diff --git a/test/test_other.py b/test/test_other.py
index aaf37a772ff95..ccb40d2519607 100644
--- a/test/test_other.py
+++ b/test/test_other.py
@@ -2701,6 +2701,7 @@ def test_external_ports(self):
 ''', stdout)
 
   @requires_network
+  @also_with_pthreads
   def test_port_contrib_lua(self):
     self.do_runf('other/test_port_contrib_lua.c', 'hello world\nHELLO WORLD\nsqrt(16)=4\n', cflags=['--use-port=contrib.lua'])
 
diff --git a/tools/ports/contrib/lua.py b/tools/ports/contrib/lua.py
index a815a7dffdb3c..898f36e7bfa0a 100644
--- a/tools/ports/contrib/lua.py
+++ b/tools/ports/contrib/lua.py
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@
 LICENSE = 'MIT License'
 
 port_name = 'contrib.lua'
-lib_name = 'liblua.a'
+variants = {'contrib.lua-mt': {'PTHREADS': 1}}
 
+def get_lib_name(settings):
+  return 'liblua' + ('-mt' if settings.PTHREADS else '') + '.a'
 
 def get(ports, settings, shared):
   # get the port
@@ -36,10 +38,15 @@ def create(final):
        ldblib.c liolib.c lmathlib.c loadlib.c loslib.c lstrlib.c ltablib.c lutf8lib.c linit.c
        '''.split()
 
-    ports.build_port(source_path, final, port_name, srcs=srcs)
+    flags=[]
 
-  return [shared.cache.get_lib(lib_name, create, what='port')]
+    if settings.PTHREADS:
+      flags += ['-pthread']
+
+    ports.build_port(source_path, final, port_name, srcs=srcs, flags=flags)
+
+  return [shared.cache.get_lib(get_lib_name(settings), create, what='port')]
 
 
 def clear(ports, settings, shared):
-  shared.cache.erase_lib(lib_name)
+  shared.cache.erase_lib(get_lib_name(settings))