diff --git a/shell/scripting/panel.cpp b/shell/scripting/panel.cpp
--- a/shell/scripting/panel.cpp
+++ b/shell/scripting/panel.cpp
@@ -117,11 +117,13 @@
 {
     int screenNum = qMax(screen(), 0); //if we don't have a screen (-1) we'll be put on screen 0
 
-    if (QGuiApplication::screens().size() < screenNum) {
+    QScreen *s = corona()->screenForId(screenNum);
+    if (s == NULL) {
         return KConfigGroup();
     }
-    QScreen *s = QGuiApplication::screens().at(screenNum);
-    return PanelView::panelConfig(corona(), containment(), s);
+    else {
+        return PanelView::panelConfig(corona(), containment(), s);
+    }
 }
 
 QString Panel::alignment() const
diff --git a/shell/scripting/scriptengine.cpp b/shell/scripting/scriptengine.cpp
--- a/shell/scripting/scriptengine.cpp
+++ b/shell/scripting/scriptengine.cpp
@@ -426,7 +426,14 @@
             //that relies on it
             //NOTE: if we'll allow setting a panel screen from JS, it will have to use the following lines as well
             KConfigGroup cg=c->config();
-            cg.writeEntry(QStringLiteral("lastScreen"), 0);
+
+            // Only force lastScreen to 0 if the newly created containment doesn't have one, yet.
+            // Otherwise newly created panels would always be created on screen 0.
+            int lastScreen = cg.readEntry(QStringLiteral("lastScreen"), -1);
+            if (lastScreen < 0) {
+                cg.writeEntry(QStringLiteral("lastScreen"), 0);
+            }
+
             c->restore(cg);
         }
         c->updateConstraints(Plasma::Types::AllConstraints | Plasma::Types::StartupCompletedConstraint);
diff --git a/shell/shellcorona.h b/shell/shellcorona.h
--- a/shell/shellcorona.h
+++ b/shell/shellcorona.h
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@
 
     QString defaultContainmentPlugin() const;
 
+    QScreen *screenForId(int screenNum);
+
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void glInitializationFailed();
 
@@ -249,6 +251,7 @@
 
     KWayland::Client::PlasmaShell *m_waylandPlasmaShell;
     bool m_closingDown : 1;
+    bool m_panelCreatedManually : 1;
 };
 
 #endif // SHELLCORONA_H
diff --git a/shell/shellcorona.cpp b/shell/shellcorona.cpp
--- a/shell/shellcorona.cpp
+++ b/shell/shellcorona.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@
       m_addPanelsMenu(nullptr),
       m_interactiveConsole(nullptr),
       m_waylandPlasmaShell(nullptr),
-      m_closingDown(false)
+      m_closingDown(false),
+      m_panelCreatedManually(false)
 {
     setupWaylandIntegration();
     qmlRegisterUncreatableType<DesktopView>("org.kde.plasma.shell", 2, 0, "Desktop", QStringLiteral("It is not possible to create objects of type Desktop"));
@@ -1786,13 +1787,15 @@
     KPluginInfo::List panelPlugins = Plasma::PluginLoader::listContainmentsOfType(QStringLiteral("Panel"));
 
     if (!panelPlugins.isEmpty()) {
+        m_panelCreatedManually = true;
         addPanel(panelPlugins.first().pluginName());
     }
 }
 
 void ShellCorona::addPanel(QAction *action)
 {
     const QString plugin = action->data().toString();
+    m_panelCreatedManually = true;
     if (plugin.startsWith(QLatin1String("plasma-desktop-template:"))) {
         WorkspaceScripting::ScriptEngine scriptEngine(this);
 
@@ -1814,7 +1817,21 @@
 
 Plasma::Containment *ShellCorona::addPanel(const QString &plugin)
 {
-    Plasma::Containment *panel = createContainment(plugin);
+    int screenNum = -1;
+
+    if (m_panelCreatedManually) {
+        m_panelCreatedManually = false;
+
+        // find out current screen to create new panels on
+        foreach (QScreen *screen, QGuiApplication::screens()) {
+            if (screen->geometry().contains(QApplication::focusWindow()->geometry())) {
+                screenNum = m_screenPool->id(screen->name());
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    Plasma::Containment *panel = createContainmentForScreen(screenNum, plugin);
     if (!panel) {
         return nullptr;
     }
@@ -2006,6 +2023,11 @@
     return m_desktopViewforId.keys();
 }
 
+QScreen *ShellCorona::screenForId(int screenNum) {
+    QScreen *screen = m_desktopViewforId.value(screenNum)->screenToFollow();
+    return screen;
+}
+
 QString ShellCorona::defaultContainmentPlugin() const
 {
     QString plugin = m_lnfDefaultsConfig.readEntry("Containment", QString());