diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4df72e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "lib/compat53"]
+	path = lib/compat53
+	url = https://github.com/keplerproject/lua-compat-5.3.git
diff --git a/lib/compat53 b/lib/compat53
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..dfd83b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/compat53
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit dfd83b4930c8b85fd39d208523f7293cf469b205
diff --git a/premake5.lua b/premake5.lua
index 037cfca..fca6a11 100644
--- a/premake5.lua
+++ b/premake5.lua
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ else
 	links({ "lua" })
 end
 
-includedirs({ lua_inc_path, "lib/hashmap" })
+includedirs({ lua_inc_path, "lib/hashmap", "lib/compat53/c-api" })
 libdirs({ lua_lib_path })
 
 files({
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ files({
 	"src/**.c",
 	"lib/hashmap/**.h",
 	"lib/hashmap/**.c",
+	"lib/compat53/c-api/**.h",
+ 	"lib/compat53/c-api/**.c"
 })
 defines({ 'LUSH_VERSION="0.3.2"' })