diff --git a/src/lua_baselib.c b/src/lua_baselib.c
index e0584bd1c..cad5a4ddc 100644
--- a/src/lua_baselib.c
+++ b/src/lua_baselib.c
@@ -87,101 +87,56 @@ static int lib_print(lua_State *L)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-enum
-{
-	UTYPE_NULL=0,
-	UTYPE_STATE,
-	UTYPE_MOBJINFO,
-	UTYPE_SFXINFO,
-
-	UTYPE_MOBJ,
-	UTYPE_MAPTHING,
-
-	UTYPE_PLAYER,
-	UTYPE_TICCMD,
-	UTYPE_SKIN,
-	UTYPE_POWERS,
-	UTYPE_SOUNDSID,
-
-	UTYPE_VERTEX,
-	UTYPE_LINE,
-	UTYPE_SIDE,
-	UTYPE_SUBSECTOR,
-	UTYPE_SECTOR,
-	UTYPE_FFLOOR,
-#ifdef HAVE_LUA_SEGS
-	UTYPE_SEG,
-	UTYPE_NODE,
-#endif
-	UTYPE_MAPHEADER,
-
-	UTYPE_CVAR,
-
-	UTYPE_SECTORLINES,
-	UTYPE_SIDENUM,
-#ifdef HAVE_LUA_SEGS
-	UTYPE_NODEBBOX,
-	UTYPE_NODECHILDREN,
-#endif
-
-	UTYPE_BBOX,
-
-	UTYPE_HUDINFO,
-	UTYPE_PATCH,
-	UTYPE_COLORMAP,
-	UTYPE_CAMERA,
-};
-
-#define META_UTYPE(name) {META_##name, UTYPE_##name}
 static const struct {
 	const char *meta;
-	UINT8 utype;
+	const char *utype;
 } meta2utype[] = {
-	META_UTYPE(STATE),
-	META_UTYPE(MOBJINFO),
-	META_UTYPE(SFXINFO),
+	{META_STATE,        "state_t"},
+	{META_MOBJINFO,     "mobjinfo_t"},
+	{META_SFXINFO,      "sfxinfo_t"},
 
-	META_UTYPE(MOBJ),
-	META_UTYPE(MAPTHING),
+	{META_MOBJ,         "mobj_t"},
+	{META_MAPTHING,     "mapthing_t"},
 
-	META_UTYPE(PLAYER),
-	META_UTYPE(TICCMD),
-	META_UTYPE(SKIN),
-	META_UTYPE(POWERS),
-	META_UTYPE(SOUNDSID),
+	{META_PLAYER,       "player_t"},
+	{META_TICCMD,       "ticcmd_t"},
+	{META_SKIN,         "skin_t"},
+	{META_POWERS,       "player_t.powers"},
+	{META_SOUNDSID,     "skin_t.soundsid"},
 
-	META_UTYPE(VERTEX),
-	META_UTYPE(LINE),
-	META_UTYPE(SIDE),
-	META_UTYPE(SUBSECTOR),
-	META_UTYPE(SECTOR),
-	META_UTYPE(FFLOOR),
+	{META_VERTEX,       "vertex_t"},
+	{META_LINE,         "line_t"},
+	{META_SIDE,         "side_t"},
+	{META_SUBSECTOR,    "subsector_t"},
+	{META_SECTOR,       "sector_t"},
+	{META_FFLOOR,       "ffloor_t"},
 #ifdef HAVE_LUA_SEGS
-	META_UTYPE(SEG),
-	META_UTYPE(NODE),
+	{META_SEG,          "seg_t"},
+	{META_NODE,         "node_t"},
 #endif
-	META_UTYPE(MAPHEADER),
+	{META_MAPHEADER,    "mapheader_t"},
 
-	META_UTYPE(CVAR),
+	{META_CVAR,         "consvar_t"},
 
-	META_UTYPE(SECTORLINES),
-	META_UTYPE(SIDENUM),
+	{META_SECTORLINES,  "sector_t.lines"},
+	{META_SIDENUM,      "line_t.sidenum"},
 #ifdef HAVE_LUA_SEGS
-	META_UTYPE(NODEBBOX),
-	META_UTYPE(NODECHILDREN),
+	{META_NODEBBOX,     "node_t.bbox"},
+	{META_NODECHILDREN, "node_t.children"},
 #endif
 
