diff --git a/pkg/core/interop/runtime/util.go b/pkg/core/interop/runtime/util.go
index f9037887f7..861be68bfe 100644
--- a/pkg/core/interop/runtime/util.go
+++ b/pkg/core/interop/runtime/util.go
@@ -58,9 +58,11 @@ func GetNotifications(ic *interop.Context) error {
 
 // GetInvocationCounter returns how many times current contract was invoked during current tx execution.
 func GetInvocationCounter(ic *interop.Context) error {
-	count, ok := ic.Invocations[ic.VM.GetCurrentScriptHash()]
+	currentScriptHash := ic.VM.GetCurrentScriptHash()
+	count, ok := ic.Invocations[currentScriptHash]
 	if !ok {
-		return errors.New("current contract wasn't invoked from others")
+		count = 1
+		ic.Invocations[currentScriptHash] = count
 	}
 	ic.VM.Estack().PushVal(count)
 	return nil
diff --git a/pkg/core/interop_system_test.go b/pkg/core/interop_system_test.go
index eac5a680c8..20bfe58cc2 100644
--- a/pkg/core/interop_system_test.go
+++ b/pkg/core/interop_system_test.go
@@ -294,9 +294,11 @@ func TestRuntimeGetInvocationCounter(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ic.Invocations[hash.Hash160([]byte{2})] = 42
 
-	t.Run("Zero", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("No invocations", func(t *testing.T) {
 		v.LoadScript([]byte{1})
-		require.Error(t, runtime.GetInvocationCounter(ic))
+		// do not return an error in this case.
+		require.NoError(t, runtime.GetInvocationCounter(ic))
+		require.EqualValues(t, 1, v.Estack().Pop().BigInt().Int64())
 	})
 	t.Run("NonZero", func(t *testing.T) {
 		v.LoadScript([]byte{2})