diff --git a/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luajava/LuaJava.java b/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luajava/LuaJava.java
index ba196e44..197ca960 100644
--- a/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luajava/LuaJava.java
+++ b/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luajava/LuaJava.java
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ public final class LuaJava extends LFunction {
 				throw new RuntimeException(e);
 			}
 		}
+		public LString luaGetType() {
+			return new LString("userdata");
+		}
 		
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/Builtin.java b/src/main/java/lua/Builtin.java
index 07d74dd3..d1fc1b89 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/Builtin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/Builtin.java
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ final class Builtin extends LFunction {
 	private static final int PAIRS = 1;
 	private static final int GETMETATABLE = 2;
 	private static final int SETMETATABLE = 3;
+	private static final int TYPE = 4;
 	
-	private static final String[] NAMES = { "print", "pairs", "getmetatable", "setmetatable" };
+	private static final String[] NAMES = { "print", "pairs", "getmetatable", "setmetatable", "type" };
 	
 	private static PrintStream stdout = System.out;
 	
@@ -62,6 +63,10 @@ final class Builtin extends LFunction {
 			call.stack[base] = call.stack[base+1];
 			call.top = base+1;
 			break;
+		case TYPE:
+			call.stack[base] = call.stack[base+1].luaGetType();
+			call.top = base+1;
+			break;
 		default:
 			luaUnsupportedOperation();
 		}
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/io/Proto.java b/src/main/java/lua/io/Proto.java
index 57ed577e..23614dba 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/io/Proto.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/io/Proto.java
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import lua.value.LString;
 /*
 ** Function Prototypes
 */
-public class Proto extends LValue {
+public class Proto {
 	public Proto(StackState l) {
 	}
 	public Proto() {
@@ -38,8 +38,4 @@ public class Proto extends LValue {
 	public boolean is_vararg;
 	public int maxstacksize;
 
-
-	public String luaAsString() {
-		return "proto: "+id();
-	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LBoolean.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LBoolean.java
index 0a8ba132..e222454e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LBoolean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LBoolean.java
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ public final class LBoolean extends LValue {
 	
 	public static final LBoolean FALSE = new LBoolean("false",false);
 	
+	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("boolean");
+	
 	private final String m_name;
 	private final boolean m_value;
 	
@@ -25,4 +27,8 @@ public final class LBoolean extends LValue {
 	public final static LBoolean valueOf(boolean value) {
 		return value? TRUE: FALSE;
 	}
+	
+	public LString luaGetType() {
+		return TYPE_NAME;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LFunction.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LFunction.java
index 7f52e819..4d1b3b2d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LFunction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LFunction.java
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import lua.CallFrame;
 
 public class LFunction extends LValue {
 
+	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("function");
+	
 	public String luaAsString() {
 		return "function: "+hashCode();
 	}
@@ -26,4 +28,8 @@ public class LFunction extends LValue {
 		this.luaStackCall(call, base, call.top, 1);
 	}
 	
+	public LString luaGetType() {
+		return TYPE_NAME;
+	}
+	
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LNil.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LNil.java
index b671490e..a7c34b7d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LNil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LNil.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package lua.value;
 
 public final class LNil extends LValue {
 	public static final LNil NIL = new LNil();
+	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("nil");
 	
 	public final String luaAsString() {
 		return "nil";
@@ -10,4 +11,8 @@ public final class LNil extends LValue {
 	public boolean luaAsBoolean() {
 		return false;
 	}
+
+	public LString luaGetType() {
+		return TYPE_NAME;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LNumber.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LNumber.java
index 8b8f995c..72d8f4ae 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LNumber.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LNumber.java
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import lua.Lua;
 abstract
 public class LNumber extends LValue {
 
+	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("number");
+	
 	/** Compare for equivalence by using lua op comparator */
 	public boolean equals(Object o) {
 		if ( ! ( o instanceof LValue) )
@@ -13,4 +15,8 @@ public class LNumber extends LValue {
 		return this.luaBinCmpUnknown(Lua.OP_EQ, v );
 	}
 
+	public LString luaGetType() {
+		return TYPE_NAME;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
index 6a76eb1b..675258f8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import lua.StackState;
 
 public class LString extends LValue {
 
+	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("string");
+	
 	final String m_string;
 	final int m_hash;
 	
@@ -53,4 +55,8 @@ public class LString extends LValue {
 		return new LInteger( m_string.length() );
 	}
 
+	public LString luaGetType() {
+		return TYPE_NAME;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java
index 75092966..ea537d1c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import lua.CallFrame;
 
 public class LTable extends LValue {
 
+	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("table");
+	
 	/** Metatable tag for intercepting table gets */
 	private static final LString TM_INDEX    = new LString("__index");
 	
@@ -95,7 +97,7 @@ public class LTable extends LValue {
 	}
 	
 	/** Iterator for tables */
-	private static final class LTableIterator extends LValue {
+	private static final class LTableIterator extends LFunction {
 		private final LTable t;
 		private final Enumeration e;
 
@@ -121,4 +123,8 @@ public class LTable extends LValue {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public LString luaGetType() {
+		return TYPE_NAME;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LThread.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LThread.java
index 90df63b7..76f6f5e6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LThread.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LThread.java
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package lua.value;
 
 public class LThread extends LValue {
+	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("thread");
+	
+	public LString luaGetType() {
+		return TYPE_NAME;
+	}
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java
index 3f64b176..6389c8e4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java
@@ -137,4 +137,6 @@ public class LValue {
 		luaUnsupportedOperation();
 	}
 
+	/** Valid for all types: return the type of this value as an LString */
+	public abstract LString luaGetType();
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java b/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
index c7c64529..f7740235 100644
--- a/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ public class LuaJTest extends TestCase {
 		runTest( "compare" );
 	}
 	
+	public void testSetlist() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+		runTest( "setlist" );
+	}
+	
+	public void testType() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+		runTest( "type" );
+	}
+	
 	public void testUpvalues() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
 		runTest( "upvalues" );
 	}
@@ -55,10 +63,6 @@ public class LuaJTest extends TestCase {
 		runTest( "upvalues2" );
 	}
 	
-	public void testSetlist() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
-		runTest( "setlist" );
-	}
-	
 	private void runTest( String testName ) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
 		// add LuaJava bindings
 		LuaJava.install();
diff --git a/src/test/res/type.lua b/src/test/res/type.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1619c3c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/res/type.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+print(type(5))
+print(type(3.14))
+print(type("hello"))
+print(type(function() return 1 end))
+print(type({}))
+print(type(nil))
+print(type(2 < 5))
+print(type(pairs({})))
diff --git a/src/test/res/type.luac b/src/test/res/type.luac
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7dd5beb1
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/test/res/type.luac differ