diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/con_lang.lua b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/con_lang.lua
index 1dbf38b3b..593740bed 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/con_lang.lua
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/con_lang.lua
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ labels =
     },
 
     {
-        EVENT_INIT = 0,
+        EVENT_INIT = 0,  -- TODO: currently can't run since we init Lunatic state only afterwards
         EVENT_ENTERLEVEL = 1,
         EVENT_RESETWEAPONS = 2,
         EVENT_RESETINVENTORY = 3,
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/defs.ilua b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/defs.ilua
index 223705aa0..d5d73e5c1 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/defs.ilua
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/defs.ilua
@@ -63,9 +63,17 @@ typedef struct {
 typedef struct {
     int32_t x, y, z;
 } vec3_t;
+
+typedef struct {
+    vec3_t pos;
+    int16_t hitsprite, hitwall, hitsect;
+} hitdata_t;
 #pragma pack(pop)
 ]]
 
+local vec3_t = ffi.typeof("vec3_t")
+local hitdata_ct = ffi.typeof("hitdata_t")
+
 assert(ffi.sizeof('sectortype')==40)
 assert(ffi.sizeof('walltype')==32)
 assert(ffi.sizeof('spritetype')==44)
@@ -124,6 +132,9 @@ enum {
     MAXBUNCHES = 256,
     CEILING = 0,
     FLOOR = 1,
+
+    CLIPMASK0 = (1<<16)+1,  // blocking
+    CLIPMASK1 = (256<<16)+64,  // hittable
 };
 ]]
 
@@ -139,6 +150,9 @@ const int16_t headsectbunch[2][MAXBUNCHES], nextsectbunch[2][MAXSECTORS];
 
 
 int16_t yax_getbunch(int16_t i, int16_t cf);
+
+int32_t hitscan(const vec3_t *sv, int16_t sectnum, int32_t vx, int32_t vy, int32_t vz,
+                hitdata_t *hitinfo, uint32_t cliptype);
 ]]
 
 
@@ -277,6 +291,11 @@ actor_t actor[MAXSPRITES];
 user_defs ud;
 ]]
 
+-- functions
+ffi.cdef[[
+double gethitickms(void);
+]]
+
 --- default defines
 local con = require("con_lang")
 
@@ -404,8 +423,9 @@ gv = {
     actor = det,
     ud = det,
 
-    luaJIT_BC_con_lang = det,
-    luaJIT_BC_lunacon = det,
+    -- functions, too!
+    yax_getbunch = det,
+    hitscan = det,
 }
 local tmpmt = {
     __index = ffiC,
@@ -535,16 +555,30 @@ end
 
 function getbunch(sectnum, cf)
     if (sectnum < 0 or sectnum >= ffiC.numsectors) then
-        error('out-of-bounds sector[] read access', 2)
+        error('passed out-of-bounds sector number'..sectnum, 2)
     end
     if (cf ~= 0 and cf ~= 1) then
         error("passed invalid 'cf' to getbunch, must be 0 or 1", 2)
     end
 
-    return yax_getbunch(sectnum, cf)
+    return ffiC.yax_getbunch(sectnum, cf)
 end
 
 
+---=== Engine functions, wrapped for Lua convenience ===---
+-- returns a hitdata_ct
+function hitscan(x,y,z, sectnum, vx,vy,vz, cliptype)
+    if (sectnum < 0 or sectnum >= ffiC.numsectors) then
+        error('passed out-of-bounds sector number'..sectnum, 2)
+    end
+
+    local vec = vec3_t(x,y,z)
+    local hitdata = hitdata_ct()
+
+    ffiC.hitscan(vec, sectnum, vx,vy,vz, hitdata, cliptype)
+    return hitdata
+end
+
 ---=== Game variables ===---
 
 -- gamevarNames[name] is true if that gamevar was declared
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/dynsymlist b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/dynsymlist
index 3a69ee326..2d3474ee6 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/dynsymlist
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/dynsymlist
@@ -23,8 +23,12 @@ nextspritestat;
 headsectbunch;
 nextsectbunch;
 
