diff --git a/cmd/gochan/main.go b/cmd/gochan/main.go
index 7bf3bd0a..55b6f6b0 100644
--- a/cmd/gochan/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gochan/main.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/gclog"
+	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/gcplugin"
 	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/gcsql"
 	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/gctemplates"
 	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/posting"
@@ -36,6 +37,11 @@ func main() {
 
 	systemCritical := config.GetSystemCriticalConfig()
 
+	err := gcplugin.LoadPlugins(systemCritical.Plugins)
+	if err != nil {
+		gclog.Println(stdFatal|gclog.LErrorLog, "Failed loading plugins:", err.Error())
+	}
+
 	gcsql.ConnectToDB(
 		systemCritical.DBhost, systemCritical.DBtype, systemCritical.DBname,
 		systemCritical.DBusername, systemCritical.DBpassword, systemCritical.DBprefix)
@@ -45,7 +51,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	posting.InitCaptcha()
 	if err := gctemplates.InitTemplates(); err != nil {
-		gclog.Printf(gclog.LErrorLog|gclog.LStdLog|gclog.LFatal, err.Error())
+		gclog.Printf(stdFatal|gclog.LErrorLog, err.Error())
 	}
 
 	sc := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index e8c2c591..cd389f7a 100755
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/tdewolff/minify v2.3.6+incompatible
 	github.com/tdewolff/parse v2.3.4+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/tdewolff/test v1.0.6 // indirect
+	github.com/yuin/gopher-lua v0.0.0-20220504180219-658193537a64 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210616213533-5ff15b29337e
 	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210614182718-04defd469f4e
+	layeh.com/gopher-luar v1.0.10 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 91871c8a..e7d3ad1f 100755
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 github.com/aquilax/tripcode v1.0.0 h1:uPW1T2brVth0t6YiDPlouncHXFGneflsAvkh4zEBN58=
 github.com/aquilax/tripcode v1.0.0/go.mod h1:Tucn/H6BM/DEmxzj/tnmR7Vs/NV/bgCKo8Wi0yXrtzQ=
+github.com/chzyer/logex v1.1.10/go.mod h1:+Ywpsq7O8HXn0nuIou7OrIPyXbp3wmkHB+jjWRnGsAI=
+github.com/chzyer/readline v0.0.0-20180603132655-2972be24d48e/go.mod h1:nSuG5e5PlCu98SY8svDHJxuZscDgtXS6KTTbou5AhLI=
+github.com/chzyer/test v0.0.0-20180213035817-a1ea475d72b1/go.mod h1:Q3SI9o4m/ZMnBNeIyt5eFwwo7qiLfzFZmjNmxjkiQlU=
 github.com/disintegration/imaging v1.6.2 h1:w1LecBlG2Lnp8B3jk5zSuNqd7b4DXhcjwek1ei82L+c=
 github.com/disintegration/imaging v1.6.2/go.mod h1:44/5580QXChDfwIclfc/PCwrr44amcmDAg8hxG0Ewe4=
 github.com/frustra/bbcode v0.0.0-20201127003707-6ef347fbe1c8 h1:sdIsYe6Vv7KIWZWp8KqSeTl+XlF17d+wHCC4lbxFcYs=
@@ -20,6 +23,9 @@ github.com/tdewolff/parse v2.3.4+incompatible h1:x05/cnGwIMf4ceLuDMBOdQ1qGniMoxp
 github.com/tdewolff/parse v2.3.4+incompatible/go.mod h1:8oBwCsVmUkgHO8M5iCzSIDtpzXOT0WXX9cWhz+bIzJQ=
 github.com/tdewolff/test v1.0.6 h1:76mzYJQ83Op284kMT+63iCNCI7NEERsIN8dLM+RiKr4=
 github.com/tdewolff/test v1.0.6/go.mod h1:6DAvZliBAAnD7rhVgwaM7DE5/d9NMOAJ09SqYqeK4QE=
+github.com/yuin/gopher-lua v0.0.0-20190206043414-8bfc7677f583/go.mod h1:gqRgreBUhTSL0GeU64rtZ3Uq3wtjOa/TB2YfrtkCbVQ=
+github.com/yuin/gopher-lua v0.0.0-20220504180219-658193537a64 h1:5mLPGnFdSsevFRFc9q3yYbBkB6tsm4aCwwQV/j1JQAQ=
+github.com/yuin/gopher-lua v0.0.0-20220504180219-658193537a64/go.mod h1:GBR0iDaNXjAgGg9zfCvksxSRnQx76gclCIb7kdAd1Pw=
 gitlab.com/nyarla/go-crypt v0.0.0-20160106005555-d9a5dc2b789b h1:7gd+rd8P3bqcn/96gOZa3F5dpJr/vEiDQYlNb/y2uNs=
 gitlab.com/nyarla/go-crypt v0.0.0-20160106005555-d9a5dc2b789b/go.mod h1:T3BPAOm2cqquPa0MKWeNkmOM5RQsRhkrwMWonFMN7fE=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210616213533-5ff15b29337e h1:gsTQYXdTw2Gq7RBsWvlQ91b+aEQ6bXFUngBGuR8sPpI=
@@ -30,6 +36,7 @@ golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20191009234506-e7c1f5e7dbb8/go.mod h1:FeLwcggjj3mMvU+o
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210226172049-e18ecbb05110/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v0D8zg8gWTRqZa9RBIspLL5mdg=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210614182718-04defd469f4e h1:XpT3nA5TvE525Ne3hInMh6+GETgn27Zfm9dxsThnX2Q=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210614182718-04defd469f4e/go.mod h1:9nx3DQGgdP8bBQD5qxJ1jj9UTztislL4KSBs9R2vV5Y=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190204203706-41f3e6584952/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210423082822-04245dca01da/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210615035016-665e8c7367d1/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
@@ -39,3 +46,5 @@ golang.org/x/text v0.3.3/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.6 h1:aRYxNxv6iGQlyVaZmk6ZgYEDa+Jg18DxebPSrd6bg1M=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.6/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGmLbDWY5pfWTLqBcC2KZ6jyYvM4mQ=
+layeh.com/gopher-luar v1.0.10 h1:55b0mpBhN9XSshEd2Nz6WsbYXctyBT35azk4POQNSXo=
+layeh.com/gopher-luar v1.0.10/go.mod h1:TPnIVCZ2RJBndm7ohXyaqfhzjlZ+OA2SZR/YwL8tECk=
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index cdb2e73d..02d53e05 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ type SystemCriticalConfig struct {
 	DocumentRoot string `critical:"true"`
 	TemplateDir  string `critical:"true"`
 	LogDir       string `critical:"true"`
+	Plugins      []string
 
