diff --git a/src/sdl-instead/game.c b/src/sdl-instead/game.c
index 79e7d6b..c7581cd 100644
--- a/src/sdl-instead/game.c
+++ b/src/sdl-instead/game.c
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ int game_select(const char *name)
 	chdir(game_cwd);
 	for (i = 0; i<games_nr; i ++) {
 		if (!strcmp(games[i].dir, name)) {
-			char *p;
 			instead_done();
 			if (instead_init())
 				return -1;
@@ -75,9 +74,7 @@ int game_select(const char *name)
 				return -1;
 			if (instead_load(MAIN_FILE))
 				return -1;
-			p = instead_eval("game:ini()");
-			if (p)
-				free(p);
+			instead_eval("game:ini()");
 			curgame_dir = games[i].dir;
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -993,7 +990,8 @@ static void dec_music(void *data)
 	char *mus;
 	if (!curgame_dir)
 		return;
-	mus = instead_eval("return dec_music_loop()");
+	instead_eval("return dec_music_loop()");
+	mus = instead_retval(1);
 	if (!mus)
 		return;
 	if (atoi(mus) == -1)
@@ -1015,23 +1013,21 @@ void game_music_player(void)
 		return;
 	if (!opt_music)
 		return;
-		
-	mus = instead_eval("return get_music_loop()");
-
+	instead_eval("return get_music()");
+	mus = instead_retval(1);
 	if (mus) {
 		loop = atoi(mus);
 		free(mus);
 	} else
 		loop = -1;
 		
-	mus = instead_eval("return get_music()");
+	mus = instead_retval(2);
 	unix_path(mus);
 	
 	if (mus && loop == -1) { /* disabled, 0 - forever, 1-n - loops */
 		free(mus);
 		mus = NULL;
 	}
-	
 	if (!mus) {
 		if (last_music) {
 			game_stop_mus(500);
@@ -1109,31 +1105,29 @@ void game_sound_player(void)
 	
 	if (!snd_volume_mus(-1))
 		return;	
-	snd = instead_eval("return get_sound_chan()");
+	instead_eval("return get_sound()");
+
+	snd = instead_retval(1);
+	if (snd) {
+		loop = atoi(snd);
+		free(snd);
+	}
+
+	snd = instead_retval(2);
 	if (snd) {
 		chan = atoi(snd);
 		free(snd);
 	}
 
-	snd = instead_eval("return get_sound_loop()");
-	if (snd) {
-		loop = atoi(snd);
-		free(snd);
-	}
-	
-	snd = instead_eval("return get_sound()");
+	snd = instead_retval(3);
 	if (!snd) {
 		if (chan != -1) {
 			/* halt channel */
-			snd_halt_chan(chan);
+			snd_halt_chan(chan, 500);
 		}
 		return;
 	}	
-	do { /* reset sound */
-		char *p = instead_eval("set_sound(nil, -1)");
-		if (p)
-			free(p);
-	} while(0);
+	instead_eval("set_sound(nil, -1)");
 	
 	unix_path(snd);
 	w = sound_find(snd);
@@ -1203,7 +1197,8 @@ int game_cmd(char *cmd)
 	if (!cmdstr) 
 		goto inv; /* hackish? ok, yes  it is... */
 	
-	title = instead_eval("return get_title();");
+	instead_eval("return get_title();");
+	title = instead_retval(1);
 	if (title) {
 		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "<b><c><a:look>%s</a></c></b>", title);
 		txt_layout_set(el_layout(el_title), buf);
@@ -1215,7 +1210,8 @@ int game_cmd(char *cmd)
 	txt_layout_size(el_layout(el_title), NULL, &title_h);
 	title_h += game_theme.font_size / 2; // todo?	
 
-	pict = instead_eval("return get_picture();");
+	instead_eval("return get_picture();");
+	pict = instead_retval(1);
 	unix_path(pict);
 	
 	new_pict = check_new_pict(pict);
@@ -1665,7 +1661,7 @@ int game_click(int x, int y, int action, int filter)
 		if (mouse_filter(filter))
 			return 0;
 		if (opt_click)
-			snd_play(game_theme.click, -1, 0);
+			snd_play(game_theme.click, 0, 0);
 		game_cmd(buf);
 		return 1;
 
@@ -1688,7 +1684,7 @@ int game_click(int x, int y, int action, int filter)
 	disable_use();
 
 	if (opt_click)
-		snd_play(game_theme.click, -1, 0);
+		snd_play(game_theme.click, 0, 0);
 		
 	game_cmd(buf);
 	return 1;
diff --git a/src/sdl-instead/instead.c b/src/sdl-instead/instead.c
index 6e56134..ed476b4 100644
--- a/src/sdl-instead/instead.c
+++ b/src/sdl-instead/instead.c
@@ -86,11 +86,22 @@ char *getstring(char *cmd)
 }
 
