diff --git a/lib/Mojo/Server.pm b/lib/Mojo/Server.pm
index 75c67278ea..dd33db8248 100644
--- a/lib/Mojo/Server.pm
+++ b/lib/Mojo/Server.pm
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ sub load_app {
     local @ARGS_OVERRIDE = @args;
 
     # Try to load application from script into sandbox
-    delete $INC{$path};
-    my $app = eval "package Mojo::Server::Sandbox::@{[md5_sum $path]}; require \$path";
-    die qq{Can't load application from file "$path": $@} if $@;
+    my $app = eval "package Mojo::Server::Sandbox::@{[md5_sum $path]}; do \$path";
+    my $err = $app ? undef : $@ || $! || "$path did not return a true value";
+    die qq{Can't load application from file "$path": $err} if $err;
     die qq{File "$path" did not return an application object.\n} unless blessed $app && $app->can('handler');
     $self->app($app);
   };
diff --git a/t/mojo/daemon.t b/t/mojo/daemon.t
index 58567febb7..72b60b6b57 100644
--- a/t/mojo/daemon.t
+++ b/t/mojo/daemon.t
@@ -91,6 +91,15 @@ subtest 'Load broken app' => sub {
   like $@, qr/^Can't load application/, 'right error';
 };
 
+subtest 'Load app using module_true' => sub {
+  plan skip_all => 'module_true feature requires perl 5.38' if $] < 5.038;
+  my $daemon = Mojo::Server::Daemon->new;
+  my $path   = curfile->sibling('lib', '..', 'lib', 'myapp-module-true.pl');
+  my $app    = eval { $daemon->load_app($path) };
+  is $@,       '',                  'no error loading app';
+  is ref $app, 'Mojolicious::Lite', 'right reference';
+};
+
 subtest 'Load missing application class' => sub {
   eval { Mojo::Server::Daemon->new->build_app('Mojo::DoesNotExist') };
   like $@, qr/^Can't find application class "Mojo::DoesNotExist" in \@INC/, 'right error';
diff --git a/t/mojo/lib/myapp-module-true.pl b/t/mojo/lib/myapp-module-true.pl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79c61bbe1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/mojo/lib/myapp-module-true.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+use v5.38;
+use Mojolicious::Lite;
+
+app->config(script => $0);
+
+app->start;
+
+=head1 SYNOPSIS
+
+  USAGE: myapp.pl daemon
+
+   test
+  123
+
+=cut