-	META_UTYPE(BBOX),
+	{META_BBOX,         "bbox"},
 
-	META_UTYPE(HUDINFO),
-	META_UTYPE(PATCH),
-	META_UTYPE(COLORMAP),
-	META_UTYPE(CAMERA),
-	{NULL,          UTYPE_NULL}
+	{META_HUDINFO,      "hudinfo_t"},
+	{META_PATCH,        "patch_t"},
+	{META_COLORMAP,     "colormap"},
+	{META_CAMERA,       "camera_t"},
+	{NULL,              NULL}
 };
-#undef META_UTYPE
 
-static UINT8 GetUserdataUType(lua_State *L)
+// goes through the above list and returns the utype string for the userdata type
+// returns "unknown" instead if we couldn't find the right userdata type 
+static const char *GetUserdataUType(lua_State *L)
 {
 	UINT8 i;
 	lua_getmetatable(L, -1);
@@ -198,57 +153,17 @@ static UINT8 GetUserdataUType(lua_State *L)
 	}
 
 	lua_pop(L, 1);
-	return UTYPE_NULL;
+	return "unknown";
 }
 
+// Return a string representing the type of userdata the given var is
+// e.g. players[0] -> "player_t"
+//   or players[0].powers -> "player_t.powers"
 static int lib_userdataType(lua_State *L)
 {
 	lua_settop(L, 1); // pop everything except arg 1 (in case somebody decided to add more)
 	luaL_checktype(L, 1, LUA_TUSERDATA);
-	switch (GetUserdataUType(L))
-	{
-	case UTYPE_STATE:        lua_pushliteral(L, "state_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_MOBJINFO:     lua_pushliteral(L, "mobjinfo_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_SFXINFO:      lua_pushliteral(L, "sfxinfo_t"); break;
-
-	case UTYPE_MOBJ:         lua_pushliteral(L, "mobj_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_MAPTHING:     lua_pushliteral(L, "mapthing_t"); break;
-
-	case UTYPE_PLAYER:       lua_pushliteral(L, "player_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_TICCMD:       lua_pushliteral(L, "ticcmd_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_SKIN:         lua_pushliteral(L, "skin_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_POWERS:       lua_pushliteral(L, "player_t.powers"); break;
-	case UTYPE_SOUNDSID:     lua_pushliteral(L, "skin_t.soundsid"); break;
-
-	case UTYPE_VERTEX:       lua_pushliteral(L, "vertex_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_LINE:         lua_pushliteral(L, "line_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_SIDE:         lua_pushliteral(L, "side_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_SUBSECTOR:    lua_pushliteral(L, "subsector_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_SECTOR:       lua_pushliteral(L, "sector_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_FFLOOR:       lua_pushliteral(L, "ffloor_t"); break;
-#ifdef HAVE_LUA_SEGS
-	case UTYPE_SEG:          lua_pushliteral(L, "seg_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_NODE:         lua_pushliteral(L, "node_t"); break;
-#endif
-	case UTYPE_MAPHEADER:    lua_pushliteral(L, "mapheader_t"); break;
-
-	case UTYPE_CVAR:         lua_pushliteral(L, "cvar_t"); break;
-
-	case UTYPE_SECTORLINES:  lua_pushliteral(L, "sector_t.lines"); break;
-	case UTYPE_SIDENUM:      lua_pushliteral(L, "line_t.sidenum"); break;
-#ifdef HAVE_LUA_SEGS
-	case UTYPE_NODEBBOX:     lua_pushliteral(L, "node_t.bbox"); break;
-	case UTYPE_NODECHILDREN: lua_pushliteral(L, "node_t.children"); break;
-#endif
-
-	case UTYPE_BBOX:         lua_pushliteral(L, "bbox"); break;
-
-	case UTYPE_HUDINFO:      lua_pushliteral(L, "hudinfo_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_PATCH:        lua_pushliteral(L, "patch_t"); break;
-	case UTYPE_COLORMAP:     lua_pushliteral(L, "colormap"); break;
-	case UTYPE_CAMERA:       lua_pushliteral(L, "camera_t"); break;
-	default: return luaL_error(L, "Unknown userdata type");
-	}
+	lua_pushstring(L, GetUserdataUType(L));
 	return 1;
 }