diff --git a/src/lib.zig b/src/lib.zig
index 53df4c1..14adbdb 100644
--- a/src/lib.zig
+++ b/src/lib.zig
@@ -2594,6 +2594,19 @@ pub const Lua = opaque {
         c.lua_toclose(@ptrCast(lua), index);
     }
 
+    /// Converts the Lua value at the given `index` to a numeric type;
+    /// if T is an integer type, the Lua value is converted to an integer.
+    ///
+    /// * Pops:   `0`
+    /// * Pushes: `0`
+    /// * Errors: `error.Overflow` if `T` is an integer type and the value at index doesn't fit
+    pub fn toNumeric(lua: *Lua, comptime T: type, index: i32) !T {
+        if (@typeInfo(T) == .int) {
+            return std.math.cast(T, try lua.toInteger(index)) orelse error.Overflow;
+        }
+        return @floatCast(try lua.toNumber(index));
+    }
+
     /// Converts the Lua value at the given `index` to a signed integer
     /// The Lua value must be an integer, or a number, or a string convertible to an integer
     /// Returns an error if the conversion failed
@@ -3342,6 +3355,32 @@ pub const Lua = opaque {
         c.luaL_checkany(@ptrCast(lua), arg);
     }
 
+    /// Checks whether the function argument `arg` is a numeric type and converts it to type T
+    ///
+    /// Raises a Lua error if the argument is an integer type but std.math.cast fails
+    ///
+    /// * Pops:   `0`
+    /// * Pushes: `0`
+    /// * Errors: `explained in text / on purpose`
+    pub fn checkNumeric(lua: *Lua, comptime T: type, arg: i32) T {
+        if (comptime @typeInfo(T) != .int) return @floatCast(lua.checkNumber(arg));
+        return std.math.cast(T, lua.checkInteger(arg)) orelse {
+            const error_msg = comptime msg: {
+                var buf: [1024]u8 = undefined;
+                const info = @typeInfo(T).int;
+                const signedness = switch (info.signedness) {
+                    .unsigned => "u",
+                    .signed => "i",
+                };
+                const output = std.fmt.bufPrintZ(&buf, "integer argument doesn't fit inside {s}{d} range [{d}, {d}]", .{
+                    signedness, info.bits, std.math.minInt(T), std.math.maxInt(T),
+                }) catch unreachable;
+                break :msg output[0..output.len :0].*;
+            };
+            lua.argError(arg, &error_msg);
+        };
+    }
+
     /// Checks whether the function argument `arg` is a number and returns this number cast to an i32
     ///
     /// Not available in Lua 5.3 and 5.4
diff --git a/src/tests.zig b/src/tests.zig
index 21cf279..44349ba 100644
--- a/src/tests.zig
+++ b/src/tests.zig
@@ -3055,3 +3055,41 @@ test "error union for CFn" {
         try expectEqualStrings("MissingInteger", try lua.toString(-1));
     };
 }
+
+test "checkNumeric and toNumeric" {
+    const error_msg = "integer argument doesn't fit inside u8 range [0, 255]";
+
+    const lua: *Lua = try .init(testing.allocator);
+    defer lua.deinit();
+
+    lua.pushFunction(zlua.wrap(struct {
+        fn f(l: *Lua) i32 {
+            _ = l.checkNumeric(u8, 1);
+            return 1;
+        }
+    }.f));
+    const idx = lua.getTop();
+
+    lua.pushValue(idx);
+    lua.pushInteger(128);
+    try lua.protectedCall(.{
+        .args = 1,
+        .results = 1,
+    });
+    const val = lua.toNumeric(u8, lua.getTop());
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(128, val);
+
+    lua.pushValue(idx);
+    lua.pushInteger(256);
+    if (lua.protectedCall(.{
+        .args = 1,
+        .results = 0,
+    })) |_| {
+        return error.ExpectedError;
+    } else |_| {
+        const string = try lua.toString(lua.getTop());
+        errdefer std.log.err("expected error message to contain: {s}", .{error_msg});
+        errdefer std.log.err("error message: {s}", .{string});
+        _ = std.mem.indexOf(u8, string, error_msg) orelse return error.BadErrorMessage;
+    }
+}