diff --git a/sol/function_types_allocator.hpp b/sol/function_types_allocator.hpp
index 5d463700..94fc2068 100644
--- a/sol/function_types_allocator.hpp
+++ b/sol/function_types_allocator.hpp
@@ -60,8 +60,9 @@ inline int construct(Match&& matchfx, lua_State* L, int fxarity, int start) {
 template <typename T, typename... TypeLists>
 inline int construct(lua_State* L) {
     static const auto& meta = usertype_traits<T>::metatable;
-    call_syntax syntax = stack::get_call_syntax(L, meta, 1);
-    int argcount = lua_gettop(L) - static_cast<int>(syntax);
+    int argcount = lua_gettop(L);
+    call_syntax syntax = argcount > 0 ? stack::get_call_syntax(L, meta, 1) : call_syntax::dot;
+    argcount -= static_cast<int>(syntax);
 
     T** pointerpointer = reinterpret_cast<T**>(lua_newuserdata(L, sizeof(T*) + sizeof(T)));
     T*& referencepointer = *pointerpointer;
diff --git a/sol/proxy.hpp b/sol/proxy.hpp
index c68c5ad7..c0fe3a99 100644
--- a/sol/proxy.hpp
+++ b/sol/proxy.hpp
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ public:
     }
 
     bool valid () const {
-        auto p = stack::probe_get_field<std::is_same<meta::Unqualified<Table>, global_table>::value>(tbl.lua_state(), key);
+        stack::push_pop(tbl);
+        auto p = stack::probe_get_field<std::is_same<meta::Unqualified<Table>, global_table>::value>(tbl.lua_state(), key, lua_gettop(tbl.lua_state()));
         lua_pop(tbl.lua_state(), p.levels);
         return p;
     }
diff --git a/sol/reference.hpp b/sol/reference.hpp
index 2c14cc0b..6a9607c1 100644
--- a/sol/reference.hpp
+++ b/sol/reference.hpp
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public:
 inline bool operator== (const reference& l, const reference& r) {
     auto ppl = stack::push_pop(l);
     auto ppr = stack::push_pop(r);
-    return lua_compare(l.lua_state(), -1, -2, LUA_OPEQ) == 0;
+    return lua_compare(l.lua_state(), -1, -2, LUA_OPEQ) == 1;
 }
 
 inline bool operator!= (const reference& l, const reference& r) {
diff --git a/sol/stack_field.hpp b/sol/stack_field.hpp
index ed9c4d08..3b576d72 100644
--- a/sol/stack_field.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_field.hpp
@@ -168,13 +168,13 @@ struct field_setter<std::tuple<Args...>, b, C> {
     template <bool g, std::size_t I, typename Key, typename Value>
     void apply(std::index_sequence<I>, lua_State* L, Key&& keys, Value&& value, int tableindex) {
         I < 1 ? 
-            set_field<g>(L, detail::forward_get<I>(keys), std::forward<Value>(value)) :
-            set_field<g>(L, detail::forward_get<I>(keys), std::forward<Value>(value), tableindex);
+            set_field<g>(L, detail::forward_get<I>(keys), std::forward<Value>(value), tableindex) :
+            set_field<g>(L, detail::forward_get<I>(keys), std::forward<Value>(value));
     }
 
     template <bool g, std::size_t I0, std::size_t I1, std::size_t... I, typename Keys, typename Value>
     void apply(std::index_sequence<I0, I1, I...>, lua_State* L, Keys&& keys, Value&& value, int tableindex) {
-        get_field<g>(L, detail::forward_get<I0>(keys), tableindex);
+        I0 < 1 ? get_field<g>(L, detail::forward_get<I0>(keys), tableindex) : get_field<g>(L, detail::forward_get<I0>(keys), -1);
         apply<false>(std::index_sequence<I1, I...>(), L, std::forward<Keys>(keys), std::forward<Value>(value), -1);
     }
 
diff --git a/sol/table_core.hpp b/sol/table_core.hpp
index 2228bed8..800dada2 100644
--- a/sol/table_core.hpp
+++ b/sol/table_core.hpp
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ class basic_table_core : public base_t {
         auto pp = stack::push_pop<top_level && (is_global<decltype(detail::forward_get<I * 2>(pairs))...>::value)>(*this);
         void(detail::swallow{ (stack::set_field<top_level>(base_t::lua_state(), 
             detail::forward_get<I * 2>(pairs),
-            detail::forward_get<I * 2 + 1>(pairs)
+            detail::forward_get<I * 2 + 1>(pairs),
+            lua_gettop(base_t::lua_state())
         ), 0)... });
     }
 
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ class basic_table_core : public base_t {
     template <bool global, typename T, std::size_t I, typename Key>
     decltype(auto) traverse_get_deep_optional( int& popcount, Key&& key ) const {
         typedef decltype(stack::get<T>(base_t::lua_state())) R;
-        auto p = stack::probe_get_field<global>(base_t::lua_state(), std::forward<Key>(key), -1);
+        auto p = stack::probe_get_field<global>(base_t::lua_state(), std::forward<Key>(key), lua_gettop(base_t::lua_state()));
         popcount += p.levels;
         if (!p.success)
             return R(nullopt);
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ class basic_table_core : public base_t {
 
     template <bool global, typename T, std::size_t I, typename Key, typename... Keys>
     decltype(auto) traverse_get_deep_optional( int& popcount, Key&& key, Keys&&... keys ) const {
-        auto p = I > 0 ? stack::probe_get_field<global>(base_t::lua_state(), std::forward<Key>(key), - 1) : stack::probe_get_field<global>( base_t::lua_state( ), std::forward<Key>( key ) );
+        auto p = I > 0 ? stack::probe_get_field<global>(base_t::lua_state(), std::forward<Key>(key), -1) : stack::probe_get_field<global>( base_t::lua_state( ), std::forward<Key>( key ), lua_gettop(base_t::lua_state()));
         popcount += p.levels;
         if (!p.success)
             return T(nullopt);