function(.parent, ...) {
   for (name in names(prop_setter_vals))
     prop(object, name, check = FALSE) <- prop_setter_vals[[name]]
 
-  # Don't need to validate if parent class already validated,
-  # i.e. it's a non-abstract S7 class
-  parent_validated <- inherits(class@parent, "S7_object") && !class@parent@abstract
-  validate(object, recursive = !parent_validated)
-
   object
 }
 
diff --git a/man/new_class.Rd b/man/new_class.Rd
index ab260912..55735f43 100644
--- a/man/new_class.Rd
+++ b/man/new_class.Rd
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 \name{new_class}
 \alias{new_class}
 \alias{new_object}
+\alias{new_empty_object}
 \title{Define a new S7 class}
 \usage{
 new_class(
@@ -16,6 +17,8 @@ new_class(
 )
 
 new_object(.parent, ...)
+
+new_empty_object(class, ..., .parent = class@parent())
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{name}{The name of the class, as a string. The result of calling
@@ -72,6 +75,8 @@ suppress validation when needed.}
 
 \item{.parent, ...}{Parent object and named properties used to construct the
 object.}
+
+\item{class}{The S7 class of the object to create.}
 }
 \value{
 A object constructor, a function that can be used to create objects