diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class.wp-scripts.php b/src/wp-includes/class.wp-scripts.php
index cf26b05f16..781de8c109 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class.wp-scripts.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class.wp-scripts.php
@@ -271,6 +271,12 @@ class WP_Scripts extends WP_Dependencies {
 			$after_handle = sprintf( "<script type='text/javascript'>\n%s\n</script>\n", $after_handle );
 		}
 
+		if ( $before_handle || $after_handle ) {
+			$inline_script_tag = "{$cond_before}{$before_handle}{$after_handle}{$cond_after}";
+		} else {
+			$inline_script_tag = '';
+		}
+
 		if ( $this->do_concat ) {
 			/**
 			 * Filters the script loader source.
@@ -312,7 +318,15 @@ class WP_Scripts extends WP_Dependencies {
 		}
 
 		// A single item may alias a set of items, by having dependencies, but no source.
-		if ( ! $obj->src ) {
+		if ( ! $src ) {
+			if ( $inline_script_tag ) {
+				if ( $this->do_concat ) {
+					$this->print_html .= $inline_script_tag;
+				} else {
+					echo $inline_script_tag;
+				}
+			}
+
 			return true;
 		}
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/dependencies/scripts.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/dependencies/scripts.php
index 20ade29c0e..dba0908248 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/dependencies/scripts.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/dependencies/scripts.php
@@ -405,6 +405,47 @@ class Tests_Dependencies_Scripts extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertEquals( $expected, get_echo( 'wp_print_scripts' ) );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 44551
+	 */
+	function test_wp_add_inline_script_before_for_handle_without_source() {
+		wp_register_script( 'test-example', '' );
+		wp_enqueue_script( 'test-example' );
+		wp_add_inline_script( 'test-example', 'console.log("before");', 'before' );
+
+		$expected = "<script type='text/javascript'>\nconsole.log(\"before\");\n</script>\n";
+
+		$this->assertEquals( $expected, get_echo( 'wp_print_scripts' ) );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 44551
+	 */
+	function test_wp_add_inline_script_after_for_handle_without_source() {
+		wp_register_script( 'test-example', '' );
+		wp_enqueue_script( 'test-example' );
+		wp_add_inline_script( 'test-example', 'console.log("after");' );
+
+		$expected = "<script type='text/javascript'>\nconsole.log(\"after\");\n</script>\n";
+
+		$this->assertEquals( $expected, get_echo( 'wp_print_scripts' ) );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 44551
+	 */
+	function test_wp_add_inline_script_before_and_after_for_handle_without_source() {
+		wp_register_script( 'test-example', '' );
+		wp_enqueue_script( 'test-example' );
+		wp_add_inline_script( 'test-example', 'console.log("before");', 'before' );
+		wp_add_inline_script( 'test-example', 'console.log("after");' );
+
+		$expected  = "<script type='text/javascript'>\nconsole.log(\"before\");\n</script>\n";
+		$expected .= "<script type='text/javascript'>\nconsole.log(\"after\");\n</script>\n";
+
+		$this->assertEquals( $expected, get_echo( 'wp_print_scripts' ) );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 14853
 	 */