diff --git a/launch.sh b/launch.sh
index 2e115aa..c9248b7 100755
--- a/launch.sh
+++ b/launch.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,25 @@
+# Run Brawlbot in Lua 5.3, if available.
+# (Specifying lua5.3 because "lua" is not linked to it in Ubuntu 16.04.)
+# Otherwise, use any generic installed Lua.
+# If none, give an error and a friendly suggestion.
+# If Lua was found, restart Brawlbot five seconds after halting each time.
+
 #!/bin/sh
-# Launch Brawlbot
-# Restart Brawlbot five seconds after halted.
-while true; do
-    lua main.lua
-    echo 'otouto has stopped. ^C to exit.'
-    sleep 5s
-done
+
+# Ubuntu 16.04 seems to not link "lua" to lua5.3.
+if type lua5.3 >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
+    while true; do
+        lua5.3 main.lua
+        echo "Brawlbot has stopped. ^C to exit."
+        sleep 5s
+    done
+elif type lua >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
+    while true; do
+        lua main.lua
+        echo "Brawlbot has stopped. ^C to exit."
+        sleep 5s
+    done
+else
+    echo "Lua not found."
+    echo "If you're on Ubuntu, try running ./install-dependencies.sh."
+fi
diff --git a/otouto/plugins/luarun.lua b/otouto/plugins/luarun.lua
index 2184bb4..a15c750 100644
--- a/otouto/plugins/luarun.lua
+++ b/otouto/plugins/luarun.lua
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ function luarun:init(config)
             return JSON.encode(t, {indent=true})
         end
     end
+    -- Lua 5.2 compatibility.
+    -- "loadstring" was renamed "load" in 5.3.
+    luarun.loadstring = load or loadstring
+    luarun.err_msg = function(x)
+        return 'Error:\n' .. tostring(x)
+    end
 end
 
 function luarun:action(msg, config)
@@ -35,24 +41,21 @@ function luarun:action(msg, config)
         input = 'return ' .. input
     end
 
-    local output, success =
-        load("local bot = require('otouto.bot')\n\z
+    local output, success = luarun.loadstring(
+        "local bot = require('otouto.bot')\n\z
         local bindings = require('otouto.bindings')\n\z
         local utilities = require('otouto.utilities')\n\z
         local json = require('dkjson')\n\z
         local URL = require('socket.url')\n\z
         local http = require('socket.http')\n\z
         local https = require('ssl.https')\n\z
-        return function (self, msg, config)\n" .. input .. "\nend")
-
-    local function err_msg(x)
-        return "Fehler:\n" .. tostring(x)
-    end
+        return function (self, msg, config)\n" .. input .. "\nend"
+    )
 
     if output == nil then
         output = success
     else
-        success, output = xpcall(output(), err_msg, self, msg, config)
+        success, output = xpcall(output(), luarun.err_msg, self, msg, config)
     end
 
     if output == nil then
diff --git a/otouto/utilities.lua b/otouto/utilities.lua
index 5028453..91a9416 100644
--- a/otouto/utilities.lua
+++ b/otouto/utilities.lua
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 
 local utilities = {}
 
-utf8 = require 'lua-utf8'
 ltn12 = require('ltn12')
 http = require('socket.http')
 https = require('ssl.https')
@@ -33,6 +32,9 @@ redis = (loadfile "./otouto/redis.lua")()
 mime = (loadfile "./otouto/mimetype.lua")()
 OAuth = require "OAuth"
 helpers = require "OAuth.helpers"
+ -- Lua 5.2 compatibility.
+ -- If no built-in utf8 is available, load the library.
+local utf8 = utf8 or require('lua-utf8')
 
 http.timeout = 5
 https.timeout = 5
@@ -1101,7 +1103,8 @@ end
  -- Converts a gross string back into proper UTF-8.
  -- Useful for fixing improper encoding caused by bad JSON escaping.
 function utilities.fix_utf8(str)
-	return string.char(utf8.codepoint(str, 1, -1))
+    return string.char(utf8.codepoint(str, 1, -1))
 end
 
+
 return utilities
\ No newline at end of file