 
-char *instead_eval(char *s)
+int instead_eval(char *s)
 {
-	char *p;
-	p = getstring(s);
-	return p;
+	if (!L)
+		return -1;
+	if (dostring(L, s))
+		return -1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+char *instead_retval(int n)
+{
+	char *s;
+	s = (char*)lua_tostring(L, -n);
+	if (s)
+		s = fromgame(s);
+	return s;
 }
 
 char *instead_cmd(char *s)
@@ -308,9 +319,22 @@ static int luaB_print (lua_State *L) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int luaB_is_sound(lua_State *L) {
+	const char *chan = luaL_optstring(L, 1, NULL);
+	int c, r;
+	if (!chan)
+		c = -1;
+	else
+		c = atoi(chan);
+	r = snd_playing(c);
+	lua_pushboolean(L, (r != 0));  /* else not a number */
+	return 1;
+}
+
 static const luaL_Reg base_funcs[] = {
 	{"doencfile", luaB_doencfile},
 	{"print", luaB_print}, /* for some mystic, it is needed in win version (with -debug) */
+	{"is_sound", luaB_is_sound},
 	{NULL, NULL}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/sdl-instead/instead.h b/src/sdl-instead/instead.h
index 3d3e3ba..c56a0f2 100644
--- a/src/sdl-instead/instead.h
+++ b/src/sdl-instead/instead.h
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ extern int  instead_init(void);
 extern int  instead_load(char *game);
 extern void instead_done(void);
 extern char *instead_cmd(char *s);
-extern char *instead_eval(char *s);
+extern int  instead_eval(char *s);
+extern char *instead_retval(int n);
 char 		*fromgame(const char *s);
 extern int  instead_encode(const char *s, const char *d);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/sdl-instead/menu.c b/src/sdl-instead/menu.c
index 31d179e..4f257c8 100644
--- a/src/sdl-instead/menu.c
+++ b/src/sdl-instead/menu.c
@@ -356,9 +356,7 @@ int game_menu_act(const char *a)
 //		free_last();
 		game_select(curgame_dir);
 		game_menu_box(0, NULL);
-		s = instead_eval("game:ini()");
-		if (s)
-			free(s);
+		instead_eval("game:ini()");
 		game_cmd("look");
 		s = game_save_path(0, 0);
 		if (s && !access(s, R_OK) && opt_autosave)
diff --git a/src/sdl-instead/sound.c b/src/sdl-instead/sound.c
index 22ef394..2012fc7 100644
--- a/src/sdl-instead/sound.c
+++ b/src/sdl-instead/sound.c
@@ -94,11 +94,15 @@ int snd_volume_mus(int vol)
 
 wav_t	snd_load_wav(const char *fname)
 {
+	wav_t r;
 	if (!sound_on)
 		return NULL;
 	if (!fname)
 		return NULL;
-	return (wav_t)Mix_LoadWAV(fname);
+	r = (wav_t)Mix_LoadWAV(fname);
+	if (!r)
+		fprintf(stderr,"Can't load '%s'.\n", fname);
+	return r;
 }
 
 void	snd_free_wav(wav_t w)
@@ -109,9 +113,12 @@ void	snd_free_wav(wav_t w)
 	Mix_FreeChunk((Mix_Chunk*)w);
 }
 
-void snd_halt_chan(int han)
+void snd_halt_chan(int han, int ms)
 {
-	Mix_HaltChannel(han);
+	if (ms)
+		Mix_FadeOutChannel(han, ms);
+	else
+		Mix_HaltChannel(han);
 }
 
 Mix_Music *snd_load_mus(const char *fname)
@@ -180,6 +187,15 @@ int snd_playing_mus(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int snd_playing(int channel)
+{
+	if (channel >= MIX_CHANNELS)
+		channel %= MIX_CHANNELS;
+	if (channel < 0)
+		channel = -1;	
+	return Mix_Playing(channel);
+}
+
 void snd_free_mus(mus_t mus)
 {
 	if (!sound_on)
diff --git a/src/sdl-instead/sound.h b/src/sdl-instead/sound.h
index 5ceb8f2..936e6fc 100644
--- a/src/sdl-instead/sound.h
+++ b/src/sdl-instead/sound.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ extern void	snd_free_mus(mus_t mus);
 extern int	snd_init(int hz);
 extern int	snd_hz(void);
 extern void	snd_play(wav_t chunk, int channel, int loop);
-extern void 	snd_halt_chan(int han);
+extern void 	snd_halt_chan(int han, int ms);
 
 extern void	snd_free_wav(wav_t chunk);
 extern wav_t	snd_load_wav(const char *fname);
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@ extern int 	snd_volume_mus(int vol);
 extern	void	snd_done(void);
 extern int 	snd_vol_from_pcn(int v);
 extern int 	snd_vol_to_pcn(int v);
+extern int 	snd_playing(int channel);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/stead/stead.lua b/stead/stead.lua
index 88a8f9f..ea8b2a0 100644
--- a/stead/stead.lua
+++ b/stead/stead.lua
@@ -2015,7 +2015,7 @@ function get_title()
 end
 
 function get_music()
-	return game._music;
+	return game._music, game._music_loop;
 end
 
 function get_music_loop()
@@ -2059,8 +2059,14 @@ function is_music()
 	return game._music ~= nil and game._music_loop ~= -1
 end
 
+if is_sound == nil then
+	function is_sound()
+		return false -- sdl-instead export own function
+	end
+end
+
 function get_sound()
-	return game._sound;
+	return game._sound, game._sound_channel, game._sound_loop;
 end
 
 function get_sound_chan()