diff --git a/common/luaclass.c b/common/luaclass.c
index 2b16c7ba..329e38e9 100644
--- a/common/luaclass.c
+++ b/common/luaclass.c
@@ -32,6 +32,43 @@ DO_ARRAY(lua_class_id_t, lua_class_id, DO_NOTHING)
 
 static lua_class_id_array_t luaA_classes;
 
+/* This has to be initialized to the highest natural type of Lua */
+#define LUA_HIGHEST_TYPE LUA_TTHREAD
+
+/** Enhanced version of lua_type that recognizes setup Lua classes.
+ * \param L The Lua VM state.
+ * \param idx The index of the object on the stack.
+ */
+int
+luaA_type(lua_State *L, int idx)
+{
+    int type = lua_type(L, idx);
+
+    if(type == LUA_TUSERDATA)
+        foreach(class, luaA_classes)
+            if(luaA_toudata(L, idx, class->class->name))
+                return class->id;
+
+    return type;
+}
+
+/** Enhanced version of lua_typename that recognizes setup Lua classes.
+ * \param L The Lua VM state.
+ * \param idx The index of the object on the stack.
+ */
+const char *
+luaA_typename(lua_State *L, int idx)
+{
+    int type = luaA_type(L, idx);
+
+    if(type > LUA_HIGHEST_TYPE)
+        foreach(class, luaA_classes)
+            if(class->id == type)
+                return class->class->name;
+
+    return lua_typename(L, type);
+}
+
 void
 luaA_openlib(lua_State *L, const char *name,
              const struct luaL_reg methods[],
@@ -55,7 +92,7 @@ luaA_class_setup(lua_State *L, lua_class_t *class,
                  const struct luaL_reg methods[],
                  const struct luaL_reg meta[])
 {
-    static int class_type_counter = LUA_TTHREAD + 1;
+    static int class_type_counter = LUA_HIGHEST_TYPE;
 
     luaA_openlib(L, name, methods, meta);
 
diff --git a/common/luaclass.h b/common/luaclass.h
index f7dd1e1d..f04f48e7 100644
--- a/common/luaclass.h
+++ b/common/luaclass.h
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ typedef struct
     lua_class_allocator_t allocator;
 } lua_class_t;
 
+int luaA_type(lua_State *, int);
+const char * luaA_typename(lua_State *, int);
+
 void luaA_class_add_signal(lua_State *, lua_class_t *, const char *, int);
 void luaA_class_remove_signal(lua_State *, lua_class_t *, const char *, int);
 void luaA_class_emit_signal(lua_State *, lua_class_t *, const char *, int);
diff --git a/common/lualib.h b/common/lualib.h
index 2db68b96..a09badbb 100644
--- a/common/lualib.h
+++ b/common/lualib.h
@@ -63,6 +63,27 @@ luaA_dofunction(lua_State *L, int nargs, int nret)
     return true;
 }
 
+/** Convert a object to a udata if possible.
+ * \param L The Lua VM state.
+ * \param ud The index.
+ * \param tname The type name.
+ * \return A pointer to the object, NULL otherwise.
+ */
+static inline void *
+luaA_toudata(lua_State *L, int ud, const char *tname)
+{
+    void *p = lua_touserdata(L, ud);
+    if(p) /* value is a userdata? */
+        if(lua_getmetatable(L, ud)) /* does it have a metatable? */
+        {
+            lua_getfield(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, tname); /* get correct metatable */
+            if(!lua_rawequal(L, -1, -2)) /* does it have the correct mt? */
+                p = NULL;
+            lua_pop(L, 2); /* remove both metatables */
+        }
+    return p;
+}
+
 #endif
 
 // vim: filetype=c:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:encoding=utf-8:textwidth=80
diff --git a/luaa.c b/luaa.c
index 25336a11..f26f69d2 100644
--- a/luaa.c
+++ b/luaa.c
@@ -246,23 +246,7 @@ static int
 luaAe_type(lua_State *L)
 {
     luaL_checkany(L, 1);
-#define CHECK_TYPE(type) \
-    do { \
-        if(luaA_toudata(L, 1, #type)) \
-        { \
-            lua_pushliteral(L, #type); \
-            return 1; \
-        } \
-    } while(0)
-CHECK_TYPE(wibox);
-CHECK_TYPE(client);
-CHECK_TYPE(image);
-CHECK_TYPE(key);
-CHECK_TYPE(button);
-CHECK_TYPE(tag);
-CHECK_TYPE(widget);
-#undef CHECK_TYPE
-    lua_pushstring(L, luaL_typename(L, 1));
+    lua_pushstring(L, luaA_typename(L, 1));
     return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/luaa.h b/luaa.h
index 5f0975f0..a0475979 100644
--- a/luaa.h
+++ b/luaa.h
@@ -90,27 +90,6 @@ luaA_dumpstack(lua_State *L)
     fprintf(stderr, "------- Lua stack dump end ------\n");
 }
 
-/** Convert a object to a udata if possible.
- * \param L The Lua VM state.
- * \param ud The index.
- * \param tname The type name.
- * \return A pointer to the object, NULL otherwise.
- */
-static inline void *
-luaA_toudata(lua_State *L, int ud, const char *tname)
-{
-    void *p = lua_touserdata(L, ud);
-    if(p) /* value is a userdata? */
-        if(lua_getmetatable(L, ud)) /* does it have a metatable? */
-        {
-            lua_getfield(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, tname); /* get correct metatable */
-            if(!lua_rawequal(L, -1, -2)) /* does it have the correct mt? */
-                p = NULL;
-            lua_pop(L, 2); /* remove both metatables */
-        }
-    return p;
-}
-
 static inline bool
 luaA_checkboolean(lua_State *L, int n)
 {