diff --git a/cmd_scripting.go b/cmd_scripting.go
index f7a01fed..314372b4 100644
--- a/cmd_scripting.go
+++ b/cmd_scripting.go
@@ -54,65 +54,7 @@ func (m *Miniredis) runLuaScript(c *server.Peer, script string, args []string) {
 	}
 	l.SetGlobal("ARGV", argvTable)
 
-	// Register call function to lua VM
-	redisFuncs := map[string]lua.LGFunction{
-		"call": func(l *lua.LState) int {
-			top := l.GetTop()
-
-			cmd := lua.LVAsString(l.Get(1))
-			args := make([]interface{}, top-1)
-			for i := 2; i <= top; i++ {
-				arg := l.Get(i)
-
-				dataType := arg.Type()
-				switch dataType {
-				case lua.LTBool:
-					args[i-2] = lua.LVAsBool(arg)
-				case lua.LTNumber:
-					value, _ := strconv.ParseFloat(lua.LVAsString(arg), 64)
-					args[i-2] = value
-				case lua.LTString:
-					args[i-2] = lua.LVAsString(arg)
-				case lua.LTNil:
-				case lua.LTFunction:
-				case lua.LTUserData:
-				case lua.LTThread:
-				case lua.LTTable:
-				case lua.LTChannel:
-				default:
-					args[i-2] = nil
-				}
-			}
-			res, err := conn.Do(cmd, args...)
-			if err != nil {
-				l.Push(lua.LNil)
-				return 1
-			}
-
-			if res == nil {
-				l.Push(lua.LNil)
-			} else {
-				switch r := res.(type) {
-				case int64:
-					l.Push(lua.LNumber(r))
-				case []uint8:
-					l.Push(lua.LString(string(r)))
-				case []interface{}:
-					l.Push(m.redisToLua(l, r))
-				case string:
-					l.Push(lua.LString(r))
-				default:
-					// TODO: oops?
-					l.Push(lua.LString(res.(string)))
-				}
-			}
-
-			return 1 // Notify that we pushed one value to the stack
-		},
-	}
-
-	redisFuncs["pcall"] = redisFuncs["call"]
-
+	redisFuncs := mkLuaFuncs(conn)
 	// Register command handlers
 	l.Push(l.NewFunction(func(l *lua.LState) int {
 		mod := l.RegisterModule("redis", redisFuncs).(*lua.LTable)
@@ -129,82 +71,12 @@ func (m *Miniredis) runLuaScript(c *server.Peer, script string, args []string) {
 	}
 
 	if l.GetTop() > 0 {
-		m.luaToRedis(l, c, l.Get(1))
+		luaToRedis(l, c, l.Get(1))
 	} else {
 		c.WriteNull()
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *Miniredis) redisToLua(l *lua.LState, res []interface{}) *lua.LTable {
-	rettb := l.NewTable()
-	for _, e := range res {
-		var v lua.LValue
-		if e == nil {
-			v = lua.LValue(nil)
-		} else {
-			switch et := e.(type) {
-			case int64:
-				v = lua.LNumber(et)
-			case []uint8:
-				v = lua.LString(string(et))
-			case []interface{}:
-				v = m.redisToLua(l, et)
-			case string:
-				v = lua.LString(et)
-			default:
-				// TODO: oops?
-				v = lua.LString(e.(string))
-			}
-		}
-		l.RawSet(rettb, lua.LNumber(rettb.Len()+1), v)
-	}
-	return rettb
-}
-
-func (m *Miniredis) luaToRedis(l *lua.LState, c *server.Peer, value lua.LValue) {
-	if value == nil {
-		c.WriteNull()
-		return
-	}
-
-	switch value.Type() {
-	case lua.LTNil:
-		c.WriteNull()
-	case lua.LTBool:
-		if lua.LVAsBool(value) {
-			c.WriteInt(1)
-		} else {
-			c.WriteInt(0)
-		}
-	case lua.LTNumber:
-		c.WriteInt(int(lua.LVAsNumber(value)))
-	case lua.LTString:
-		c.WriteBulk(lua.LVAsString(value))
-	case lua.LTTable:
-		result := []lua.LValue{}
-		for j := 1; true; j++ {
-			val := l.GetTable(value, lua.LNumber(j))
-			if val == nil {
-				result = append(result, val)
-				continue
-			}
-
-			if val.Type() == lua.LTNil {
-				break
-			}
-
-			result = append(result, val)
-		}
-
-		c.WriteLen(len(result))
-		for _, r := range result {
-			m.luaToRedis(l, c, r)
-		}
-	default:
-		c.WriteInline(lua.LVAsString(value))
-	}
-}
-
 func (m *Miniredis) cmdEval(c *server.Peer, cmd string, args []string) {
 	if len(args) < 2 {
 		setDirty(c)
diff --git a/cmd_scripting_test.go b/cmd_scripting_test.go
index bc5ffc9e..17159228 100644
--- a/cmd_scripting_test.go
+++ b/cmd_scripting_test.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func TestEvalsha(t *testing.T) {
 	mustFail(t, err, msgNoScriptFound)
 }
 
