Controversial hate crime laws are being redrawn after Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf admitted they could curb freedom of speech.
The SNP minister set out the change at Holyrood today after a storm over plans to make “stirring up hatred” a crime in Scotland.
Police are concerned it will impose harsh limits on expression, while writers and performers including Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson joined a campaign to oppose the measures.
Today, Yousaf said the legislation will now make it clear there has to be "intent" to stir up hatred against any group.
He said: "There is a real risk that if the offences don't require intent to stir up hatred, there could be a perception and indeed uncertainty that the operation of this aspect of the offences may be used to prosecute what are entirely legitimate acts of expression.
"This in itself might lead to an element of self-censorship. This is not the aim of the legislation."
The Hate Crime Bill adds new characteristics to the law, such as age and sex, but it was claimed the plans will curb civil liberties, criminalise comedy and even target religious books.
Yousaf said there are protections in the plans and insisted he will push ahead, despite the change in tone.
He said: "The Bill does not seek to stifle robust debate, public discourse or artistic freedoms.
"Instead, the Bill seeks to offer greater protection to those who suffer from this particularly damaging type of offending behaviour while respecting freedom of expression.
"I want people across this chamber and across Scotland to come together so we can ensure hate crime law can deal with the problem of stirring up hatred in an effective and appropriate way.
"That is why I think it is important to put the concerns over the question of the operation of the new offences beyond doubt."
Yousaf confirmed the government will amend the Bill at the next stage of scrutiny, when MSPs start going through the plans line by line.
He added: "I hope this fundamental change will provide necessary reassurance that the new stirring up hatred offences strike an appropriate balance between respecting freedom of expression while protecting those impacted by people who set out to stir up hatred.
"In making this change, I will maintain the distinct approach that the Bill currently adopts in relation to the racial stirring up hatred offences, which will continue to apply as they do at the moment, and as they have done so for the last 34 years."
Opposition Tory MSPs said they want to see even bigger changes before the laws can be passed with support at Holyrood.
Jamie Gillies, spokesman for the Free to Disagree Campaign against the "stirring up" plans, said: "There's still too low a threshold for offending, the wording is hopelessly vague, free speech provisions are inadequate, there is no 'dwelling defence', and people outside Scotland could be caught.
“Withdrawing the 'stirring up' offences wholesale is the only way to resolve these complex issues and ensure that other, vital civil liberties are upheld. The fact that the government hasn’t done this means opposition to the bill will continue for months to come. It's a missed opportunity."
