diff --git a/src/common/impl/format.c b/src/common/impl/format.c
index b230db7bb..db414bc5a 100644
--- a/src/common/impl/format.c
+++ b/src/common/impl/format.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ static bool parseLuaString(FFstrbuf* buffer, const char* script, uint32_t script
                     lua_pushboolean(L, *(bool*) arg->value);
                     break;
                 case FF_ARG_TYPE_STRING:
-                    lua_pushstring(L, (const char*) arg->value);
+                    lua_pushlstring(L, (const char*) arg->value, strlen((const char*) arg->value));
                     break;
                 case FF_ARG_TYPE_STRBUF: {
                     const FFstrbuf* sb = (const FFstrbuf*) arg->value;
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@ static bool parseLuaString(FFstrbuf* buffer, const char* script, uint32_t script
                 if (res) {
                     ffStrbufAppendS(buffer, res);
                 } else {
-                    // Fallback: use luaL_tolstring to get a reasonable representation
                     luaL_tolstring(L, 1, NULL);
                     const char* sval = lua_tolstring(L, -1, NULL);
                     if (sval) {
diff --git a/src/common/impl/lua.c b/src/common/impl/lua.c
index bc853c56a..c60515e36 100644
--- a/src/common/impl/lua.c
+++ b/src/common/impl/lua.c
@@ -102,8 +102,9 @@ static int yyjsonEncode(lua_State* L) {
     }
 
     yyjson_mut_doc* doc = yyjson_mut_doc_new(NULL);
-    if (!doc) {
-        return luaL_error(L, "failed to create yyjson document");
+    if (__builtin_expect(!doc, false)) {
+        lua_pushlstring(L, "yyjson: yyjson_mut_doc_new() failed", strlen("yyjson: yyjson_mut_doc_new() failed"));
+        return lua_error(L);
     }
 
     yyjson_mut_val* root = lua2yyjson(L, 1, doc);
@@ -113,13 +114,19 @@ static int yyjsonEncode(lua_State* L) {
     yyjson_write_err err = {};
     FF_AUTO_FREE const char* jsonStr = yyjson_mut_write_opts(doc, YYJSON_WRITE_ALLOW_INF_AND_NAN | (pretty ? YYJSON_WRITE_PRETTY_TWO_SPACES : 0), NULL, &jsonLen, &err);
 
-    if (jsonStr) {
+    if (__builtin_expect(jsonStr != NULL, true)) {
         lua_pushlstring(L, jsonStr, jsonLen);
         yyjson_mut_doc_free(doc);
         return 1;
     } else {
         yyjson_mut_doc_free(doc);
-        return luaL_error(L, "failed to encode JSON: %s", err.msg);
+        {
+            FF_STRBUF_AUTO_DESTROY errBuf = ffStrbufCreateStatic("yyjson: yyjson_mut_write_opts() failed: ");
+            ffStrbufAppendS(&errBuf, err.msg);
+            lua_pushlstring(L, errBuf.chars, errBuf.length);
+        }
+
+        return lua_error(L); // longjmp
     }
 }
 
@@ -163,33 +170,32 @@ const char* ffLuaLoadState() {
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_MESSAGE(liblua, luaopen_string)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_MESSAGE(liblua, luaopen_table)
     #endif
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_settop)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, luaL_loadbufferx)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_tolstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_createtable)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushinteger)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushnumber)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushboolean)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushlstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushvalue)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_seti)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushnil)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_setfield)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pcallk)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_gettop)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, luaL_tolstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, luaL_error)
-    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushcclosure)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, luaL_checkany)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, luaL_loadbufferx)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, luaL_tolstring)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_callk)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_createtable)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_error)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_gettop)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_isinteger)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_next)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pcallk)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushboolean)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushcclosure)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushinteger)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushlstring)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushnil)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushnumber)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_pushvalue)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_rawgeti)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_rawlen)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_setfield)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_setglobal)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_seti)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_settop)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_toboolean)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_tointegerx)
+    FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_tolstring)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_tonumberx)
     FF_LIBRARY_LOAD_SYMBOL_VAR_MESSAGE(liblua, luaData, lua_type)
 
diff --git a/src/common/lua.h b/src/common/lua.h
index 5577837b4..0c5917cd4 100644
--- a/src/common/lua.h
+++ b/src/common/lua.h
@@ -24,39 +24,32 @@
     #include "common/library.h"
 
 extern struct FFLuaData {
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_newstate)
-    #if LUA_VERSION_NUM >= 505
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_openselectedlibs)
-    #else
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_openlibs)
-    #endif
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_settop)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_loadbufferx)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_tolstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_createtable)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushinteger)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushnumber)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushboolean)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushlstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushvalue)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_seti)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushnil)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_setfield)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pcallk)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_gettop)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_tolstring)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_error)
-    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushcclosure)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_checkany)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_loadbufferx)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(luaL_tolstring)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_callk)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_createtable)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_error)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_gettop)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_isinteger)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_next)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pcallk)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushboolean)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushcclosure)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushinteger)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushlstring)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushnil)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushnumber)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_pushvalue)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_rawgeti)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_rawlen)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_setfield)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_setglobal)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_seti)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_settop)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_toboolean)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_tointegerx)
+    FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_tolstring)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_tonumberx)
     FF_LIBRARY_SYMBOL(lua_type)
 
@@ -94,10 +87,6 @@ FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE void(lua_pushboolean)(lua_State* L, int b) {
     return luaData.fflua_pushboolean(L, b);
 }
 
-FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE const char*(lua_pushstring) (lua_State * L, const char* s) {
-    return luaData.fflua_pushstring(L, s);
-}
-
 FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE const char*(lua_pushlstring) (lua_State * L, const char* s, size_t len) {
     return luaData.fflua_pushlstring(L, s, len);
 }
@@ -130,7 +119,9 @@ FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE const char*(luaL_tolstring) (lua_State * L, int idx, size_t*
     return luaData.ffluaL_tolstring(L, idx, len);
 }
 
-    #define luaL_error(L, fmt, ...) luaData.ffluaL_error(L, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE int(lua_error)(lua_State* L) {
+    return luaData.fflua_error(L);
+}
 
 FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE void(lua_pushcclosure)(lua_State* L, lua_CFunction fn, int n) {
     return luaData.fflua_pushcclosure(L, fn, n);
@@ -156,7 +147,13 @@ FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE int(lua_rawgeti)(lua_State* L, int idx, lua_Integer n) {
     return luaData.fflua_rawgeti(L, idx, n);
 }
 
-FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE lua_Unsigned(lua_rawlen)(lua_State* L, int idx) {
+FF_A_ALWAYS_INLINE
+    #if LUA_VERSION_NUM > 503
+lua_Unsigned
+    #else
+size_t
+    #endif
+    (lua_rawlen)(lua_State* L, int idx) {
     return luaData.fflua_rawlen(L, idx);
 }