diff --git a/wp-includes/l10n.php b/wp-includes/l10n.php
index fb88ba5e07..915fa72701 100644
--- a/wp-includes/l10n.php
+++ b/wp-includes/l10n.php
@@ -922,8 +922,13 @@ function load_script_textdomain( $handle, $domain = 'default', $path = null ) {
 	// If a path was given and the handle file exists simply return it.
 	$file_base       = $domain === 'default' ? $locale : $domain . '-' . $locale;
 	$handle_filename = $file_base . '-' . $handle . '.json';
-	if ( $path && file_exists( $path . '/' . $handle_filename ) ) {
-		return load_script_translations( $path . '/' . $handle_filename, $handle, $domain );
+
+	if ( $path ) {
+		$translations = load_script_translations( $path . '/' . $handle_filename, $handle, $domain );
+
+		if ( $translations ) {
+			return $translations;
+		}
 	}
 
 	$src = $wp_scripts->registered[ $handle ]->src;
@@ -983,11 +988,19 @@ function load_script_textdomain( $handle, $domain = 'default', $path = null ) {
 	}
 
 	$md5_filename = $file_base . '-' . md5( $relative ) . '.json';
-	if ( $path && file_exists( $path . '/' . $md5_filename ) ) {
-		return load_script_translations( $path . '/' . $md5_filename, $handle, $domain );
+
+	if ( $path ) {
+		$translations = load_script_translations( $path . '/' . $md5_filename, $handle, $domain );
+
+		if ( $translations ) {
+			return $translations;
+		}
 	}
-	if ( file_exists( $languages_path . '/' . $md5_filename ) ) {
-		return load_script_translations( $languages_path . '/' . $md5_filename, $handle, $domain );
+
+	$translations = load_script_translations( $languages_path . '/' . $md5_filename, $handle, $domain );
+
+	if ( $translations ) {
+		return $translations;
 	}
 
 	return load_script_translations( false, $handle, $domain );
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index ebdfa6056a..ad4483b1dc 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '5.1-alpha-44417';
+$wp_version = '5.1-alpha-44418';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.