diff --git a/docs/source/api/object.rst b/docs/source/api/object.rst
index 0f02ebec..a7b98c30 100644
--- a/docs/source/api/object.rst
+++ b/docs/source/api/object.rst
@@ -20,8 +20,12 @@ members
     template <typename T>
     object(T&&);
     object(lua_State* L, int index = -1);
+    template <typename T, typename... Args>
+    object(lua_State* L, in_place_t, T&& arg, Args&&... args);
+    template <typename T, typename... Args>
+    object(lua_State* L, in_place_type_t<T>, Args&&... args);
 
-There are 2 kinds of constructors here. One allows construction of a object from other reference types such as :doc:`table<table>` and :doc:`stack_reference`. The other creates an object which references the specific element at the given index in the specified ``lua_State*``.
+There are 4 kinds of constructors here. One allows construction of a object from other reference types such as :doc:`sol::table<table>` and :doc:`sol::stack_reference<stack_reference>`. The secon creates an object which references the specific element at the given index in the specified ``lua_State*``. The more advanced ``in_place...`` constructors create a single object by pushing the specified type ``T`` onto the stack and then setting it as the object. It gets popped from the stack afterwards (unless this is an instance of ``sol::stack_object``, in which case it is left on the stack).
 
 .. code-block:: cpp
 	:caption: function: type conversion
diff --git a/sol/object.hpp b/sol/object.hpp
index c9bd70ac..c8d7dbc6 100644
--- a/sol/object.hpp
+++ b/sol/object.hpp
@@ -28,6 +28,27 @@
 #include "variadic_args.hpp"
 
 namespace sol {
+
+	template <typename R = reference, bool should_pop = !std::is_base_of<stack_reference, R>::value, typename T>
+	R make_reference(lua_State* L, T&& value) {
+		int backpedal = stack::push(L, std::forward<T>(value));
+		R r = stack::get<R>(L, -backpedal);
+		if (should_pop) {
+			lua_pop(L, backpedal);
+		}
+		return r;
+	}
+
+	template <typename T, typename R = reference, bool should_pop = !std::is_base_of<stack_reference, R>::value, typename... Args>
+	R make_reference(lua_State* L, Args&&... args) {
+		int backpedal = stack::push<T>(L, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+		R r = stack::get<R>(L, -backpedal);
+		if (should_pop) {
+			lua_pop(L, backpedal);
+		}
+		return r;
+	}
+
 	template <typename base_t>
 	class basic_object : public base_t {
 	private:
@@ -52,6 +73,12 @@ namespace sol {
 			auto pp = stack::push_pop(*this);
 			return stack::check<T>(base_t::lua_state(), -1, no_panic);
 		}
+		template <bool invert_and_pop = false>
+		basic_object(std::integral_constant<bool, invert_and_pop>, lua_State* L, int index = -1) noexcept : base_t(L, index) {
+			if (invert_and_pop) {
+				lua_pop(L, -index);
+			}
+		}
 
 	public:
 		basic_object() noexcept = default;
@@ -65,6 +92,10 @@ namespace sol {
 		basic_object(const stack_reference& r) noexcept : basic_object(r.lua_state(), r.stack_index()) {}
 		basic_object(stack_reference&& r) noexcept : basic_object(r.lua_state(), r.stack_index()) {}
 		basic_object(lua_State* L, int index = -1) noexcept : base_t(L, index) {}
+		template <typename T, typename... Args>
+		basic_object(lua_State* L, in_place_type_t<T>, Args&&... args) noexcept : basic_object(std::integral_constant<bool, !std::is_base_of<stack_reference, base_t>::value>(), L, -stack::push<T>(L, std::forward<Args>(args)...)) {}
+		template <typename T, typename... Args>
+		basic_object(lua_State* L, in_place_t, T&& arg, Args&&... args) noexcept : basic_object(L, in_place<T>, std::forward<T>(arg), std::forward<Args>(args)...) {}
 
 		template<typename T>
 		decltype(auto) as() const {
@@ -79,26 +110,6 @@ namespace sol {
 		}
 	};
 
-	template <typename R = reference, bool should_pop = !std::is_base_of<stack_reference, R>::value, typename T>
-	R make_reference(lua_State* L, T&& value) {
-		int backpedal = stack::push(L, std::forward<T>(value));
-		R r = stack::get<R>(L, -backpedal);
-		if (should_pop) {
-			lua_pop(L, backpedal);
-		}
-		return r;
-	}
-
-	template <typename T, typename R = reference, bool should_pop = !std::is_base_of<stack_reference, R>::value, typename... Args>
-	object make_reference(lua_State* L, Args&&... args) {
-		int backpedal = stack::push<T>(L, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
-		object r = stack::get<sol::object>(L, -backpedal);
-		if (should_pop) {
-			lua_pop(L, backpedal);
-		}
-		return r;
-	}
-
 	template <typename T>
 	object make_object(lua_State* L, T&& value) {
 		return make_reference<object, true>(L, std::forward<T>(value));
diff --git a/sol/optional.hpp b/sol/optional.hpp
index 812ae9fc..74b3bae3 100644
--- a/sol/optional.hpp
+++ b/sol/optional.hpp
@@ -22,28 +22,46 @@
 #ifndef SOL_OPTIONAL_HPP
 #define SOL_OPTIONAL_HPP
 
