diff --git a/src/api/system.c b/src/api/system.c
index 47709344..e35e4558 100644
--- a/src/api/system.c
+++ b/src/api/system.c
@@ -690,8 +690,10 @@ static int f_load_native_plugin(lua_State* L) {
   void* library = SDL_LoadObject(path);
   if (name == 0 || !library)
     return luaL_error(L, "Unable to load %s: %s", name, SDL_GetError());
+  lua_getfield(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, "native_plugins");
   lua_pushlightuserdata(L, library);
-  lua_setfield(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, name);
+  lua_setfield(L, -2, name);
+  lua_pop(L, 1);
   for (sname = namelen - 1; sname > 0 && name[sname] != '.'; --sname);
   snprintf(olib, sizeof(olib), "lua_open_lite_xl_%s", &name[sname+1]); 
   int (*ext_entrypoint)(lua_State* L, void*) = SDL_LoadFunction(library, olib);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 4b15ef34..4a95a76b 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ init_lua:
   lua_setglobal(L, "LINUX");
 #endif
 
+  lua_newtable(L);
+  lua_setfield(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, "native_plugins");
+
   const char *init_lite_code = \
     "local core\n"
     "xpcall(function()\n"