diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index d72620a905..e95b65ccb4 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 v3.0.????? - ?
 ---------------------------
 
+ - Improvements on LUA build scripts and support for LUA 5.2.
+   [Issue #1617 and #1622 - @victorhora, @zimmerle]
  - Improvements on the benchmark tool.
    [Issue #1615 - @zimmerle]
  - Fix lua headers on the build scripts
diff --git a/build/lua.m4 b/build/lua.m4
index aa9235e2fc..8dedb05500 100644
--- a/build/lua.m4
+++ b/build/lua.m4
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_LUA],
 [dnl
 
 # Possible names for the lua library/package (pkg-config)
-LUA_POSSIBLE_LIB_NAMES="lua"
+LUA_POSSIBLE_LIB_NAMES="lua lua53 lua5.3 lua52 lua5.2"
 
 # Possible extensions for the library
 LUA_POSSIBLE_EXTENSIONS="so so0 la sl dll dylib so.0.0.0"
 
 # Possible paths (if pkg-config was not found, proceed with the file lookup)
-LUA_POSSIBLE_PATHS="/usr/lib /usr/local/lib /usr/local/lua /usr/local/liblua /usr/local /opt /usr /usr/lib64 /opt/local"
+LUA_POSSIBLE_PATHS="/usr/lib /usr/local/lib /usr/local/lib64 /usr/local/lua /usr/local/liblua /usr/local /opt /usr /usr/lib64 /opt/local"
 
 # Variables to be set by this very own script.
 LUA_CFLAGS=""
@@ -46,6 +46,32 @@ else
             break
         fi
     done
+    if test -z "${LUA_CFLAGS}"; then
+     #Trying to figure out the version using pkg-config...
+        if test -n "${PKG_CONFIG}"; then
+            LUA_PKG_NAME=""
+            for x in ${LUA_POSSIBLE_LIB_NAMES}; do
+                if ${PKG_CONFIG} --exists ${x}; then
+                    LUA_PKG_NAME="$x"
+                    LUA_PKG_VERSION="`${PKG_CONFIG} ${LUA_PKG_NAME} --modversion`"
+                    break
+                fi
+            done
+        fi
+        if test -n "${LUA_PKG_NAME}"; then
+           # Package was found using the pkg-config scripts
+           LUA_PKG_VERSION="`${PKG_CONFIG} ${LUA_PKG_NAME} --modversion`"
+           LUA_CFLAGS="`${PKG_CONFIG} ${LUA_PKG_NAME} --cflags`"
+           LUA_LDADD="`${PKG_CONFIG} ${LUA_PKG_NAME} --libs-only-l`"
+           LUA_LDFLAGS="`${PKG_CONFIG} ${LUA_PKG_NAME} --libs-only-L --libs-only-other`"
+           LUA_DISPLAY="${LUA_LDADD}, ${LUA_CFLAGS}"
+        case $LUA_PKG_VERSION in
+           (5.1*) LUA_CFLAGS="-DWITH_LUA_5_1 ${LUA_CFLAGS}" ; lua_5_1=1 ;;
+           (5.2*) LUA_CFLAGS="-DWITH_LUA_5_2 ${LUA_CFLAGS}" ; lua_5_2=1 ;;
+        esac
+           AC_MSG_NOTICE([LUA pkg-config version: ${LUA_PKG_VERSION}])
+        fi
+    fi
 fi
 
 
@@ -58,13 +84,17 @@ if test -z "${LUA_CFLAGS}"; then
             LUA_FOUND=2
         fi
     else
-        AC_MSG_ERROR([LUA was explicitly referenced but it was not found])
-        LUA_FOUND=-1
+       AC_MSG_ERROR([LUA was explicitly referenced but it was not found])
+       LUA_FOUND=-1
     fi
 else
+    if test "${lua_5_1}" = 1 && test "x${LUA_MANDATORY}" == "xyes" ; then
+       AC_MSG_ERROR([LUA was explicitly referenced but LUA v5.1 was found and it is not currently supported on libModSecurity. LUA_VERSION: ${LUA_VERSION}])
+       LUA_FOUND=-1
+    fi
     if test -z "${LUA_MANDATORY}" || test "x${LUA_MANDATORY}" == "xno"; then
         LUA_FOUND=1
-        AC_MSG_NOTICE([using LUA v${LUA_VERSION}])
+        AC_MSG_NOTICE([using LUA ${LUA_LDADD}])
         LUA_CFLAGS="-DWITH_LUA ${LUA_CFLAGS}"
         LUA_DISPLAY="${LUA_LDADD} ${LUA_LDFLAGS}, ${LUA_CFLAGS}"
         AC_SUBST(LUA_LDFLAGS)
@@ -73,7 +103,7 @@ else
         AC_SUBST(LUA_DISPLAY)
     else
         LUA_FOUND=1
-        AC_MSG_NOTICE([using LUA v${LUA_VERSION}])
+        AC_MSG_NOTICE([using LUA ${LUA_LDADD}])
         LUA_CFLAGS="-DWITH_LUA ${LUA_CFLAGS}"
         LUA_DISPLAY="${LUA_LDADD} ${LUA_LDFLAGS}, ${LUA_CFLAGS}"
         AC_SUBST(LUA_LDFLAGS)
@@ -83,6 +113,10 @@ else
     fi
 fi
 
