diff --git a/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java b/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java
index decc81b7..20c8e386 100644
--- a/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java
+++ b/src/addon/java/lua/addon/luacompat/LuaCompat.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class LuaCompat extends LFunction {
 		
 		globals.put( "math", math );
 		
-		LTable string = new LTable();
+		LTable string = LString.getMetatable();
 		for ( int i = 0; i < STRING_NAMES.length; ++i ) {
 			string.put( STRING_NAMES[i], new LuaCompat( STRING_BASE + i ) );
 		}
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
index 385fd145..8e696f5c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LString.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package lua.value;
 
 import lua.Lua;
-import lua.StackState;
 
 public class LString extends LValue {
 
@@ -10,6 +9,8 @@ public class LString extends LValue {
 	final String m_string;
 	final int m_hash;
 	
+	private static LTable s_stringMT;
+	
 	public LString(String string) {
 		this.m_string = string;
 		this.m_hash = string.hashCode();
@@ -91,5 +92,24 @@ public class LString extends LValue {
 	public LString luaGetType() {
 		return TYPE_NAME;
 	}
-
+	
+	public LTable luaGetMetatable() {
+		synchronized ( LString.class ) {
+			return s_stringMT;
+		}
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Get the metatable for all string values. Creates the table if it does not
+	 * exist yet, and sets its __index entry to point to itself.
+	 * 
+	 * @return metatable that will be used for all strings
+	 */
+	public static synchronized LTable getMetatable() {
+		if ( s_stringMT == null ) {
+			s_stringMT = new LTable();
+			s_stringMT.put( TM_INDEX, s_stringMT );
+		}
+		return s_stringMT;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java
index 6b8c6772..83b5e43f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LTable.java
@@ -23,12 +23,6 @@ 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");
-	
-	/** Metatable tag for intercepting table sets */
-	private static final LString TM_NEWINDEX = new LString("__newindex");
-	
 	/**
 	 * Zero-length array to use instead of null, so that we don't need to
 	 * check for null everywhere.
@@ -229,28 +223,22 @@ public class LTable extends LValue {
 		final int slot = findSlot( key );
 		return m_hashKeys[ slot ] != null;
 	}
-	
+
 	public void luaGetTable(VM vm, LValue table, LValue key) {
 		LValue v = get(key);
 		if ( v == LNil.NIL && m_metatable != null ) {
-			LValue event = m_metatable.get( TM_INDEX );
-			if ( event != null && event != LNil.NIL ) {
-				event.luaGetTable( vm, table, key );
-				return;
-			}
+			super.luaGetTable( vm, table, key );
+		} else {
+			vm.push(v);
 		}
-		vm.push(v);
 	}
 	
 	public void luaSetTable(VM vm, LValue table, LValue key, LValue val) {
 		if ( !containsKey( key ) && m_metatable != null ) {
-			LValue event = m_metatable.get( TM_NEWINDEX );
-			if ( event != null && event != LNil.NIL ) {
-				event.luaSetTable( vm, table, key, val );
-				return;
-			}
+			super.luaSetTable( vm, table, key, val );
+		} else {
+			put(key, val);
 		}
-		put(key, val);
 	}
 	
 	/**
@@ -269,13 +257,14 @@ public class LTable extends LValue {
 	}
 	
 	/** Valid for tables */
-	public LValue luaGetMetatable() {
+	public LTable luaGetMetatable() {
 		return this.m_metatable;
 	}
 