 	SiteHeaderURL string
 	WebRoot       string `description:"The HTTP root appearing in the browser (e.g. '/', 'https://yoursite.net/', etc) that all internal links start with"`
@@ -403,3 +404,11 @@ func GetBoardConfig(board string) *BoardConfig {
 func GetVersion() *GochanVersion {
 	return cfg.Version
 }
+
+// SetVersion should (in most cases) only be used for tests, where a config file wouldn't be loaded
+func SetVersion(version string) {
+	if cfg == nil {
+		cfg = &GochanConfig{}
+		cfg.Version = ParseVersion(version)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gcplugin/gcplugin.go b/pkg/gcplugin/gcplugin.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd858753
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/gcplugin/gcplugin.go
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+package gcplugin
+
+import (
+	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/gclog"
+	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
+)
+
+var (
+	lState       *lua.LState
+	eventPlugins map[string][]*lua.LFunction
+)
+
+func initLua() {
+	if lState == nil {
+		lState = lua.NewState()
+		registerLuaFunctions()
+	}
+}
+
+func createLuaLogFunc(which string) lua.LGFunction {
+	return func(l *lua.LState) int {
+		args := []interface{}{}
+		for v := 1; v <= l.GetTop(); v++ {
+			args = append(args, l.Get(v))
+		}
+		switch which {
+		case "access":
+			gclog.Println(gclog.LAccessLog, args...)
+		case "error":
+			gclog.Println(gclog.LErrorLog, args...)
+		case "staff":
+			gclog.Println(gclog.LStaffLog, args...)
+		}
+		return 0
+	}
+}
+
+func registerLuaFunctions() {
+	lState.Register("access_log", createLuaLogFunc("access"))
+	lState.Register("error_log", createLuaLogFunc("error"))
+	lState.Register("staff_log", createLuaLogFunc("staff"))
+	lState.SetGlobal("_GOCHAN_VERSION", lua.LString(config.GetVersion().String()))
+}
+
+func registerEventFunction(name string, fn *lua.LFunction) {
+	switch name {
+	case "onStartup":
+		fallthrough
+	case "onPost":
+		fallthrough
+	case "onDelete":
+		eventPlugins[name] = append(eventPlugins[name], fn)
+	}
+}
+
+func LoadPlugins(paths []string) error {
+	var err error
+	for _, pluginPath := range paths {
+		initLua()
+		if err = lState.DoFile(pluginPath); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		pluginTable := lState.CheckTable(-1)
+		pluginTable.ForEach(func(key, val lua.LValue) {
+			keyStr := key.String()
+			fn, ok := val.(*lua.LFunction)
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
+			registerEventFunction(keyStr, fn)
+		})
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gcplugin/lua_test.go b/pkg/gcplugin/lua_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51329094
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/gcplugin/lua_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package gcplugin
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/gochan-org/gochan/pkg/gcsql"
+	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
+	luar "layeh.com/gopher-luar"
+)
+
+const (
+	versionStr = `return _GOCHAN_VERSION
+`
+)
+
+func TestVersionFunction(t *testing.T) {
+	config.SetVersion("3.1")
+	initLua()
+	err := lState.DoString(versionStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
+	testingVersionStr := lState.Get(-1).(lua.LString)
+	if testingVersionStr != "3.1" {
+		t.Fatalf("%q != \"3.1\"", testingVersionStr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStructPassing(t *testing.T) {
+	initLua()
+	p := &gcsql.Post{
+		Name:        "Joe Poster",
+		Email:       "joeposter@gmail.com",
+		MessageHTML: "Message test<br />",
+		MessageText: "Message text\n",
+	}
+	uData := lState.NewUserData()
+	uData.Value = p
+	lState.SetGlobal("post", luar.New(lState, p))
+	err := lState.DoString(`print("Receiving post from " .. post["Name"])`)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
+
+}