diff --git a/Source/engine/assets.cpp b/Source/engine/assets.cpp
index 2af12afee..d69026b6f 100644
--- a/Source/engine/assets.cpp
+++ b/Source/engine/assets.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ bool FindMpqFile(std::string_view filename, MpqArchive **archive, uint32_t *file
 AssetRef FindAsset(std::string_view filename)
 {
 	AssetRef result;
+	if (filename.empty() || filename.back() == '\\')
+		return result;
 	result.path[0] = '\0';
 
 	char pathBuf[AssetRef::PathBufSize];
@@ -113,6 +115,9 @@ AssetRef FindAsset(std::string_view filename)
 AssetRef FindAsset(std::string_view filename)
 {
 	AssetRef result;
+	if (filename.empty() || filename.back() == '\\')
+		return result;
+
 	std::string relativePath { filename };
 #ifndef _WIN32
 	std::replace(relativePath.begin(), relativePath.end(), '\\', '/');
@@ -206,4 +211,26 @@ SDL_RWops *OpenAssetAsSdlRwOps(std::string_view filename, bool threadsafe)
 #endif
 }
 
+tl::expected<AssetData, std::string> LoadAsset(std::string_view path)
+{
+	AssetRef ref = FindAsset(path);
+	if (!ref.ok()) {
+		return tl::make_unexpected(StrCat("Asset not found: ", path));
+	}
+
+	const size_t size = ref.size();
+	std::unique_ptr<char[]> data { new char[size] };
+
+	AssetHandle handle = OpenAsset(std::move(ref));
+	if (!handle.ok()) {
+		return tl::make_unexpected(StrCat("Failed to open asset: ", path, "\n", handle.error()));
+	}
+
+	if (size > 0 && !handle.read(data.get(), size)) {
+		return tl::make_unexpected(StrCat("Read failed: ", path, "\n", handle.error()));
+	}
+
+	return AssetData { std::move(data), size };
+}
+
 } // namespace devilution
diff --git a/Source/engine/assets.hpp b/Source/engine/assets.hpp
index 329225f69..65ebee51a 100644
--- a/Source/engine/assets.hpp
+++ b/Source/engine/assets.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <string_view>
 
 #include <SDL.h>
+#include <expected.hpp>
 
 #include "appfat.h"
 #include "diablo.h"
@@ -246,4 +247,16 @@ AssetHandle OpenAsset(std::string_view filename, size_t &fileSize, bool threadsa
 
 SDL_RWops *OpenAssetAsSdlRwOps(std::string_view filename, bool threadsafe = false);
 
+struct AssetData {
+	std::unique_ptr<char[]> data;
+	size_t size;
+
+	explicit operator std::string_view() const
+	{
+		return std::string_view(data.get(), size);
+	}
+};
+
+tl::expected<AssetData, std::string> LoadAsset(std::string_view path);
+
 } // namespace devilution
diff --git a/Source/lua/lua.cpp b/Source/lua/lua.cpp
index 307eb0a18..28acb5184 100644
--- a/Source/lua/lua.cpp
+++ b/Source/lua/lua.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <optional>
 #include <string_view>
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 #include <sol/sol.hpp>
 
@@ -17,7 +18,58 @@ namespace devilution {
 
 namespace {
 
-std::optional<sol::state> luaState;
+struct LuaState {
+	sol::state sol;
+	std::unordered_map<std::string, sol::bytecode> compiledScripts;
+};
+
+std::optional<LuaState> CurrentLuaState;
+
+// A Lua function that we use to generate a `require` implementation.
+constexpr std::string_view RequireGenSrc = R"(
+function requireGen(loaded, loadFn)
+  return function(packageName)
+      local p = loaded[packageName]
+      if p == nil then
+          local loader = loadFn(packageName)
+          if type(loader) == "string" then
+            error(loader)
+          end
+          p = loader(packageName)
+          loaded[packageName] = p
+      end
+      return p
+  end
+end
+)";
+
+sol::object LuaLoadScriptFromAssets(std::string_view packageName)
+{
+	LuaState &luaState = *CurrentLuaState;
+	std::string path { packageName };
+	std::replace(path.begin(), path.end(), '.', '\\');
+	path.append(".lua");
+
+	auto iter = luaState.compiledScripts.find(path);
+	if (iter != luaState.compiledScripts.end()) {
+		return luaState.sol.load(iter->second.as_string_view(), path, sol::load_mode::binary);
+	}
+
+	tl::expected<AssetData, std::string> assetData = LoadAsset(path);
+	if (!assetData.has_value()) {
+		sol::stack::push(luaState.sol.lua_state(), assetData.error());
+		return sol::stack_object(luaState.sol.lua_state(), -1);
+	}
+	sol::load_result result = luaState.sol.load(std::string_view(*assetData), path, sol::load_mode::text);
+	if (!result.valid()) {
+		sol::stack::push(luaState.sol.lua_state(),
+		    StrCat("Lua error when loading ", path, ": ", result.get<std::string>()));
+		return sol::stack_object(luaState.sol.lua_state(), -1);
+	}
+	const sol::function fn = result;
+	luaState.compiledScripts[path] = fn.dump();
+	return result;
+}
 
 int LuaPrint(lua_State *state)
 {
@@ -50,29 +102,15 @@ bool CheckResult(sol::protected_function_result result, bool optional)
 
 void RunScript(std::string_view path, bool optional)
 {
-	AssetRef ref = FindAsset(path);
-	if (!ref.ok()) {
-		if (!optional)
-			app_fatal(StrCat("Asset not found: ", path));
-		return;
-	}
+	tl::expected<AssetData, std::string> assetData = LoadAsset(path);
 