+if test "${lua_5_1}" = 1 ; then
+   AC_MSG_NOTICE([LUA 5.1 was found and it is not currently supported on libModSecurity. LUA_VERSION: ${LUA_VERSION}. LUA build disabled.])
+   LUA_FOUND=2
+fi
 
 AC_SUBST(LUA_FOUND)
 
@@ -132,9 +166,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_FOR_LUA_AT], [
     if test -e "${path}/include/lua.h"; then
         lua_inc_path="${path}/include"
     elif test -e "${path}/lua.h"; then
-        lua_inc_path="${path}"
+       lua_inc_path="${path}"
     elif test -e "${path}/include/lua/lua.h"; then
-        lua_inc_path="${path}/include"
+        lua_inc_path="${path}/include/lua"
+    elif test -e "${path}/include/lua5.3/lua.h"; then
+        lua_inc_path="${path}/include/lua5.3"
+	LUA_VERSION=503
+    elif test -e "${path}/include/lua5.2/lua.h"; then
+        lua_inc_path="${path}/include/lua5.2"
+	LUA_VERSION=502
     fi
 
     if test -n "${lua_lib_path}"; then
@@ -144,14 +184,52 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_FOR_LUA_AT], [
     if test -n "${lua_inc_path}"; then
         AC_MSG_NOTICE([LUA headers found at: ${lua_inc_path}])
     fi
-
     if test -n "${lua_lib_path}" -a -n "${lua_inc_path}"; then
-        # TODO: Compile a piece of code to check the version.
-        LUA_CFLAGS="-I${lua_inc_path}"
-        LUA_LDADD="-l${lua_lib_name}"
-        LUA_LDFLAGS="-L${lua_lib_path}"
-        LUA_DISPLAY="${lua_lib_file}, ${lua_inc_path}"
+           LUA_CFLAGS="-I${lua_inc_path}"
+           LUA_LDADD="-l${lua_lib_name}"
+           LUA_LDFLAGS="-L${lua_lib_path}"
+           LUA_DISPLAY="${lua_lib_file}, ${lua_inc_path}"
+
+        # Double checking version from lua.h...
+        AC_TRY_COMPILE([ #include <lua.h>> ],
+                         [ #if (LUA_VERSION_NUM < 502)
+                           return 0;
+                           #else
+                           #error Lua 5.1 not detected
+                           #endif ],
+                             [ LUA_VERSION=501 ], [ lua_5_1=0 ]
+                      )
+
+        AC_TRY_COMPILE([ #include <lua.h> ],
+                         [ #if (LUA_VERSION_NUM == 502)
+                           return 0;
+                           #else
+                           #error Lua 5.2 not detected
+                           #endif ],
+                             [ LUA_VERSION=502 ], [ lua_5_2=0 ]
+                      )
+
+        if test -z "${LUA_VERSION}" ; then
+        # As a last resort, try to find LUA version from $lua_inc_path
+            while read -r line
+            do
+            case "$line" in
+                (\#define\ LUA_VERSION_NUM*501*) LUA_VERSION=501 ;;
+                (\#define\ LUA_VERSION_NUM*502*) LUA_VERSION=501 ;;
+                (\#define\ LUA_VERSION_NUM*503*) LUA_VERSION=503
+            esac
+            done <"${lua_inc_path}/lua.h"
+            AC_MSG_NOTICE([LUA_VERSION is ${LUA_VERSION} found at: ${lua_inc_path}])
+        else
+            AC_MSG_NOTICE([LUA version from includes: ${LUA_VERSION}])
+        fi
+
+        case $LUA_VERSION in
+           (501) LUA_CFLAGS="-DWITH_LUA_5_1 ${LUA_CFLAGS}" ; lua_5_1=1 ;;
+           (502) LUA_CFLAGS="-DWITH_LUA_5_2 ${LUA_CFLAGS}" ; lua_5_2=1 ;;
+        esac
     fi
+
 ]) # AC_DEFUN [CHECK_FOR_LUA_AT]
 
 
diff --git a/src/engine/lua.cc b/src/engine/lua.cc
index f300d0b43b..9e6282ebf3 100644
--- a/src/engine/lua.cc
+++ b/src/engine/lua.cc
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ bool Lua::load(std::string script, std::string *err) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (lua_dump(L, Lua::blob_keeper, reinterpret_cast<void *>(&m_blob), 0)) {
+#ifdef WITH_LUA_5_2
+    if (lua_dump(L, Lua::blob_keeper, reinterpret_cast<void *>(&m_blob))) {
         const char *luaerr = lua_tostring(L, -1);
         err->assign("Failed to compile script '" + script + "");
         if (luaerr) {
@@ -94,7 +95,19 @@ bool Lua::load(std::string script, std::string *err) {
 
         return false;
     }
+#else
+    if (lua_dump(L, Lua::blob_keeper, reinterpret_cast<void *>(&m_blob), 0)) {
+        const char *luaerr = lua_tostring(L, -1);
+        err->assign("Failed to compile script '" + script + "");
+        if (luaerr) {
+            err->append(": " + *luaerr);
+        }
+        err->append(".");
+        lua_close(L);
 
+        return false;
+    }
+#endif
 
     lua_close(L);
     return true;