diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index d3e78cb9d..c37114708 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -4940,8 +4940,8 @@ tune.lua.openlibs [all | none | <lib>[,<lib>...]]
     tune.lua.openlibs string,math,table,utf8  # safe subset, no I/O or OS
     tune.lua.openlibs all                     # default, load everything
 
-  This setting must be set before any "lua-load" or "lua-load-per-thread"
-  directive, otherwise a parse error is returned.
+  This setting must be set before any "lua-load", "lua-load-per-thread" or
+  "lua-prepend-path" directive, otherwise a parse error is returned.
 
 tune.lua.service-timeout <timeout>
   This is the execution timeout for the Lua services. This is useful for
diff --git a/src/haproxy.c b/src/haproxy.c
index 4d0f1e0da..1060fbc05 100644
--- a/src/haproxy.c
+++ b/src/haproxy.c
@@ -2139,9 +2139,6 @@ static void step_init_1()
 	if (init_acl() != 0)
 		exit(1);
 
-	/* Initialise lua. */
-	hlua_init();
-
 	/* set modes given from cmdline */
 	global.mode |= (arg_mode & (MODE_DAEMON | MODE_MWORKER | MODE_FOREGROUND | MODE_VERBOSE
 				    | MODE_QUIET | MODE_CHECK | MODE_DEBUG | MODE_ZERO_WARNING
diff --git a/src/hlua.c b/src/hlua.c
index 2e06fffa5..56acdc789 100644
--- a/src/hlua.c
+++ b/src/hlua.c
@@ -13392,6 +13392,16 @@ static int hlua_cfg_parse_openlibs(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy *
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	/* Reject a non-default restriction if the Lua VM is already initialised,
+	 * which happens when lua-load, lua-load-per-thread or lua-prepend-path
+	 * appeared before this directive.
+	 */
+	if (flags != HLUA_OPENLIBS_ALL && hlua_states[0]) {
+		memprintf(err, "'%s' must appear before any 'lua-load', 'lua-load-per-thread' or 'lua-prepend-path' directive",
+		           args[0]);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	hlua_openlibs_flags = flags;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -13492,6 +13502,8 @@ static int hlua_load(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy *curpx,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	hlua_init();
+
 	/* loading for global state */
 	hlua_state_id = 0;
 	ha_set_thread(NULL);
@@ -13510,6 +13522,8 @@ static int hlua_load_per_thread(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy *cur
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	hlua_init();
+
 	if (per_thread_load == NULL) {
 		/* allocate the first entry large enough to store the final NULL */
 		per_thread_load = calloc(1, sizeof(*per_thread_load));
@@ -13598,6 +13612,8 @@ static int hlua_config_prepend_path(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy
 	struct prepend_path *p = NULL;
 	size_t i;
 
+	hlua_init();
+
 	if (too_many_args(2, args, err, NULL)) {
 		goto err;
 	}
@@ -14006,6 +14022,11 @@ int hlua_post_init()
 
 	hlua_body = 0;
 
+	/* Ensure the Lua VM is initialised even if no Lua directive appeared
+	 * in the configuration (e.g. no global section at all).
+	 */
+	hlua_init();
+
 #if defined(USE_OPENSSL)
 	/* Initialize SSL server. */
 	if (socket_ssl->xprt->prepare_srv) {
@@ -14833,6 +14854,9 @@ void hlua_init(void) {
 	};
 #endif
 
+	if (hlua_states[0])
+		return; /* already initialised */
+
 	/* Init post init function list head */
 	for (i = 0; i < MAX_THREADS + 1; i++)
 		LIST_INIT(&hlua_init_functions[i]);