diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6bdc261f78..ee8f63bf0e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ topaz_add_library(
 		src/tz/topaz.cpp
 		src/tz/core/error.cpp
 		src/tz/core/job.cpp
+		src/tz/core/lua.cpp
 		src/tz/core/vector.cpp
 		src/tz/core/matrix.cpp
 		src/tz/core/quaternion.cpp
diff --git a/include/tz/core/lua.hpp b/include/tz/core/lua.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a3780ede2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/tz/core/lua.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#ifndef TOPAZ_LUA_HPP
+#define TOPAZ_LUA_HPP
+#include "tz/core/error.hpp"
+#include <filesystem>
+
+namespace tz
+{
+	/**
+	 * @ingroup tz_core
+	 * Attempt to execute a local lua file on the current thread.
+	 * @param path Path to a local file containing lua code.
+	 *
+	 * @return @ref tz::error_code::precondition_failure If the provided path was invalid.
+	 * @return @ref tz::error_code::unknown_error If the executed code caused an error.
+	 */
+	tz::error_code lua_execute_file(std::filesystem::path path);
+	/**
+	 * @ingroup tz_core
+	 * Attempt to execute some lua code on the current thread.
+	 * @param lua_src String containing lua code to execute.
+	 *
+	 * @return @ref tz::error_code::unknown_error If the executed code caused an error.
+	 */
+	tz::error_code lua_execute(std::string_view lua_src);
+}
+
+#endif // TOPAZ_LUA_HPP
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/tz/topaz.hpp b/include/tz/topaz.hpp
index d327e8b350..244ab243c3 100644
--- a/include/tz/topaz.hpp
+++ b/include/tz/topaz.hpp
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ namespace tz
 	{
 		void job_system_initialise();
 		void job_system_terminate();
+		void lua_initialise_local();
+		void lua_initialise_all_threads();
 	}
 	namespace gpu
 	{
diff --git a/src/tz/core/lua.cpp b/src/tz/core/lua.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4e42bba7d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tz/core/lua.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#include "tz/core/lua.hpp"
+#include "tz/topaz.hpp"
+
+#include "tz/core/job.hpp"
+
+extern "C"
+{
+#include "lauxlib.h"
+#include "lua.h"
+#include "lualib.h"
+}
+
+namespace tz
+{
+	thread_local lua_State* lua;
+
+	namespace detail
+	{
+		void lua_initialise_local()
+		{
+			lua = luaL_newstate();
+			luaL_openlibs(lua);
+		}
+
+		void lua_initialise_all_threads()
+		{
+			std::vector<tz::job_handle> jobs;
+			jobs.resize(tz::job_worker_count());
+			for(std::size_t i = 0; i < jobs.size(); i++)
+			{
+				jobs[i] = tz::job_execute_on(lua_initialise_local, i);
+			}
+			lua_initialise_local();
+			for(tz::job_handle job : jobs)
+			{
+				tz::job_wait(job);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	tz::error_code lua_execute_file(std::filesystem::path path)
+	{
+		if(!std::filesystem::exists(path))
+		{
+			RETERR(tz::error_code::precondition_failure, "path to supposed lua file {} is invalid", path.string());
+		}
+		luaL_dofile(lua, path.string().c_str());
+		const char* err = lua_tostring(lua, -1);
+		if(err != nullptr)
+		{
+			RETERR(tz::error_code::unknown_error, "lua error while executing file {}: ", path.filename().string(), err);
+		}
+		return tz::error_code::success;
+	}
+
+	tz::error_code lua_execute(std::string_view lua_src)
+	{
+		bool ret = luaL_dostring(lua, lua_src.data()) == false;
+		const char* err = lua_tostring(lua, -1);
+		if(!ret)
+		{
+			std::string code_snippet{lua_src.data(), lua_src.data() + std::min(20uz, lua_src.size())};
+			RETERR(tz::error_code::unknown_error, "lua error while executing code \"{}...\": {}", code_snippet.c_str(), err != nullptr ? err : "<no error message>");
+		}
+		return tz::error_code::success;
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/tz/topaz.cpp b/src/tz/topaz.cpp
index 74d4673a1e..f99b935349 100644
--- a/src/tz/topaz.cpp
+++ b/src/tz/topaz.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ namespace tz
 	void initialise(appinfo info)
 	{
 		detail::job_system_initialise();
+		detail::lua_initialise_all_threads();
 		os::initialise();
 		gpu::initialise(info);
 	}
diff --git a/test/tz/CMakeLists.txt b/test/tz/CMakeLists.txt
index 8507f2e6b0..b71d081cb4 100644
--- a/test/tz/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/tz/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ topaz_add_test(
     files/img.png
 )
 
+topaz_add_test(
+  TARGET tz_lua_execute_test
+  SOURCES
+    lua_execute_test.cpp
+)
+
 topaz_add_test(
   TARGET tz_vector_test
   SOURCES
diff --git a/test/tz/lua_execute_test.cpp b/test/tz/lua_execute_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1929d91205
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tz/lua_execute_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#include "tz/core/lua.hpp"
+#include "tz/core/job.hpp"
+#include "tz/topaz.hpp"
+
+int main()
+{
+	tz::initialise();
+	// initialise topaz
+
+	// run some lua code on main thread.
+	tz_must(tz::lua_execute("print(42069)"));
+	// set off a bunch of jobs which all run some lua code.
+	// dont care which workers end up doing it.
+	for(std::size_t i = 0; i < 69; i++)
+	{
+		tz::job_wait(tz::job_execute([]()
+		{
+			tz_must(tz::lua_execute("print(123)"));
+		}));
+	}
+	tz::terminate();
+	return 0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file