+hitscan;
+
 actor;
 ud;
 
 luaJIT_BC_*;
+
+gethitickms;
 };
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/lunacon.lua b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/lunacon.lua
index cb106d413..eb3214070 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/lunacon.lua
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/lunacon.lua
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ local LABEL_NO = { [2]=MOVE_NO_, [3]={ACTION_NO_,MOVE_NO_,0}, [5]=ACTION_NO_ }
 --    - move: { hvel <num>, vvel <num> }
 --    - ai: { action <label str>, move <label str, or scalar 0 or 1>, flags <num> }
 --    - action: { startframe, numframes, viewtype, incval, delay }  (all <num>)
+-- TODO: IDs for comparison with if*
 local g_labeldef = {}
 
 local function reset_labels()
@@ -1138,6 +1139,11 @@ local function warn_on_lonely_else()
     warnprintf("found `else' with no `if'")
 end
 
+function EvalEarly(pat)
+    -- force warnings and the like early
+    return lpeg.Cmt(pat, function() return true end)
+end
+
 
 local con_inner_command = all_alt_pattern(Ci)
 local con_if_begs = all_alt_pattern(Cif)
@@ -1150,24 +1156,24 @@ local stmt_list_or_eps = (stmt_list * sp1)^-1
 local stmt_list_nosp_or_eps = (stmt_list * (sp1 * stmt_list)^0)^-1
 
 -- common to actor and useractor: <name/tilenum> [<strength> [<action> [<move> [<flags>... ]]]]
-local common_actor_end = sp1 * t_define *
+local common_actor_end = sp1 * t_define * EvalEarly(
     (sp1 * t_define *
      (sp1 * t_action *
       (sp1 * t_move *
        (sp1 * t_define)^0
       )^-1
      )^-1
-    )^-1
+    )^-1)
         * sp1 * stmt_list_or_eps * "enda"
 
 --== block delimiters (no recursion) ==--
 local Cb = {
     -- actor (...)
     actor = common_actor_end,
-    -- eventloadactor <name/tilenum>
-    eventloadactor = sp1 * t_define * sp1 * stmt_list_or_eps * "enda",
     -- useractor <actortype> (...)
     useractor = sp1 * t_define * common_actor_end,
+    -- eventloadactor <name/tilenum>
+    eventloadactor = sp1 * t_define * sp1 * stmt_list_or_eps * "enda",
 
     onevent = sp1 * t_define * sp1 * stmt_list_or_eps * "endevent",
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/test.elua b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/test.elua
index c13418426..a5962288a 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/test.elua
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/lunatic/test.elua
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ checkfail('string.dump(gameevent)')  -- string.dump is unavailable
 -- "missing declaration" error.
 -- See http://luajit.org/ext_ffi_api.html#ffi_C about what stuff ffi.C contains.
 checkfail('gv.luaJIT_setmode(nil, 0, 0)')
+checkfail('gv.luaJIT_BC_con_lang')
+checkfail('gv.yax_getbunch(0,0)')
+
+printf('ceilingbunch of sector 0: %d', getbunch(0, gv.CEILING))
 
 gameevent(gv.EVENT_JUMP,
           function(actori, playeri, dist)
@@ -118,10 +122,38 @@ gameevent(gv.EVENT_JUMP,
           end
          )
 
+gameevent(gv.EVENT_ENTERLEVEL,
+          function()
+              local i
+              local N = 1e6
+              local t = gv.gethitickms()
+
+              for i=3,N do
+                  gv.gethitickms()
+              end
+
+              t = gv.gethitickms()-t
+
+              -- NOTE: for me (helixhorned), about 40 ns per call
+              printf("%d gethitickms() calls took %.03f ms (%.03f us/call)",
+                     N, t, (t*1000)/N)
+          end
+         )
+
 gameactor(1680,  -- LIZTROOP
           function(i, playeri, dist)
               sprite[i].pal = math.random(32)
 --              sprite[i].ang = bit.band(sprite[i].ang-20, 2047)
+
+              local spr = sprite[i]
+--              print(type(spr)) --> cdata
+              assert(pcall("print(spr+1)") == false)  -- no ptr arith!
+
+              local x,y,z = spr.x, spr.y, spr.z
+              local t = gv.gethitickms()
+              local hit = hitscan(x,y,z, spr.sectnum, 10, 10, 0, gv.CLIPMASK0)
+              printf("hitscan took %.03f us, sec=%d, wal=%d, spr=%d", 1000*(gv.gethitickms()-t),
+                    hit.hitsect, hit.hitwall, hit.hitsprite)
           end
          )