diff --git a/src/lighting/Lighting.cpp b/src/lighting/Lighting.cpp
index bf55e001..eb721db2 100644
--- a/src/lighting/Lighting.cpp
+++ b/src/lighting/Lighting.cpp
@@ -8,9 +8,12 @@
 #include "voxels/Block.hpp"
 #include "constants.hpp"
 #include "util/timeutil.hpp"
+#include "debug/Logger.hpp"
 
 #include <memory>
 
+static debug::Logger logger("lighting");
+
 Lighting::Lighting(const Content& content, Chunks& chunks) 
   : content(content), chunks(chunks) {
     auto& indices = *content.getIndices();
@@ -63,6 +66,10 @@ void Lighting::buildSkyLight(int cx, int cz){
     const auto blockDefs = content.getIndices()->blocks.getDefs();
 
     Chunk* chunk = chunks.getChunk(cx, cz);
+    if (chunk == nullptr) {
+        logger.error() << "attempted to build sky lights to chunk missing in local matrix";
+        return;
+    }
     for (int z = 0; z < CHUNK_D; z++){
         for (int x = 0; x < CHUNK_W; x++){
             int gx = x + cx * CHUNK_W;
@@ -95,7 +102,10 @@ void Lighting::onChunkLoaded(int cx, int cz, bool expand) {
 
     auto blockDefs = content.getIndices()->blocks.getDefs();
     auto chunk = chunks.getChunk(cx, cz);
-
+    if (chunk == nullptr) {
+        logger.error() << "attempted to build lights to chunk missing in local matrix";
+        return;
+    }
     for (uint y = 0; y < CHUNK_H; y++){
         for (uint z = 0; z < CHUNK_D; z++){
             for (uint x = 0; x < CHUNK_W; x++){
diff --git a/src/logic/scripting/lua/lua_util.hpp b/src/logic/scripting/lua/lua_util.hpp
index 9f3ac414..1baf9c35 100644
--- a/src/logic/scripting/lua/lua_util.hpp
+++ b/src/logic/scripting/lua/lua_util.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ namespace lua {
     int userdata_destructor(lua::State* L);
 
     std::string env_name(int env);
+    void dump_stack(lua::State*);
 
     inline bool getglobal(lua::State* L, const std::string& name) {
         lua_getglobal(L, name.c_str());
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ namespace lua {
         return lua_isnumber(L, idx);
     }
     inline bool isstring(lua::State* L, int idx) {
-        return lua_isstring(L, idx);
+        return lua_type(L, idx) == LUA_TSTRING;
     }
     inline bool istable(lua::State* L, int idx) {
         return lua_istable(L, idx);
@@ -226,6 +227,11 @@ namespace lua {
         return lua_toboolean(L, idx);
     }
     inline lua::Integer tointeger(lua::State* L, int idx) {
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+        if (lua_type(L, idx) == LUA_TSTRING) {
+            throw std::runtime_error("integer expected, got string");
+        }
+#endif
         return lua_tointeger(L, idx);
     }
     inline uint64_t touinteger(lua::State* L, int idx) {
@@ -236,6 +242,11 @@ namespace lua {
         return static_cast<uint64_t>(val);
     }
     inline lua::Number tonumber(lua::State* L, int idx) {
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+        if (lua_type(L, idx) != LUA_TNUMBER && !lua_isnoneornil(L, idx)) {
+            throw std::runtime_error("integer expected");
+        }
+#endif
         return lua_tonumber(L, idx);
     }
     inline const char* tostring(lua::State* L, int idx) {
@@ -588,7 +599,6 @@ namespace lua {
     }
     int create_environment(lua::State*, int parent);
     void remove_environment(lua::State*, int id);
-    void dump_stack(lua::State*);
 
     inline void close(lua::State* L) {
         lua_close(L);