diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp
index 9d878c244c6..49a67ed630c 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.cpp
@@ -17,13 +17,15 @@
 #include <AP_HAL/AP_HAL.h>
 #include <GCS_MAVLink/GCS.h>
 
+#include "lua_bindings.h"
+
 // ensure that we have a set of stack sizes, and enforce constraints around it
 // except for the minimum size, these are allowed to be defined by the build system
 #undef SCRIPTING_STACK_MIN_SIZE
 #define SCRIPTING_STACK_MIN_SIZE 2048
 
 #if !defined(SCRIPTING_STACK_SIZE)
-  #define SCRIPTING_STACK_SIZE 2048
+  #define SCRIPTING_STACK_SIZE 8192
 #endif // !defined(SCRIPTING_STACK_SIZE)
 
 #if !defined(SCRIPTING_STACK_MAX_SIZE)
@@ -74,9 +76,28 @@ bool AP_Scripting::init(void) {
 
 void AP_Scripting::thread(void) {
     unsigned int loop = 0;
+    lua_State *state = luaL_newstate();
+    luaL_openlibs(state);
+    load_lua_bindings(state);
+
+    luaL_loadstring(state, "gcs.send_text(string.format(\"1 + 2 = %d\", 1+2))");
+
     while (true) {
         hal.scheduler->delay(1000);
         gcs().send_text(MAV_SEVERITY_INFO, "Scripting Loop: %u", loop++);
+
+        const uint32_t startMem = hal.util->available_memory();
+        const uint32_t loadEnd = AP_HAL::micros();
+        lua_pushvalue(state, -1);
+        if(lua_pcall(state, 0, LUA_MULTRET, 0)) {
+            gcs().send_text(MAV_SEVERITY_INFO, "Lua: %s", lua_tostring(state, -1));
+            hal.console->printf("Lua: %s", lua_tostring(state, -1));
+            lua_pop(state, 1);
+            continue;
+        }
+        const uint32_t runEnd = AP_HAL::micros();
+        const uint32_t endMem = hal.util->available_memory();
+        gcs().send_text(MAV_SEVERITY_INFO, "Execution: %d Memory: %d", runEnd - loadEnd, startMem - endMem);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.cpp b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8a8f3cab5b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#include <AP_Common/AP_Common.h>
+#include <GCS_MAVLink/GCS.h>
+
+#include "lua_bindings.h"
+
+int lua_gcs_send_text(lua_State *state) {
+    const char* str = lua_tostring(state, 1);
+    gcs().send_text(MAV_SEVERITY_INFO, str);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static const luaL_Reg gcs_functions[] =
+{
+    {"send_text", lua_gcs_send_text},
+    {NULL, NULL}
+};
+
+void load_lua_bindings(lua_State *state) {
+    luaL_newlib(state, gcs_functions);
+    lua_setglobal(state, "gcs");
+}
+
+void hook(lua_State *L, lua_Debug *ar) {
+    gcs().send_text(MAV_SEVERITY_INFO, "got a debug hook");
+    lua_error(L);
+}
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.h b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..65134b83f3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "lua/src/lua.hpp"
+
+// load all known lua bindings into the state
+void load_lua_bindings(lua_State *state);
+
+void hook(lua_State *L, lua_Debug *ar);