 	/** Valid for tables */
 	public void luaSetMetatable(LValue metatable) {
-		this.m_metatable = (LTable) metatable;
+		this.m_metatable = ( metatable != null && metatable != LNil.NIL ) ?
+					(LTable) metatable : null;
 	}
 
 	public String luaAsString() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LUserData.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LUserData.java
index edee4f0c..ab26121d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LUserData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LUserData.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ public class LUserData extends LValue {
 	public static final LString TYPE_NAME = new LString("userdata");
 	
 	public final Object m_instance;
+	public LTable m_metatable;
 	
 	public LUserData(Object obj) {
 		m_instance = obj;
@@ -25,4 +26,8 @@ public class LUserData extends LValue {
 	public LString luaGetType() {
 		return TYPE_NAME;
 	}
+	
+	public LTable luaGetMetatable() {
+		return m_metatable; 
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java b/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java
index 465caa0f..c730b9d8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java
+++ b/src/main/java/lua/value/LValue.java
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ import lua.VM;
 abstract
 public class LValue {
 
+	/** Metatable tag for intercepting table gets */
+	public static final LString TM_INDEX    = new LString("__index");
+	
+	/** Metatable tag for intercepting table sets */
+	public static final LString TM_NEWINDEX = new LString("__newindex");
+	
 	protected static LValue luaUnsupportedOperation() {
 		throw new java.lang.RuntimeException( "not supported" );
 	}
@@ -79,22 +85,39 @@ public class LValue {
 	}
 	
 	/** set a value in a table
+	 * For non-tables, goes straight to the meta-table.
 	 * @param vm the calling vm
 	 * @param table the table to operate on
 	 * @param the key to set
 	 * @param the value to set
 	 */
 	public void luaSetTable(VM vm, LValue table, LValue key, LValue val) {
-		luaUnsupportedOperation();
+		LTable mt = luaGetMetatable();
+		if ( mt != null ) {
+			LValue event = mt.get( TM_NEWINDEX );
+			if ( event != null && event != LNil.NIL ) {
+				event.luaSetTable( vm, table, key, val );
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+		vm.push( LNil.NIL );
 	}
-
+	
 	/** Get a value from a table 
 	 * @param vm the calling vm
 	 * @param table the table from which to get the value 
 	 * @param key the key to look up
 	 */
 	public void luaGetTable(VM vm, LValue table, LValue key) {
-		luaUnsupportedOperation();
+		LTable mt = luaGetMetatable();
+		if ( mt != null ) {
+			LValue event = mt.get( TM_INDEX );
+			if ( event != null && event != LNil.NIL ) {
+				event.luaGetTable( vm, table, key );
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+		vm.push(LNil.NIL);
 	}
 	
 	/** Get the value as a String
@@ -135,9 +158,18 @@ public class LValue {
 		return luaUnsupportedOperation();
 	}
 
-	/** Valid for tables */
-	public LValue luaGetMetatable() {
-		return luaUnsupportedOperation();
+	/**
+	 * Valid for all types: get a metatable. Only tables and userdata can have a
+	 * different metatable per instance, though, other types are restricted to
+	 * one metatable per type.
+	 * 
+	 * Since metatables on non-tables can only be set through Java and not Lua,
+	 * this function should be overridden for each value type as necessary.
+	 * 
+	 * @return null if there is no meta-table
+	 */
+	public LTable luaGetMetatable() {
+		return null;
 	}
 
 	/** Valid for tables */
@@ -147,4 +179,5 @@ public class LValue {
 
 	/** 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 74571f59..319b3fea 100644
--- a/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/lua/LuaJTest.java
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ public class LuaJTest extends TestCase {
 		runTest( "compare" );
 	}
 
+	public void testMetatables() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+		runTest( "metatables" );
+	}
+
 	public void testSelect() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
 		runTest( "select" );
 	}
diff --git a/src/test/res/metatables.lua b/src/test/res/metatables.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b7faea3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/res/metatables.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+-- The purpose of this test case is to demonstrate that
+-- basic metatable operations on non-table types work.
+-- i.e. that s.sub(s,...) could be used in place of string.sub(s,...)
+local s = "hello"
+print(s:sub(2,4))
diff --git a/src/test/res/metatables.luac b/src/test/res/metatables.luac
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36b47850
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/test/res/metatables.luac differ