diff --git a/src/dehacked.c b/src/dehacked.c
index ec63f619a..8f6dbaa1a 100644
--- a/src/dehacked.c
+++ b/src/dehacked.c
@@ -8336,10 +8336,10 @@ static int lib_getActionName(lua_State *L)
 		actionf_t *action = *((actionf_t **)luaL_checkudata(L, 1, META_ACTION));
 		const char *name = NULL;
 		if (!action)
-			return 0; // insert error here (or not?)
+			return luaL_error(L, "not a valid action?");
 		name = LUA_GetActionName(action);
 		if (!name) // that can't be right?
-			return 0;
+			return luaL_error(L, "no name string could be found for this action");
 		lua_pushstring(L, name);
 		return 1;
 	}
diff --git a/src/lua_infolib.c b/src/lua_infolib.c
index be146a04c..8f2ce67cd 100644
--- a/src/lua_infolib.c
+++ b/src/lua_infolib.c
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ static int lib_setState(lua_State *L)
 				actionf_t *action = *((actionf_t **)luaL_checkudata(L, 3, META_ACTION));
 
 				if (!action)
-					return 0; //insert error here
+					return luaL_error(L, "not a valid action?");
 
 				state->action = *action;
 				state->action.acv = action->acv;
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ static int state_set(lua_State *L)
 			actionf_t *action = *((actionf_t **)luaL_checkudata(L, 3, META_ACTION));
 
 			if (!action)
-				return 0; //insert error here
+				return luaL_error(L, "not a valid action?");
 
 			st->action = *action;
 			st->action.acv = action->acv;