diff --git a/sol/stack.hpp b/sol/stack.hpp
index 8d2648c9..fb3b1f3f 100644
--- a/sol/stack.hpp
+++ b/sol/stack.hpp
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ namespace sol {
 			}
 		} // stack_detail
 
+		template <typename T>
+		int set_ref(lua_State* L, T&& arg, int tableindex = -2) {
+			push(L, std::forward<T>(arg));
+			return luaL_ref(L, tableindex);
+		}
+
 		inline void remove(lua_State* L, int index, int count) {
 			if (count < 1)
 				return;
diff --git a/sol/table_core.hpp b/sol/table_core.hpp
index b325227b..fd7a3c30 100644
--- a/sol/table_core.hpp
+++ b/sol/table_core.hpp
@@ -334,11 +334,9 @@ namespace sol {
 		template <typename... Args>
 		basic_table_core& add(Args&&... args) {
 			auto pp = stack::push_pop(*this);
-			auto action = [&](auto&& arg) {
-				stack::push(base_t::lua_state(), std::forward<decltype(arg)>(arg));
-				luaL_ref(base_t::lua_state(), -2);
+			(void)detail::swallow{0, 
+				(stack::set_ref(base_t::lua_state(), std::forward<Args>(args)), 0)...
 			};
-			(void)detail::swallow{0, (action(std::forward<Args>(args)), 0)...};
 			return *this;
 		}