diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 9c7fa09ec..89366e8bd 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ EXTRA_DIST    += awful.lua
 EXTRA_DIST    += tabulous.lua
 dist_awesomelib_DATA += awful.lua
 dist_awesomelib_DATA += tabulous.lua
+dist_awesomelib_DATA += awful.luac
+dist_awesomelib_DATA += tabulous.luac
+CLEANFILES    += awful.luac
+CLEANFILES    += tabulous.luac
 
 EXTRA_DIST    += awesomerc.lua.in
 CLEANFILES    += awesomerc.lua
@@ -60,6 +64,10 @@ BUILT_SOURCES += awesomerc.lua
 doc_DATA      += awesomerc.lua
 etc_DATA      += awesomerc.lua
 
+SUFFIXES += .lua .luac
+.lua.luac:
+	$(LUAC) -s -o $@ $<
+
 awesomerc.lua: $(srcdir)/awesomerc.lua.in
 	$(SED) -e "s|[@]iconslayoutsdir@|$(iconslayoutsdir)|;s|[@]iconsdir@|$(iconsdir)|" \
 	    < $(srcdir)/awesomerc.lua.in > awesomerc.lua
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e3c2c9236..cbf804db2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -109,7 +109,11 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([AWESOME_COMPILE_BY], ["$aw_whoami"], [build user])
 
 AC_ARG_VAR([LUA], [Lua interpreter])
 AC_PATH_PROG([LUA], [lua], [:])
-test "x$LUA" = "x" && AC_MSG_WARN([awesome compilation requires Lua])
+test "x$LUA" = "x" && AC_MSG_WARN([awesome compilation requires lua])
+
+AC_ARG_VAR([LUAC], [Lua compiler])
+AC_PATH_PROG([LUAC], [luac], [:])
+test "x$LUAC" = "x" && AC_MSG_WARN([awesome compilation requires luac])
 
 AS_AC_EXPAND(awesomelibdir, "$datarootdir/awesome/lib")
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([AWESOME_LUA_LIB_PATH], "${awesomelibdir}", [awesome lib path])