diff --git a/include/sol/stack_check_unqualified.hpp b/include/sol/stack_check_unqualified.hpp
index f9ed6b11..02af4e69 100644
--- a/include/sol/stack_check_unqualified.hpp
+++ b/include/sol/stack_check_unqualified.hpp
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@
 #include <functional>
 #include <utility>
 #include <cmath>
-#ifdef SOL_CXX17_FEATURES
-#ifdef SOL_STD_VARIANT
+#if defined(SOL_CXX17_FEATURES) && SOL_CXX17_FEATURES
+#include <optional>
+#if defined(SOL_STD_VARIANT) && SOL_STD_VARIANT
 #include <variant>
 #endif // SOL_STD_VARIANT
 #endif // SOL_CXX17_FEATURES
@@ -609,7 +610,26 @@ namespace stack {
 	};
 
 #if defined(SOL_CXX17_FEATURES) && SOL_CXX17_FEATURES
+
+	template <typename T, typename C>
+	struct checker<std::optional<T>, type::poly, C> {
+		template <typename Handler>
+		static bool check(lua_State* L, int index, Handler&&, record& tracking) {
+			type t = type_of(L, index);
+			if (t == type::none) {
+				tracking.use(0);
+				return true;
+			}
+			if (t == type::lua_nil) {
+				tracking.use(1);
+				return true;
+			}
+			return stack::check<T>(L, index, no_panic, tracking);
+		}
+	};
+
 #if defined(SOL_STD_VARIANT) && SOL_STD_VARIANT
+
 	template <typename... Tn, typename C>
 	struct checker<std::variant<Tn...>, type::poly, C> {
 		typedef std::variant<Tn...> V;
@@ -640,7 +660,9 @@ namespace stack {
 			return is_one(std::integral_constant<std::size_t, V_size::value>(), L, index, std::forward<Handler>(handler), tracking);
 		}
 	};
+
 #endif // SOL_STD_VARIANT
+
 #endif // SOL_CXX17_FEATURES
 }
 } // namespace sol::stack
diff --git a/include/sol/types.hpp b/include/sol/types.hpp
index c5a73e81..4976241f 100644
--- a/include/sol/types.hpp
+++ b/include/sol/types.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #if defined(SOL_CXX17_FEATURES) && SOL_CXX17_FEATURES
 #include <string_view>
+#include <optional>
 #ifdef SOL_STD_VARIANT
 #include <variant>
 #endif
@@ -981,6 +982,9 @@ namespace sol {
 		template <typename T>
 		struct lua_type_of<optional<T>> : std::integral_constant<type, type::poly> {};
 
+		template <typename T>
+		struct lua_type_of<std::optional<T>> : std::integral_constant<type, type::poly> {};
+
 		template <>
 		struct lua_type_of<variadic_args> : std::integral_constant<type, type::poly> {};
 
diff --git a/tests/test_utility.cpp b/tests/test_utility.cpp
index 5b1bbad6..b60d17d8 100644
--- a/tests/test_utility.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_utility.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 std::mutex basic_init_require_mutex;
 
 void basic_initialization_and_lib_open() {
-
 	sol::state lua;
 	try {
 		lua.open_libraries();
@@ -149,6 +148,25 @@ TEST_CASE("utility/optional", "test that shit optional can be round-tripped") {
 			REQUIRE_FALSE(result.valid());
 		};
 	}
+	SECTION("in classes") {
+		sol::state lua;
+		lua.open_libraries(sol::lib::base);
+
+		struct opt_c {
+			std::optional<int> member;
+		};
+
+		auto uto = lua.new_usertype<opt_c>("opt_c",
+			"value", &opt_c::member);
+
+		opt_c obj;
+		lua["obj"] = std::ref(obj);
+
+		lua.safe_script("print(obj.value) obj.value = 20  print(obj.value)");
+		REQUIRE(obj.member == 20);
+		lua.safe_script("print(obj.value) obj.value = nil print(obj.value)");
+		REQUIRE(obj.member == std::nullopt);
+	}
 #else
 	REQUIRE(true);
 #endif // C++17