diff --git a/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.cpp b/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.cpp
index 61803d476..350b9093d 100644
--- a/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.cpp
+++ b/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Author: Leonardo de Moura
 #include "util/debug.h"
 #include "util/exception.h"
 #include "util/memory.h"
+#include "util/buffer.h"
 #include "bindings/lua/leanlua_state.h"
 #include "bindings/lua/util.h"
 #include "bindings/lua/name.h"
@@ -34,6 +35,30 @@ static void open_patch(lua_State * L);
 static void open_state(lua_State * L);
 static void open_thread(lua_State * L);
 environment & to_environment(lua_State * L, int idx);
+static int writer(lua_State *, void const * p, size_t sz, void * buf) {
+    buffer<char> & _buf = *static_cast<buffer<char>*>(buf);
+    char const * in = static_cast<char const *>(p);
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < sz; i++)
+        _buf.push_back(in[i]);
+    return 0;
+}
+struct reader_data {
+    buffer<char> & m_buffer;
+    bool           m_done;
+    reader_data(buffer<char> & b):m_buffer(b), m_done(false) {}
+};
+static char const * reader(lua_State *, void * data, size_t * sz) {
+    reader_data & _data = *static_cast<reader_data*>(data);
+    if (_data.m_done) {
+        *sz = 0;
+        return nullptr;
+    } else {
+        *sz = _data.m_buffer.size();
+        _data.m_done = true;
+        return _data.m_buffer.data();
+    }
+}
+
 static void copy_values(lua_State * src, int first, int last, lua_State * tgt) {
     for (int i = first; i <= last; i++) {
         if (lua_isstring(src, i)) {
@@ -42,6 +67,26 @@ static void copy_values(lua_State * src, int first, int last, lua_State * tgt) {
             lua_pushnumber(tgt, lua_tonumber(src, i));
         } else if (lua_isboolean(src, i)) {
             lua_pushboolean(tgt, lua_toboolean(src, i));
+        } else if (lua_isfunction(src, i)) {
+            lua_pushvalue(src, i); // copy function to the top of the stack
+            buffer<char> buffer;
+            if (lua_dump(src, writer, &buffer) != 0)
+                throw exception("falied to copy function between State objects");
+            lua_pop(src, 1); // remove function from the top of the stack
+            reader_data data(buffer);
+            if (load(tgt, reader, &data, "temporary buffer for moving functions between states") != 0)
+                throw exception("falied to copy function between State objects");
+            // copy upvalues
+            int j = 1;
+            while (true) {
+                char const * name = lua_getupvalue(src, i, j);
+                if (name == nullptr)
+                    break;
+                copy_values(src, lua_gettop(src), lua_gettop(src), tgt); // copy upvalue to tgt stack
+                lua_pop(src, 1); // remove upvalue from src stack
+                lua_setupvalue(tgt, -2, j);
+                j++;
+            }
         } else if (is_expr(src, i)) {
             push_expr(tgt, to_expr(src, i));
         } else if (is_context(src, i)) {
@@ -233,6 +278,15 @@ int state_dostring(lua_State * L) {
     return sz_after - sz_before;
 }
 
+int state_set_global(lua_State * L) {
+    auto S = to_state(L, 1).m_ptr;
+    char const * name = luaL_checkstring(L, 2);
+    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(S->m_mutex);
+    copy_values(L, 3, 3, S->m_state);
+    lua_setglobal(S->m_state, name);
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static int state_pred(lua_State * L) {
     lua_pushboolean(L, is_state(L, 1));
     return 1;
@@ -241,6 +295,8 @@ static int state_pred(lua_State * L) {
 static const struct luaL_Reg state_m[] = {
     {"__gc",            state_gc},
     {"dostring",        safe_function<state_dostring>},
+    {"eval",            safe_function<state_dostring>},
+    {"set",             safe_function<state_set_global>},
     {0, 0}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.h b/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.h
index b88bc27cc..7bac8ce1d 100644
--- a/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.h
+++ b/src/bindings/lua/leanlua_state.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class leanlua_state {
     std::shared_ptr<imp> m_ptr;
     friend class leanlua_thread;
     friend int state_dostring(lua_State * L);
+    friend int state_set_global(lua_State * L);
     friend int mk_thread(lua_State * L);
     friend int thread_wait(lua_State * L);
 public:
diff --git a/src/bindings/lua/util.cpp b/src/bindings/lua/util.cpp
index 828f0746b..237ac0ada 100644
--- a/src/bindings/lua/util.cpp
+++ b/src/bindings/lua/util.cpp
@@ -42,8 +42,16 @@ bool testudata(lua_State * L, int ud, char const * tname) {
     return nullptr;  // value is not a userdata with a metatable
 }
 
+int load(lua_State * L, lua_Reader reader, void * data, char const * source) {
+    #if LUA_VERSION_NUM < 502
+    return lua_load(L, reader, data, source);
+    #else
+    return lua_load(L, reader, data, source, nullptr);
+    #endif
+}
+
 size_t objlen(lua_State * L, int idx) {
-    #ifdef LEAN_USE_LUA_OBJLEN
+    #if LUA_VERSION_NUM < 502
     return lua_objlen(L, idx);
     #else
     return lua_rawlen(L, idx);
diff --git a/src/bindings/lua/util.h b/src/bindings/lua/util.h
index 9f353285e..2b5977378 100644
--- a/src/bindings/lua/util.h
+++ b/src/bindings/lua/util.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Author: Leonardo de Moura
 namespace lean {
 void setfuncs(lua_State * L, luaL_Reg const * l, int nup);
 bool testudata(lua_State * L, int idx, char const * mt);
+int load(lua_State * L, lua_Reader reader, void * data, char const * source);
 size_t objlen(lua_State * L, int idx);
 void dofile(lua_State * L, char const * fname);
 void dostring(lua_State * L, char const * str);
diff --git a/tests/lua/st3.lua b/tests/lua/st3.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d4108511a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lua/st3.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+S = State()
+function mk(x)
+   return function (y)
+             return x * y
+          end
+end
+f = mk(20)
+S:eval([[
+g, x = ...
+print("x", x)
+print(g(10))
+]], f, 10)
+
+function mkcounter()
+   local x = 0
+   function inc()
+      x = x + 1
+      return x
+   end
+   function dec()
+      x = x - 1
+      return x
+   end
+   return inc, dec
+end
+
+inc1, dec1 = mkcounter()
+print(inc1())
+print(inc1())
+print(dec1())
+print(inc1())
+print(inc1())
+-- inc1 and dec1 are closures, they share the same upvalue x.
+-- However, when we copy inc1 and dec1 to S, we get two copies of x.
+S:eval([[
+  inc2, dec2, x = ...
+  print("in the nested state")
+  print("x", x)
+  print("incrementing", inc2())
+  print("incrementing", inc2())
+  print("decrementing", dec2())
+]], inc1, dec1, 10)
+print(inc1())
+
+S:set("h", f)
+print(S:eval([[ return h(2) ]]))