diff --git a/sol/stack_check_get_qualified.hpp b/sol/stack_check_get_qualified.hpp
index 06f2a4bc..164d5cd0 100644
--- a/sol/stack_check_get_qualified.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_check_get_qualified.hpp
@@ -25,27 +25,12 @@
 #define SOL_STACK_CHECK_QUALIFIED_GET_HPP
 
 #include "stack_core.hpp"
-#include "stack_get.hpp"
-#include "stack_check.hpp"
-#include "optional.hpp"
-#include <cstdlib>
-#include <cmath>
+#include "stack_check_get_unqualified.hpp"
 
 namespace sol {
 namespace stack {
 	template <typename T, typename C>
-	struct qualified_check_getter {
-		typedef decltype(stack_detail::unchecked_get<T>(nullptr, 0, std::declval<record&>())) R;
-
-		template <typename Handler>
-		static optional<R> get(lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record& tracking) {
-			if (!check<T>(L, index, std::forward<Handler>(handler))) {
-				tracking.use(static_cast<int>(!lua_isnone(L, index)));
-				return nullopt;
-			}
-			return stack_detail::unchecked_get<T>(L, index, tracking);
-		}
-	};
+	struct qualified_check_getter : check_getter<meta::unqualified_t<T>, C> {};
 }
 } // namespace sol::stack
 
diff --git a/sol/stack_check_get_unqualified.hpp b/sol/stack_check_get_unqualified.hpp
index de45076a..4bb3ed95 100644
--- a/sol/stack_check_get_unqualified.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_check_get_unqualified.hpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ namespace stack {
 		static optional<T> get(lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record& tracking) {
 			// actually check if it's none here, otherwise
 			// we'll have a none object inside an optional!
-			bool success = stack::check<T>(L, index, no_panic);
+			bool success = lua_isnoneornil(L, index) == 0 && stack::check<T>(L, index, no_panic);
 			if (!success) {
 				// expected type, actual type
 				tracking.use(static_cast<int>(success));
@@ -64,14 +64,6 @@ namespace stack {
 		}
 	};
 
-	template <typename T>
-	struct check_getter<optional<T>> {
-		template <typename Handler>
-		static decltype(auto) get(lua_State* L, int index, Handler&&, record& tracking) {
-			return check_get<T>(L, index, no_panic, tracking);
-		}
-	};
-
 	template <typename T>
 	struct check_getter<T, std::enable_if_t<std::is_integral<T>::value && lua_type_of<T>::value == type::number>> {
 		template <typename Handler>
diff --git a/sol/stack_core.hpp b/sol/stack_core.hpp
index f3a2b789..ea36cd38 100644
--- a/sol/stack_core.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack_core.hpp
@@ -767,7 +767,8 @@ namespace sol {
 
 		template <typename T, typename Handler>
 		inline decltype(auto) unqualified_check_get(lua_State* L, int index, Handler&& handler, record& tracking) {
-			check_getter<T> cg{};
+			typedef meta::unqualified_t<T> Tu;
+			check_getter<Tu> cg{};
 			(void)cg;
 			return cg.get(L, index, std::forward<Handler>(handler), tracking);
 		}
diff --git a/sol/types.hpp b/sol/types.hpp
index 2a7da05c..e06ffba3 100644
--- a/sol/types.hpp
+++ b/sol/types.hpp
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ namespace sol {
 	struct is_environment : std::integral_constant<bool, is_userdata<T>::value || is_table<T>::value> {};
 
 	template <typename T>
-	struct is_automagical : std::true_type {};
+	struct is_automagical : meta::neg<std::is_array<meta::unqualified_t<T>>> {};
 
 	template <typename T>
 	inline type type_of() {
diff --git a/sol/usertype_core.hpp b/sol/usertype_core.hpp
index d084868c..c4e7751e 100644
--- a/sol/usertype_core.hpp
+++ b/sol/usertype_core.hpp
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ namespace sol {
 
 		template <typename T, typename Op>
 		int comparsion_operator_wrap(lua_State* L) {
-			auto maybel = stack::unqualified_check_get<T>(L, 1);
+			auto maybel = stack::unqualified_check_get<T&>(L, 1);
 			if (maybel) {
 				auto mayber = stack::unqualified_check_get<T&>(L, 2);
 				if (mayber) {
diff --git a/tests/tests.cpp b/tests/tests.cpp
index 4cd8801d..33f33df0 100644
--- a/tests/tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/tests.cpp
@@ -542,6 +542,27 @@ TEST_CASE("optional/left out args", "Make sure arguments can be left out of opti
 	}());
 }
 
+TEST_CASE("optional/engaged versus unengaged", "solidify semantics for an engaged and unengaged optional") {
+	sol::state lua;
+	lua.open_libraries(sol::lib::base);
+
+	lua.set_function("f", [](sol::optional<sol::object> optional_arg) {
+		if (optional_arg) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	});
+
+	auto valid0 = lua.safe_script("assert(not f())", sol::script_pass_on_error);
+	REQUIRE(valid0.valid());
+	auto valid1 = lua.safe_script("assert(not f(nil))", sol::script_pass_on_error);
+	REQUIRE(valid1.valid());
+	auto valid2 = lua.safe_script("assert(f(1))", sol::script_pass_on_error);
+	REQUIRE(valid2.valid());
+	auto valid3 = lua.safe_script("assert(f('hi'))", sol::script_pass_on_error);
+	REQUIRE(valid3.valid());
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("pusher/constness", "Make sure more types can handle being const and junk") {
 	struct Foo {
 		Foo(const sol::function& f)