-func TestCmdEvalReplyConversion(t *testing.T) {
+func TestCmdEvalReply(t *testing.T) {
 	s, err := Run()
 	ok(t, err)
 	defer s.Close()
@@ -307,6 +307,24 @@ func TestCmdEvalReplyConversion(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		equals(t, tc.expected, reply)
 	}
+
+	{
+		_, err := c.Do("EVAL", `return {err="broken"}`, 0)
+		mustFail(t, err, "broken")
+
+		_, err = c.Do("EVAL", `return redis.error_reply("broken")`, 0)
+		mustFail(t, err, "broken")
+	}
+
+	{
+		v, err := redis.String(c.Do("EVAL", `return {ok="good"}`, 0))
+		ok(t, err)
+		equals(t, "good", v)
+
+		v, err = redis.String(c.Do("EVAL", `return redis.status_reply("good")`, 0))
+		ok(t, err)
+		equals(t, "good", v)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestCmdEvalResponse(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/lua.go b/lua.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77212724
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua.go
@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+package miniredis
+
+import (
+	"strconv"
+
+	redigo "github.com/garyburd/redigo/redis"
+	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
+
+	"github.com/alicebob/miniredis/server"
+)
+
+func mkLuaFuncs(conn redigo.Conn) map[string]lua.LGFunction {
+	funcs := map[string]lua.LGFunction{
+		"call": func(l *lua.LState) int {
+			top := l.GetTop()
+
+			cmd := lua.LVAsString(l.Get(1))
+			args := make([]interface{}, top-1)
+			for i := 2; i <= top; i++ {
+				arg := l.Get(i)
+
+				dataType := arg.Type()
+				switch dataType {
+				case lua.LTBool:
+					args[i-2] = lua.LVAsBool(arg)
+				case lua.LTNumber:
+					value, _ := strconv.ParseFloat(lua.LVAsString(arg), 64)
+					args[i-2] = value
+				case lua.LTString:
+					args[i-2] = lua.LVAsString(arg)
+				case lua.LTNil:
+				case lua.LTFunction:
+				case lua.LTUserData:
+				case lua.LTThread:
+				case lua.LTTable:
+				case lua.LTChannel:
+				default:
+					args[i-2] = nil
+				}
+			}
+			res, err := conn.Do(cmd, args...)
+			if err != nil {
+				l.Push(lua.LNil)
+				return 1
+			}
+
+			if res == nil {
+				l.Push(lua.LNil)
+			} else {
+				switch r := res.(type) {
+				case int64:
+					l.Push(lua.LNumber(r))
+				case []uint8:
+					l.Push(lua.LString(string(r)))
+				case []interface{}:
+					l.Push(redisToLua(l, r))
+				case string:
+					l.Push(lua.LString(r))
+				default:
+					// TODO: oops?
+					l.Push(lua.LString(res.(string)))
+				}
+			}
+
+			return 1 // Notify that we pushed one value to the stack
+		},
+		"error_reply": func(l *lua.LState) int {
+			msg := l.CheckAny(1)
+			res := &lua.LTable{}
+			res.RawSetString("err", msg)
+			l.Push(res)
+			return 1
+		},
+		"status_reply": func(l *lua.LState) int {
+			msg := l.CheckAny(1)
+			res := &lua.LTable{}
+			res.RawSetString("ok", msg)
+			l.Push(res)
+			return 1
+		},
+	}
+	funcs["pcall"] = funcs["call"]
+	return funcs
+}
+
+func luaToRedis(l *lua.LState, c *server.Peer, value lua.LValue) {
+	if value == nil {
+		c.WriteNull()
+		return
+	}
+
+	switch value.Type() {
+	case lua.LTNil:
+		c.WriteNull()
+	case lua.LTBool:
+		if lua.LVAsBool(value) {
+			c.WriteInt(1)
+		} else {
+			c.WriteInt(0)
+		}
+	case lua.LTNumber:
+		c.WriteInt(int(lua.LVAsNumber(value)))
+	case lua.LTString:
+		c.WriteBulk(lua.LVAsString(value))
+	case lua.LTTable:
+		t := value.(*lua.LTable)
+		// special case for table with only an 'err' field
+		var keys []string
+		t.ForEach(func(k, _ lua.LValue) {
+			keys = append(keys, k.String())
+		})
+		if len(keys) == 1 && keys[0] == "err" {
+			c.WriteError(t.RawGetString("err").String())
+			return
+		}
+		if len(keys) == 1 && keys[0] == "ok" {
+			c.WriteInline(t.RawGetString("ok").String())
+			return
+		}
+
+		result := []lua.LValue{}
+		for j := 1; true; j++ {
+			val := l.GetTable(value, lua.LNumber(j))
+			if val == nil {
+				result = append(result, val)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if val.Type() == lua.LTNil {
+				break
+			}
+
+			result = append(result, val)
+		}
+
+		c.WriteLen(len(result))
+		for _, r := range result {
+			luaToRedis(l, c, r)
+		}
+	default:
+		c.WriteInline(lua.LVAsString(value))
+	}
+}
+
+func redisToLua(l *lua.LState, res []interface{}) *lua.LTable {
+	rettb := l.NewTable()
+	for _, e := range res {
+		var v lua.LValue
+		if e == nil {
+			v = lua.LValue(nil)
+		} else {
+			switch et := e.(type) {
+			case int64:
+				v = lua.LNumber(et)
+			case []uint8:
+				v = lua.LString(string(et))
+			case []interface{}:
+				v = redisToLua(l, et)
+			case string:
+				v = lua.LString(et)
+			default:
+				// TODO: oops?
+				v = lua.LString(e.(string))
+			}
+		}
+		l.RawSet(rettb, lua.LNumber(rettb.Len()+1), v)
+	}
+	return rettb
+}