diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 97dda92..e85ca6e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ add_custom_command( OUTPUT runner.c
 # this supposes the Lua compiler 'luac' is sitting right next to the Lua interpreter 'lua'
 add_custom_command( OUTPUT runner.out
     COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E echo "Compiling built-in runner" 
-	COMMAND ${LUA_EXECUTABLE}c -o runner.out ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lsyncd.lua
+	COMMAND ${LUA_COMPILER} -o runner.out ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lsyncd.lua
     DEPENDS ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/lsyncd.lua
 ) 
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ set( DEFAULT_CONFIGS
 
 add_custom_command( OUTPUT defaults.out
     COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E echo "Compiling built-in default configs"
-	COMMAND ${LUA_EXECUTABLE}c -o defaults.out ${DEFAULT_CONFIGS}
+	COMMAND ${LUA_COMPILER} -o defaults.out ${DEFAULT_CONFIGS}
     DEPENDS ${DEFAULT_CONFIGS}
 ) 
 
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index b2b593f..0bd2614 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 		"omit-dir-times",
 		"omit-dir-times"
 		"omit-link-times"
+	change: compatible with Lua5.3 (along with 5.1 and 5.2)
 	change: _verbatim forced for 'exitcodes' entry.
 	fix: ']' is not escaped for rsync rules, since rsync only applies
 	     doesn't applie pattern matching if no other pattern chars
diff --git a/cmake/FindLua.cmake b/cmake/FindLua.cmake
index 7fb7ca3..ee7a63d 100644
--- a/cmake/FindLua.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindLua.cmake
@@ -34,19 +34,21 @@
 # Always search for non-versioned lua first (recommended)
 SET(_POSSIBLE_LUA_INCLUDE include include/lua)
 SET(_POSSIBLE_LUA_EXECUTABLE lua)
+SET(_POSSIBLE_LUA_COMPILER luac)
 SET(_POSSIBLE_LUA_LIBRARY lua)
 
 # Determine possible naming suffixes (there is no standard for this)
 IF(Lua_FIND_VERSION_MAJOR AND Lua_FIND_VERSION_MINOR)
   SET(_POSSIBLE_SUFFIXES "${Lua_FIND_VERSION_MAJOR}${Lua_FIND_VERSION_MINOR}" "${Lua_FIND_VERSION_MAJOR}.${Lua_FIND_VERSION_MINOR}" "-${Lua_FIND_VERSION_MAJOR}.${Lua_FIND_VERSION_MINOR}")
 ELSE(Lua_FIND_VERSION_MAJOR AND Lua_FIND_VERSION_MINOR)
-  SET(_POSSIBLE_SUFFIXES "52" "5.2" "-5.2" "51" "5.1" "-5.1")
+  SET(_POSSIBLE_SUFFIXES "53" "5.3" "-5.3" "52" "5.2" "-5.2" "51" "5.1" "-5.1")
 ENDIF(Lua_FIND_VERSION_MAJOR AND Lua_FIND_VERSION_MINOR)
 
 # Set up possible search names and locations
 FOREACH(_SUFFIX ${_POSSIBLE_SUFFIXES})
   LIST(APPEND _POSSIBLE_LUA_INCLUDE "include/lua${_SUFFIX}")
   LIST(APPEND _POSSIBLE_LUA_EXECUTABLE "lua${_SUFFIX}")
+  LIST(APPEND _POSSIBLE_LUA_COMPILER "luac${_SUFFIX}")
   LIST(APPEND _POSSIBLE_LUA_LIBRARY "lua${_SUFFIX}")
 ENDFOREACH(_SUFFIX)
 
@@ -55,6 +57,11 @@ FIND_PROGRAM(LUA_EXECUTABLE
   NAMES ${_POSSIBLE_LUA_EXECUTABLE}
 )
 
+# Find the lua executable
+FIND_PROGRAM(LUA_COMPILER
+  NAMES ${_POSSIBLE_LUA_COMPILER}
+)
+
 # Find the lua header
 FIND_PATH(LUA_INCLUDE_DIR lua.h
   HINTS
@@ -114,5 +121,5 @@ FIND_PACKAGE_HANDLE_STANDARD_ARGS(Lua
                                   REQUIRED_VARS LUA_LIBRARIES LUA_INCLUDE_DIR
                                   VERSION_VAR LUA_VERSION_STRING)
 
-MARK_AS_ADVANCED(LUA_INCLUDE_DIR LUA_LIBRARIES LUA_LIBRARY LUA_MATH_LIBRARY LUA_EXECUTABLE)
+MARK_AS_ADVANCED(LUA_INCLUDE_DIR LUA_LIBRARIES LUA_LIBRARY LUA_MATH_LIBRARY LUA_EXECUTABLE LUA_COMPILER)
 
diff --git a/inotify.c b/inotify.c
index 54322ad..b95c838 100644
--- a/inotify.c
+++ b/inotify.c
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ inotify_ready(
 extern void
 register_inotify( lua_State *L )
 {
-	luaL_register( L, LSYNCD_INOTIFYLIBNAME, linotfylib );
+	lua_compat_register( L, LSYNCD_INOTIFYLIBNAME, linotfylib );
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lsyncd.c b/lsyncd.c
index b9d7b9e..b1c8cdf 100644
--- a/lsyncd.c
+++ b/lsyncd.c
@@ -1948,7 +1948,7 @@ l_jiffies_le(lua_State *L)
 void
 register_lsyncd( lua_State *L )
 {
-	luaL_register( L, LSYNCD_LIBNAME, lsyncdlib );
+	lua_compat_register( L, LSYNCD_LIBNAME, lsyncdlib );
 	lua_setglobal( L, LSYNCD_LIBNAME );
 
 	// creates the metatable for the jiffies ( timestamps ) userdata
diff --git a/lsyncd.h b/lsyncd.h
index 073b3b4..6950cbe 100644
--- a/lsyncd.h
+++ b/lsyncd.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #define _DARWIN_C_SOURCE 1
 
 #define LUA_COMPAT_ALL
+#define LUA_COMPAT_5_1
 
 // includes needed for headerfile
 #include "config.h"
@@ -31,6 +32,20 @@
 #define LSYNCD_LIBNAME "lsyncd"
 #define LSYNCD_INOTIFYLIBNAME "inotify"
 
+/*
+| Workaround to register a library for different lua versions.
+*/
+#if LUA_VERSION_NUM > 502
+	#define lua_compat_register( L, name, lib ) \
+		{ \
+			lua_newtable((L)); \
+			luaL_setfuncs((L), (lib), 0); \
+		}
+#else
+	#define lua_compat_register( L, name, lib ) \
+		{luaL_register( (L), (name), (lib) );}
+#endif
+
 /**
  * Lsyncd runtime configuration
  */