diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/screen.php b/wp-admin/includes/screen.php
index 2a6173edc..fd6afb2d9 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/screen.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/screen.php
@@ -107,18 +107,6 @@ function get_hidden_meta_boxes( $screen ) {
 	return apply_filters( 'hidden_meta_boxes', $hidden, $screen, $use_defaults );
 }
 
-/**
- * Convert a screen string to a screen object
- *
- * @since 3.0.0
- *
- * @param string $hook_name The hook name (also known as the hook suffix) used to determine the screen.
- * @return WP_Screen Screen object.
- */
-function convert_to_screen( $hook_name ) {
-	return WP_Screen::get( $hook_name );
-}
-
 /**
  * Add contextual help text for a page.
  *
diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/template.php b/wp-admin/includes/template.php
index 7705509b1..06da772d6 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/template.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/template.php
@@ -1795,4 +1795,21 @@ final class WP_Internal_Pointers {
 	}
 }
 
-add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', array( 'WP_Internal_Pointers', 'enqueue_scripts' ) );
\ No newline at end of file
+add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', array( 'WP_Internal_Pointers', 'enqueue_scripts' ) );
+
+/**
+ * Convert a screen string to a screen object
+ *
+ * @since 3.0.0
+ *
+ * @param string $hook_name The hook name (also known as the hook suffix) used to determine the screen.
+ * @return WP_Screen Screen object.
+ */
+function convert_to_screen( $hook_name ) {
+	if ( ! is_admin() ) {
+		_doing_it_wrong( 'convert_to_screen(), add_meta_box()', __( "Likely direct inclusion of wp-admin/includes/template.php in order to use add_meta_box(). This is very wrong. Hook the add_meta_box() call into the add_meta_boxes action instead." ), '3.3' );
+		return (object) array( 'id' => '_invalid', 'base' => '_are_belong_to_us' );
+	}
+
+	return WP_Screen::get( $hook_name );
+}
\ No newline at end of file