diff --git a/src/core/org/luaj/vm/LuaState.java b/src/core/org/luaj/vm/LuaState.java
index 1c268cad..ba2530fb 100644
--- a/src/core/org/luaj/vm/LuaState.java
+++ b/src/core/org/luaj/vm/LuaState.java
@@ -948,6 +948,8 @@ public class LuaState extends Lua {
     
     /** Get a key from a table using full metatable processing */
     public void luaV_settable(LValue table, LValue key, LValue val) {
+        if ( key.isNil() )
+        	this.error("table index is nil");
     	LValue h=LNil.NIL,t=table;
     	for ( int loop=0; loop<MAXTAGLOOP; loop++ ) {
     		if ( t.isTable() ) {
diff --git a/src/test/errors/tablelibargs.lua b/src/test/errors/tablelibargs.lua
index 92f90e98..fb3aed59 100644
--- a/src/test/errors/tablelibargs.lua
+++ b/src/test/errors/tablelibargs.lua
@@ -49,4 +49,18 @@ banner('table.sort')
 checkallpass('table.sort',{somestringstable,somecomp})
 checkallerrors('table.sort',{sometable},'attempt to compare')
 checkallerrors('table.sort',{notatable,somecomp},'bad argument #1')
-checkallerrors('table.sort',{sometable,notacomp},'bad argument #2')
\ No newline at end of file
+checkallerrors('table.sort',{sometable,notacomp},'bad argument #2')
+
+-- table get
+banner('table_get - tbl[key]')
+function table_get(tbl,key) return tbl[key] end
+checkallpass('table_get',{sometable,anylua})
+
+-- table set
+banner('table_set - tbl[key]=val')
+function table_set(tbl,key,val) tbl[key]=val end
+function table_set_nil_key(tbl,val) tbl[nil]=val end
+checkallpass('table_set',{sometable,notanil,anylua})
+checkallerrors('table_set_nil_key',{sometable,anylua},'table index is nil')
+
+
diff --git a/src/test/res/table.lua b/src/test/res/table.lua
index 9aec1d19..d6007db8 100644
--- a/src/test/res/table.lua
+++ b/src/test/res/table.lua
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ table.insert(t,4,'eight');
 table.insert(t,7,'nine');
 table.insert(t,10,'ten');  print( #t )
 
-
 -- concat
 print( '-- concat tests' )
 function tryconcat(t)
@@ -167,3 +166,47 @@ print( # { 'abc', 'def', 'ghi', 0 } ) -- should be 4 !
 print( nil and 'T' or 'F' ) -- should be 'F'
 print( false and 'T' or 'F' ) -- should be 'F'
 print( 0 and 'T' or 'F' ) -- should be 'T'
+
+
+-- basic table operation tests
+local dummyfunc = function(t,...) 
+	print( 'metatable call args', type(t), ...)
+	return 'dummy' 
+end
+local makeloud = function(t)
+	return setmetatable(t,{
+		__index=function(t,k)
+			print( '__index', type(t), k )
+			return rawset(t,k)
+		end,
+		__newindex=function(t,k,v)
+			print( '__newindex', type(t), k, v )
+			rawset(t,k,v)
+		end})
+end
+local tests = {
+	{'basic table', {}},
+	{'function metatable on __index', setmetatable({},{__index=dummyfunc})},
+ 	{'function metatable on __newindex', setmetatable({},{__newindex=dummyfunc})},
+	{'plain metatable on __index', setmetatable({},makeloud({}))},
+	{'plain metatable on __newindex', setmetatable({},makeloud({}))},
+}
+for i,test in ipairs(tests) do
+	local testname = test[1]
+	local testtable = test[2]
+	print( '------ basic table tests on '..testname..' '..type(testtable) )
+	print( 't[1]=2',     pcall( function() testtable[1]=2 end ) )
+	print( 't[1]',       pcall( function() return testtable[1] end ) )
+	print( 't[1]=nil',   pcall( function() testtable[1]=nil end ) )
+	print( 't[1]',       pcall( function() return testtable[1] end ) )
+	print( 't["a"]="b"', pcall( function() testtable["a"]="b" end ) )
+	print( 't["a"],t.a', pcall( function() return testtable["a"],testtable.a end ) )
+	print( 't.a="c"',    pcall( function() testtable.a="c" end ) )
+	print( 't["a"],t.a', pcall( function() return testtable["a"],testtable.a end ) )
+	print( 't.a=nil',    pcall( function() testtable.a=nil end ) )
+	print( 't["a"],t.a', pcall( function() return testtable["a"],testtable.a end ) )
+	print( 't[nil]="d"', pcall( function() testtable[nil]="d" end ) )
+	print( 't[nil]',     pcall( function() return testtable[nil] end ) )
+	print( 't[nil]=nil', pcall( function() testtable[nil]=nil end ) )
+	print( 't[nil]',     pcall( function() return testtable[nil] end ) )
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/version.properties b/version.properties
index 6aacd521..91de5b1d 100644
--- a/version.properties
+++ b/version.properties
@@ -1 +1 @@
-version: 0.52
+version: 0.53