diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorCommands.cpp b/stepmania/src/ActorCommands.cpp
index b9565d207c..f42f820a01 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorCommands.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorCommands.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,13 @@ void ActorCommands::Register()
 
 
 	CString s2 = s.str();
-	LUA->RunScript( s2, "in", 1 );
+	CString sError;
+	if( !LUA->RunScript( s2, "in", sError, 1 ) )
+	{
+		/* We're compiling a generated script, so it should never fail. */
+		FAIL_M( ssprintf("Compiling \"%s\": %s", s2.c_str(), sError.c_str()) );
+	}
+
 
 	/* The function is now on the stack. */
 	this->SetFromStack();
diff --git a/stepmania/src/LuaManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/LuaManager.cpp
index 90a078b29f..9a48a0bf6b 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LuaManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/LuaManager.cpp
@@ -261,10 +261,18 @@ bool LuaManager::RunScriptFile( const CString &sFile )
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	return RunScript( sScript, sFile );
+	CString sError;
+	if( !RunScript( sScript, sFile, sError ) )
+	{
+		sError = ssprintf( "Lua runtime error: %s", sError.c_str() );
+		Dialog::OK( sError, "LUA_ERROR" );
+		return false;
+	}
+	
+	return true;
 }
 
-bool LuaManager::RunScript( const CString &sScript, const CString &sName, int iReturnValues )
+bool LuaManager::RunScript( const CString &sScript, const CString &sName, CString &sError, int iReturnValues )
 {
 	// load string
 	{
@@ -274,10 +282,7 @@ bool LuaManager::RunScript( const CString &sScript, const CString &sName, int iR
 
 		if( ret )
 		{
-			CString err;
-			LuaManager::PopStack( err );
-			CString sError = ssprintf( "Lua runtime error parsing \"%s\": %s", sScript.c_str(), err.c_str() );
-			Dialog::OK( sError, "LUA_ERROR" );
+			LuaManager::PopStack( sError );
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -303,8 +308,13 @@ bool LuaManager::RunScript( const CString &sScript, const CString &sName, int iR
 
 bool LuaManager::RunExpression( const CString &sExpression )
 {
-	if( !RunScript( "return " + sExpression, "in", 1 ) )
+	CString sError;
+	if( !RunScript( "return " + sExpression, "in", sError, 1 ) )
+	{
+		sError = ssprintf( "Lua runtime error parsing \"%s\": %s", sExpression.c_str(), sError.c_str() );
+		Dialog::OK( sError, "LUA_ERROR" );
 		return false;
+	}
 
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/LuaManager.h b/stepmania/src/LuaManager.h
index 608d74a31d..ef3a35639d 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/LuaManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/LuaManager.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public:
 	void ResetState();
 
 	/* Run a complete script in the global environment, which returns no value. */
-	bool RunScript( const CString &sScript, const CString &sName, int iReturnValues = 0 );
+	bool RunScript( const CString &sScript, const CString &sName, CString &sError, int iReturnValues = 0 );
 
 	/* Run an expression in the global environment, returning the given type. */
 	bool RunExpressionB( const CString &str );