-	const size_t size = ref.size();
-	std::unique_ptr<char[]> luaScript { new char[size] };
-
-	AssetHandle handle = OpenAsset(std::move(ref));
-	if (!handle.ok()) {
-		app_fatal(StrCat("Failed to open asset: ", path, "\n", handle.error()));
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if (size > 0 && !handle.read(luaScript.get(), size)) {
-		app_fatal(StrCat("Read failed: ", path, "\n", handle.error()));
+	if (!assetData.has_value()) {
+		if (!optional)
+			app_fatal(assetData.error());
 		return;
 	}
 
-	const std::string_view luaScriptStr(luaScript.get(), size);
-	CheckResult(luaState->safe_script(luaScriptStr), optional);
+	CheckResult(CurrentLuaState->sol.safe_script(std::string_view(*assetData)), optional);
 }
 
 void LuaPanic(sol::optional<std::string> message)
@@ -95,8 +133,11 @@ void Sol2DebugPrintSection(const std::string &message, lua_State *state)
 
 void LuaInitialize()
 {
-	luaState.emplace(sol::c_call<decltype(&LuaPanic), &LuaPanic>);
-	sol::state &lua = *luaState;
+	CurrentLuaState.emplace(LuaState {
+	    .sol = { sol::c_call<decltype(&LuaPanic), &LuaPanic> },
+	    .compiledScripts = {},
+	});
+	sol::state &lua = CurrentLuaState->sol;
 	lua.open_libraries(
 	    sol::lib::base,
 	    sol::lib::package,
@@ -116,11 +157,12 @@ void LuaInitialize()
 	    "_VERSION", LUA_VERSION);
 
 	// Registering devilutionx object table
-	lua.create_named_table(
-	    "devilutionx",
-	    "log", LuaLogModule(lua),
-	    "render", LuaRenderModule(lua),
-	    "message", [](std::string_view text) { EventPlrMsg(text, UiFlags::ColorRed); });
+	CheckResult(lua.safe_script(RequireGenSrc), /*optional=*/false);
+	const sol::table loaded = lua.create_table_with(
+	    "devilutionx.log", LuaLogModule(lua),
+	    "devilutionx.render", LuaRenderModule(lua),
+	    "devilutionx.message", [](std::string_view text) { EventPlrMsg(text, UiFlags::ColorRed); });
+	lua["require"] = lua["requireGen"](loaded, LuaLoadScriptFromAssets);
 
 	RunScript("lua\\init.lua", /*optional=*/false);
 	RunScript("lua\\user.lua", /*optional=*/true);
@@ -130,12 +172,12 @@ void LuaInitialize()
 
 void LuaShutdown()
 {
-	luaState = std::nullopt;
+	CurrentLuaState = std::nullopt;
 }
 
 void LuaEvent(std::string_view name)
 {
-	const sol::state &lua = *luaState;
+	const sol::state &lua = CurrentLuaState->sol;
 	const auto trigger = lua.traverse_get<std::optional<sol::object>>("Events", name, "Trigger");
 	if (!trigger.has_value() || !trigger->is<sol::protected_function>()) {
 		LogError("Events.{}.Trigger is not a function", name);
@@ -145,9 +187,9 @@ void LuaEvent(std::string_view name)
 	CheckResult(fn(), /*optional=*/true);
 }
 
-sol::state &LuaState()
+sol::state &GetLuaState()
 {
-	return *luaState;
+	return CurrentLuaState->sol;
 }
 
 } // namespace devilution
diff --git a/Source/lua/lua.hpp b/Source/lua/lua.hpp
index fed528763..28c976016 100644
--- a/Source/lua/lua.hpp
+++ b/Source/lua/lua.hpp
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ namespace devilution {
 void LuaInitialize();
 void LuaShutdown();
 void LuaEvent(std::string_view name);
-sol::state &LuaState();
+sol::state &GetLuaState();
 
 } // namespace devilution
diff --git a/Source/lua/repl.cpp b/Source/lua/repl.cpp
index af6600f9b..dd578fbd4 100644
--- a/Source/lua/repl.cpp
+++ b/Source/lua/repl.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ int LuaPrintToConsole(lua_State *state)
 
 void CreateReplEnvironment()
 {
-	sol::state &lua = LuaState();
+	sol::state &lua = GetLuaState();
 	replEnv.emplace(lua, sol::create, lua.globals());
 	replEnv->set("print", LuaPrintToConsole);
 }
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ sol::environment &ReplEnvironment()
 sol::protected_function_result TryRunLuaAsExpressionThenStatement(std::string_view code)
 {
 	// Try to compile as an expression first. This also how the `lua` repl is implemented.
-	sol::state &lua = LuaState();
+	sol::state &lua = GetLuaState();
 	std::string expression = StrCat("return ", code, ";");
 	sol::detail::typical_chunk_name_t basechunkname = {};
 	sol::load_status status = static_cast<sol::load_status>(