diff --git a/src/deh_lua.c b/src/deh_lua.c
index 3176f5d69..3d6d8b455 100644
--- a/src/deh_lua.c
+++ b/src/deh_lua.c
@@ -450,17 +450,19 @@ static int ScanConstants(lua_State *L, boolean mathlib, const char *word)
 	}
 	else if (fastncmp("SPR_",word,4)) {
 		p = word+4;
-		for (i = 0; i < NUMSPRITES; i++)
-			if (fastcmp(p,sprnames[i])) {
-				// updating overridden sprnames is not implemented for soc parser,
-				// so don't use cache
-				if (mathlib)
-					lua_pushinteger(L, i);
-				else
-					CacheAndPushConstant(L, word, i);
-				return 1;
-			}
-		if (mathlib) return luaL_error(L, "sprite '%s' could not be found.\n", word);
+		i = R_GetSpriteNumByName(p);
+		if (i != NUMSPRITES)
+		{
+			// updating overridden sprnames is not implemented for soc parser,
+			// so don't use cache
+			if (mathlib)
+				lua_pushinteger(L, i);
+			else
+				CacheAndPushConstant(L, word, i);
+			return 1;
+		}
+		else if (mathlib)
+			return luaL_error(L, "sprite '%s' could not be found.\n", word);
 		return 0;
 	}
 	else if (fastncmp("SPR2_",word,5)) {
diff --git a/src/deh_soc.c b/src/deh_soc.c
index 5e068313d..269598459 100644
--- a/src/deh_soc.c
+++ b/src/deh_soc.c
@@ -4180,9 +4180,9 @@ spritenum_t get_sprite(const char *word)
 		return atoi(word);
 	if (fastncmp("SPR_",word,4))
 		word += 4; // take off the SPR_
-	for (i = 0; i < NUMSPRITES; i++)
-		if (!strcmp(word, sprnames[i]))
-			return i;
+	i = R_GetSpriteNumByName(word);
+	if (i != NUMSPRITES)
+		return i;
 	deh_warning("Couldn't find sprite named 'SPR_%s'",word);
 	return SPR_NULL;
 }
diff --git a/src/lua_hudlib.c b/src/lua_hudlib.c
index ddd6c6888..d6771f108 100644
--- a/src/lua_hudlib.c
+++ b/src/lua_hudlib.c
@@ -492,9 +492,7 @@ static int libd_getSpritePatch(lua_State *L)
 	else if (lua_isstring(L, 1)) // sprite prefix name given, e.g. "THOK"
 	{
 		const char *name = lua_tostring(L, 1);
-		for (i = 0; i < NUMSPRITES; i++)
-			if (fastcmp(name, sprnames[i]))
-				break;
+		i = R_GetSpriteNumByName(name);
 		if (i >= NUMSPRITES)
 			return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/src/lua_infolib.c b/src/lua_infolib.c
index cff72deb4..eeb1067a3 100644
--- a/src/lua_infolib.c
+++ b/src/lua_infolib.c
@@ -88,12 +88,12 @@ static int lib_getSprname(lua_State *L)
 	else if (lua_isstring(L, 1))
 	{
 		const char *name = lua_tostring(L, 1);
-		for (i = 0; i < NUMSPRITES; i++)
-			if (fastcmp(name, sprnames[i]))
-			{
-				lua_pushinteger(L, i);
-				return 1;
-			}
+		i = R_GetSpriteNumByName(name);
+		if (i != NUMSPRITES)
+		{
+			lua_pushinteger(L, i);
+			return 1;
+		}
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -245,22 +245,15 @@ static int lib_getSpriteInfo(lua_State *L)
 	if (lua_isstring(L, 1))
 	{
 		const char *name = lua_tostring(L, 1);
-		INT32 spr;
-		for (spr = 0; spr < NUMSPRITES; spr++)
-		{
-			if (fastcmp(name, sprnames[spr]))
-			{
-				i = spr;
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-		if (i == NUMSPRITES)
+		INT32 spr = R_GetSpriteNumByName(name);
+		if (spr == NUMSPRITES)
 		{
 			char *check;
 			i = strtol(name, &check, 10);
 			if (check == name || *check != '\0')
 				return luaL_error(L, "unknown sprite name %s", name);
 		}
+		i = spr;
 	}
 	else
 		i = luaL_checkinteger(L, 1);
diff --git a/src/r_picformats.c b/src/r_picformats.c
index a75f15baf..d71657021 100644
--- a/src/r_picformats.c
+++ b/src/r_picformats.c
@@ -1592,16 +1592,9 @@ static void R_ParseSpriteInfo(boolean spr2)
 
 	if (!spr2)
 	{
-		for (i = 0; i <= NUMSPRITES; i++)
-		{
-			if (i == NUMSPRITES)
-				I_Error("Error parsing SPRTINFO lump: Unknown sprite name \"%s\"", newSpriteName);
-			if (!strcmp(newSpriteName, sprnames[i]))
-			{
-				sprnum = i;
-				break;
-			}
-		}
+		sprnum = R_GetSpriteNumByName(newSpriteName);
+		if (sprnum == NUMSPRITES)
+			I_Error("Error parsing SPRTINFO lump: Unknown sprite name \"%s\"", newSpriteName);
 	}
 	else
 	{