diff --git a/cmd_scripting.go b/cmd_scripting.go
index 9f5ce9ef..5a48f8b7 100644
--- a/cmd_scripting.go
+++ b/cmd_scripting.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	luajson "github.com/alicebob/gopher-json"
 	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ func commandsScripting(m *Miniredis) {
 	m.srv.Register("SCRIPT", m.cmdScript)
 }
 
+var (
+	parsedScripts = sync.Map{}
+)
+
 // Execute lua. Needs to run m.Lock()ed, from within withTx().
 // Returns true if the lua was OK (and hence should be cached).
 func (m *Miniredis) runLuaScript(c *server.Peer, sha, script string, args []string) bool {
@@ -91,13 +96,13 @@ func (m *Miniredis) runLuaScript(c *server.Peer, sha, script string, args []stri
 		return 1
 	}))
 
-	l.DoString(protectGlobals)
+	_ = doScript(l, protectGlobals)
 
 	l.Push(lua.LString("redis"))
 	l.Call(1, 0)
 
-	if err := l.DoString(script); err != nil {
-		c.WriteError(errLuaParseError(err))
+	if err := doScript(l, script); err != nil {
+		c.WriteError(err.Error())
 		return false
 	}
 
@@ -105,6 +110,42 @@ func (m *Miniredis) runLuaScript(c *server.Peer, sha, script string, args []stri
 	return true
 }
 
+// doScript pre-compiiles the given script into a Lua prototype,
+// then executes the pre-compiled function against the given lua state.
+//
+// This is thread-safe.
+func doScript(l *lua.LState, script string) error {
+	proto, err := compile(script)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(errLuaParseError(err))
+	}
+
+	lfunc := l.NewFunctionFromProto(proto)
+	l.Push(lfunc)
+	if err := l.PCall(0, lua.MultRet, nil); err != nil {
+		// ensure we wrap with the correct format.
+		return fmt.Errorf(errLuaParseError(err))
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func compile(script string) (*lua.FunctionProto, error) {
+	if val, ok := parsedScripts.Load(script); ok {
+		return val.(*lua.FunctionProto), nil
+	}
+	chunk, err := parse.Parse(strings.NewReader(script), "<string>")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	proto, err := lua.Compile(chunk, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	parsedScripts.Store(script, proto)
+	return proto, nil
+}
+
 func (m *Miniredis) cmdEval(c *server.Peer, cmd string, args []string) {
 	if len(args) < 2 {
 		setDirty(c)