-#if __cplusplus > 201402L
-#include <optional>
-#elif defined(SOL_USE_BOOST)
+#if defined(SOL_USE_BOOST)
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
 #else
 #include "../Optional/optional.hpp"
-#endif // C++ 14
+#endif // Boost vs. Better optional
 
 namespace sol {
 
-#if __cplusplus > 201402L
-	template <typename T>
-	using optional = sol::optional<T>;
-	using nullopt_t = std::nullopt_t;
-	constexpr nullopt_t nullopt = std::nullopt;
-#elif defined(SOL_USE_BOOST)
+#if defined(SOL_USE_BOOST)
 	template <typename T>
 	using optional = boost::optional<T>;
 	using nullopt_t = boost::none_t;
 	const nullopt_t nullopt = boost::none;
-#else
-#endif // C++ 14
-}
+
+	namespace detail {
+		struct in_place_of {};
+	} // detail
+
+	struct in_place_tag { struct init {}; constexpr in_place_tag(init) {} in_place_tag() = delete; };
+	constexpr inline in_place_tag in_place(detail::in_place_of) { return in_place_tag(in_place_tag::init()); }
+	using in_place_t = in_place_tag(&)(detail::in_place_of);
+#endif // Boost vs. Better optional
+
+	namespace detail {
+		template <std::size_t I>
+		struct in_place_of_i {};
+		template <typename T>
+		struct in_place_of_t {};
+	}
+
+	template <typename T>
+	constexpr inline in_place_tag in_place(detail::in_place_of_t<T>) { return in_place_tag(in_place_tag::init()); }
+	template <std::size_t I>
+	constexpr inline in_place_tag in_place(detail::in_place_of_i<I>) { return in_place_tag(in_place_tag::init()); }
+
+	template <typename T>
+	using in_place_type_t = in_place_tag(&)(detail::in_place_of_t<T>);
+	template <std::size_t I>
+	using in_place_index_t = in_place_tag(&)(detail::in_place_of_i<I>);
+
+} // sol
 
 #endif // SOL_OPTIONAL_HPP
diff --git a/sol/stack_core.hpp b/sol/stack_core.hpp
index b980a197..8a8606ad 100644
--- a/sol/stack_core.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_core.hpp
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ namespace sol {
 		}
 
 		// overload allows to use a pusher of a specific type, but pass in any kind of args
-		template<typename T, typename Arg, typename... Args>
+		template<typename T, typename Arg, typename... Args, typename = std::enable_if_t<!std::is_same<T, Arg>::value>>
 		inline int push(lua_State* L, Arg&& arg, Args&&... args) {
 			return pusher<meta::unqualified_t<T>>{}.push(L, std::forward<Arg>(arg), std::forward<Args>(args)...);
 		}
diff --git a/sol/stack_get.hpp b/sol/stack_get.hpp
index dc2f9dd1..60c8773c 100644
--- a/sol/stack_get.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_get.hpp
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ namespace sol {
 				tracking.use(1);
 				std::size_t len;
 				auto str = lua_tolstring(L, index, &len);
-				return{ str, len };
+				return std::string( str, len );
 			}
 		};
 
diff --git a/sol/stack_push.hpp b/sol/stack_push.hpp
index 7d5753c3..ab253c0b 100644
--- a/sol/stack_push.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_push.hpp
@@ -358,13 +358,18 @@ namespace sol {
 				lua_pushlstring(L, str, N - 1);
 				return 1;
 			}
+
+			static int push(lua_State* L, const char(&str)[N], std::size_t sz) {
+				lua_pushlstring(L, str, sz);
+				return 1;
+			}
 		};
 
 		template <>
 		struct pusher<char> {
 			static int push(lua_State* L, char c) {
 				const char str[2] = { c, '\0' };
-				return stack::push(L, str);
+				return stack::push(L, str, 1);
 			}
 		};
 
@@ -374,6 +379,11 @@ namespace sol {
 				lua_pushlstring(L, str.c_str(), str.size());
 				return 1;
 			}
+
+			static int push(lua_State* L, const std::string& str, std::size_t sz) {
+				lua_pushlstring(L, str.c_str(), sz);
+				return 1;
+			}
 		};
 
 		template<>
diff --git a/test_strings.cpp b/test_strings.cpp
index 114c572c..1e2cfe46 100644
--- a/test_strings.cpp
+++ b/test_strings.cpp
@@ -92,3 +92,14 @@ TEST_CASE("detail/demangling", "test some basic demangling cases") {
 	REQUIRE(nsteststr == "ns_test");
 	REQUIRE(nsateststr == "ns_anon_test");
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("object/string-pushers", "test some basic string pushers with in_place constructor") {
+	sol::state lua;
+
+	sol::object ocs(lua, sol::in_place, "bark\0bark", 9);
+	sol::object os(lua, sol::in_place<std::string>, std::string("bark\0bark", 9), 8);
+	bool test1 = os.as<std::string>() == std::string("bark\0bar", 8);
+	bool test2 = ocs.as<std::string>() == std::string("bark\0bark", 9);
+	REQUIRE(test1);
+	REQUIRE(test2);
+}