diff --git a/lib/awful/remote.lua.in b/lib/awful/remote.lua.in
index d3d7b5e4..c4e1b8ed 100644
--- a/lib/awful/remote.lua.in
+++ b/lib/awful/remote.lua.in
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 -- Grab environment we need
 require("awful.dbus")
-local loadstring = loadstring
+local load = loadstring or load -- v5.1 - loadstring, v5.2 - load
 local tostring = tostring
 local ipairs = ipairs
 local table = table
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ local type = type
 if dbus then
     dbus.connect_signal("org.naquadah.awesome.awful.Remote", function(data, code)
         if data.member == "Eval" then
-            local f, e = loadstring(code)
+            local f, e = load(code)
             if f then
                 results = { f() }
                 retvals = {}
diff --git a/lib/awful/util.lua.in b/lib/awful/util.lua.in
index b225ec78..74ac127c 100644
--- a/lib/awful/util.lua.in
+++ b/lib/awful/util.lua.in
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 local os = os
 local io = io
 local assert = assert
-local loadstring = loadstring
+local load = loadstring or load -- v5.1 - loadstring, v5.2 - load
 local loadfile = loadfile
 local debug = debug
 local pairs = pairs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ end
 --- Eval Lua code.
 -- @return The return value of Lua code.
 function util.eval(s)
-    return assert(loadstring(s))()
+    return assert(load(s))()
 end
 
 local xml_entity_names = { ["'"] = "&apos;", ["\""] = "&quot;", ["<"] = "&lt;", [">"] = "&gt;", ["&"] = "&amp;" };