diff --git a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/lnodelib.c b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/lnodelib.c
index 0cd680384..4fbf96db7 100644
--- a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/lnodelib.c
+++ b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/lnodelib.c
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@
 
 #define nodelib_setattr(L, s, n)     reassign_attribute(n,nodelib_getlist(L,s))
 
-#define nodelib_gettoks(L,a)   tokenlist_from_lua(L)
+#define nodelib_gettoks(L,a)   tokenlist_from_lua(L, a)
 
 #define nodelib_getspec        nodelib_getlist
 #define nodelib_getaction      nodelib_getlist
@@ -1566,7 +1566,7 @@ static int lua_nodelib_direct_setleader(lua_State * L)
 #define get_pdf_literal_direct_value(L,n) do {                  \
     if (pdf_literal_type(n) == lua_refid_literal) {             \
         lua_rawgeti(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, pdf_literal_data(n)); \
-    } else if (pdf_literal_type(n) == lua_refid_literal) {      \
+    } else if (pdf_literal_type(n) == normal) {                 \
         tokenlist_to_luastring(L, pdf_literal_data(n));         \
     }                                                           \
 } while (0)
@@ -1584,6 +1584,7 @@ static int lua_nodelib_direct_setleader(lua_State * L)
 
 #define set_pdf_literal_direct_token(L,n,i) do { \
     pdf_literal_data(n) = nodelib_gettoks(L, i); \
+    pdf_literal_type(n) = normal;                \
 } while (0)
 
 #define cleanup_late_lua(n) do {                               \
diff --git a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/ltexlib.c b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/ltexlib.c
index 6e19e0727..590a83144 100644
--- a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/ltexlib.c
+++ b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/ltexlib.c
@@ -1790,7 +1790,7 @@ static int settex(lua_State * L)
                 }
             } else if (is_toks_assign(cur_cmd1)) {
                 if (lua_type(L,i) == LUA_TSTRING) {
-                    j = tokenlist_from_lua(L);  /* uses stack -1 */
+                    j = tokenlist_from_lua(L, i);
                     assign_internal_value((isglobal ? 4 : 0), equiv(cur_cs1), j);
 
                 } else {
diff --git a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatex-api.h b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatex-api.h
index f50664764..996ef6466 100644
--- a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatex-api.h
+++ b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatex-api.h
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ extern int characters_from_lua(lua_State * L, int f); /* return is boolean */
 extern int luaopen_token(lua_State * L);
 extern void tokenlist_to_lua(lua_State * L, int p);
 extern void tokenlist_to_luastring(lua_State * L, int p);
-extern int tokenlist_from_lua(lua_State * L);
+extern int tokenlist_from_lua(lua_State * L, int n);
 
 extern void lua_nodelib_push(lua_State * L);
 extern int nodelib_getdir(lua_State * L, int n);
diff --git a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatoken.c b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatoken.c
index dc2c6b8aa..56de5407a 100644
--- a/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatoken.c
+++ b/source/texk/web2c/luatexdir/lua/luatoken.c
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ void tokenlist_to_luastring(lua_State * L, int p)
     free(s);
 }
 
-int tokenlist_from_lua(lua_State * L)
+int tokenlist_from_lua(lua_State * L, int n)
 {
     const char *s;
     int tok, t;
@@ -492,12 +492,12 @@ int tokenlist_from_lua(lua_State * L)
     token_info(r) = 0;
     token_link(r) = null;
     p = r;
-    t = lua_type(L, -1);
+    t = lua_type(L, n);
     if (t == LUA_TTABLE) {
-        j = lua_rawlen(L, -1);
+        j = lua_rawlen(L, n);
         if (j > 0) {
             for (i = 1; i <= j; i++) {
-                lua_rawgeti(L, -1, (int) i);
+                lua_rawgeti(L, n, (int) i);
                 tok = token_from_lua(L);
                 if (tok >= 0) {
                     store_new_token(tok);
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ int tokenlist_from_lua(lua_State * L)
         }
         return r;
     } else if (t == LUA_TSTRING) {
-        s = lua_tolstring(L, -1, &j);
+        s = lua_tolstring(L, n, &j);
         for (i = 0; i < j; i++) {
             if (s[i] == 32) {
                 tok = token_val(10, s[i]);