diff --git a/data/core/compat.lua b/data/core/compat.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d66af313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/core/compat.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+table.unpack = unpack
+
diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index 6ef0ab7e..e85a492d 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 require "core.strict"
 require "core.regex"
+require "core.compat"
 local common = require "core.common"
 local config = require "core.config"
 local style = require "core.style"
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 53883266..f0500209 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ endif
 if not get_option('source-only')
     libm = cc.find_library('m', required : false)
     libdl = cc.find_library('dl', required : false)
-    lua_dep = dependency('lua5.2', fallback: ['lua', 'lua_dep'],
-        default_options: ['shared=false', 'use_readline=false', 'app=false']
+    lua_dep = dependency('luajit', fallback: ['luajit', 'lua_dep'],
+        default_options: ['default_library=static']
     )
     pcre2_dep = dependency('libpcre2-8')
     freetype_dep = dependency('freetype2')
diff --git a/src/api/api.h b/src/api/api.h
index 2e9bdb2e..2bc4fbab 100644
--- a/src/api/api.h
+++ b/src/api/api.h
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #include <lauxlib.h>
 #include <lualib.h>
 
+#include "compat.h"
+
 #define API_TYPE_FONT "Font"
 #define API_TYPE_PROCESS "Process"
 
diff --git a/src/api/compat.c b/src/api/compat.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e08b5a26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/compat.c
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#include <lauxlib.h>
+
+#include "compat.h"
+
+static int lua_absindex (lua_State *L, int i) {
+  if (i < 0 && i > LUA_REGISTRYINDEX)
+    i += lua_gettop(L) + 1;
+  return i;
+}
+
+int luaL_getsubtable (lua_State *L, int i, const char *name) {
+  int abs_i = lua_absindex(L, i);
+  luaL_checkstack(L, 3, "not enough stack slots");
+  lua_pushstring(L, name);
+  lua_gettable(L, abs_i);
+  if (lua_istable(L, -1))
+    return 1;
+  lua_pop(L, 1);
+  lua_newtable(L);
+  lua_pushstring(L, name);
+  lua_pushvalue(L, -2);
+  lua_settable(L, abs_i);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+void luaL_requiref (lua_State *L, const char *modname, lua_CFunction openf, int glb) {
+  luaL_checkstack(L, 3, "not enough stack slots available");
+  luaL_getsubtable(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, "_LOADED");
+  lua_getfield(L, -1, modname);
+  if (lua_isnil(L, -1)) {
+    lua_pop(L, 1);
+    lua_pushcfunction(L, openf);
+    lua_pushstring(L, modname);
+    lua_call(L, 1, 1);
+    lua_pushvalue(L, -1);
+    lua_setfield(L, -3, modname);
+  }
+  if (glb) {
+    lua_pushvalue(L, -1);
+    lua_setglobal(L, modname);
+  }
+  lua_replace(L, -2);
+}
+
+void luaL_setfuncs (lua_State *L, const luaL_Reg *l, int nup) {
+  luaL_checkstack(L, nup+1, "too many upvalues");
+  for (; l->name != NULL; l++) {  /* fill the table with given functions */
+    int i;
+    lua_pushstring(L, l->name);
+    for (i = 0; i < nup; i++)  /* copy upvalues to the top */
+      lua_pushvalue(L, -(nup + 1));
+    lua_pushcclosure(L, l->func, nup);  /* closure with those upvalues */
+    lua_settable(L, -(nup + 3)); /* table must be below the upvalues, the name and the closure */
+  }
+  lua_pop(L, nup);  /* remove upvalues */
+}
+
+
+void luaL_setmetatable (lua_State *L, const char *tname) {
+  luaL_checkstack(L, 1, "not enough stack slots");
+  luaL_getmetatable(L, tname);
+  lua_setmetatable(L, -2);
+}
+
diff --git a/src/api/compat.h b/src/api/compat.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..93220cd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/compat.h
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#ifndef COMPAT_H
+#define COMPAT_H
+
+#include <lua.h>
+#include <lauxlib.h>
+
+#define luaL_newlibtable(L, l) \
+  (lua_createtable(L, 0, sizeof(l)/sizeof(*(l))-1))
+#define luaL_newlib(L, l) \
+  (luaL_newlibtable(L, l), luaL_register(L, NULL, l))
+
+extern void luaL_requiref (lua_State *L, const char *modname, lua_CFunction openf, int glb);
+extern void luaL_setfuncs (lua_State *L, const luaL_Reg *l, int nup);
+extern void luaL_setmetatable (lua_State *L, const char *tname);
+extern int luaL_getsubtable (lua_State *L, int i, const char *name);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 6fefd257..14b3d1d9 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 lite_sources = [
+    'api/compat.c',
     'api/api.c',
     'api/renderer.c',
     'api/regex.c',
diff --git a/subprojects/lua.wrap b/subprojects/lua.wrap
deleted file mode 100644
index 1be7895b..00000000
--- a/subprojects/lua.wrap
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-[wrap-git]
-directory = lua
-url = https://github.com/franko/lua
-revision = v5.2.4-7
diff --git a/subprojects/luajit.wrap b/subprojects/luajit.wrap
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aca831ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/luajit.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[wrap-git]
+directory = luajit
+url = https://github.com/franko/luajit
+revision = v2.0.5-lhelper2
+