diff --git a/builtin/game/sscsm/init.lua b/builtin/game/sscsm/init.lua
index c9503d8b2..5251ea358 100644
--- a/builtin/game/sscsm/init.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/sscsm/init.lua
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ function sscsm.register(def)
 		error('Invalid "code" parameter passed to sscsm.register_csm.', 2)
 	end
 
+	if block_colon then
+		def.code = "local minetest=core;" .. def.code
+	end
 	def.code = sscsm.minify_code(def.code)
 	if (#def.name + #def.code) > 65300 then
 		error("The code (or name) passed to sscsm.register_csm is too large."
diff --git a/builtin/game/sscsm/minify.lua b/builtin/game/sscsm/minify.lua
index 47bb5f4f1..8fcb7718a 100644
--- a/builtin/game/sscsm/minify.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/sscsm/minify.lua
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 --
--- A primitive code minifier
+-- A primitive-ish code minifier
 --
--- Copyright © 2019-2021 by luk3yx
--- Copyright © 2020-2021 MultiCraft Development Team
+-- Copyright © 2023 by luk3yx
+-- Copyright © 2023 MultiCraft Development Team
 --
 -- This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 -- it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
@@ -19,114 +19,437 @@
 -- Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
 --
 
--- Find multiple patterns
-local function find_multiple(text, ...)
-	local n = select('#', ...)
-	local s, e, pattern
-	for i = 1, n do
-		local p = select(i, ...)
-		local s2, e2 = text:find(p)
-		if s2 and (not s or s2 < s) then
-			s, e, pattern = s2, e2 or s2, p
-		end
+local find, sub, byte = string.find, string.sub, string.byte
+local QUOTE, APOSTROPHE, LBRACKET, BACKSLASH, SPACE, TAB, CR, NEWLINE, HYPHEN,
+		DOT, EQUALS, COLON = byte('"\'[\\ \t\r\n-.=:', 1, -1)
+
+local function set(...)
+	local res = {}
+	for _, item in ipairs({...}) do
+		res[item] = true
 	end
-	return s, e, pattern
+	return res
 end
 
--- Matches
--- These take 2-3 arguments (code, res, char) and should return code and res.
-local matches = {
-	-- Handle multi-line strings
-	['%[=*%['] = function(code, res, char)
-		res = res .. char
-		char = char:sub(2, -2)
-		local s, e = code:find(']' .. char .. ']', nil, true)
-		if not s or not e then return code, res end
-		return code:sub(e + 1), res .. code:sub(1, e)
-	end,
+local whitespace_bytes = set(SPACE, TAB, CR, NEWLINE)
 
-	-- Handle regular comments
-	['--'] = function(code, res, char)
-		local s, e = code:find('\n', nil, true)
-		if not s or not e then return '', res end
+local function parse_long_string(code, idx, lineno)
+	local marker_start, marker_end = find(code, "^%[=*%[", idx)
+	if not marker_start then
+		return nil, lineno
+	end
 
-		-- Don't remove copyright or license information.
-		if e >= 7 then
-			local first_word = (code:match('^[ \t]*(%w+)') or ''):lower()
-			if first_word == 'copyright' or first_word == 'license' then
-				return code:sub(s), res .. char .. code:sub(1, s - 1)
+	local end_symbol = "]" .. ("="):rep(marker_end - marker_start - 1) .. "]"
+	local _, end_idx = find(code, end_symbol, marker_end + 1, true)
+	end_idx = end_idx or #code + 1
+
+	for i = marker_end + 1, end_idx - 1 do
+		if byte(code, i) == NEWLINE then
+			lineno = lineno + 1
+		end
+	end
+
+	return end_idx, lineno
+end
+
+local function tokenise(code)
+	local last_idx = 1
+	local lineno = 1
+	local next_token
+	return function()
+		-- Return the next token if set
+		if next_token ~= nil then
+			local res = next_token
+			next_token = nil
+			return res, lineno
+		end
+
+		local start_idx, end_idx = find(code, "[%(%):%.\n\"' \t\r%+%-%*/~=<>|;%[%],%{%}#%%%^]", last_idx)
+		if not start_idx then
+			-- HACK: Get the last token
+			if byte(code, -1) == NEWLINE then return end
+			code = code .. "\n"
+			start_idx, end_idx = #code, #code
+		end
+
+		local symbol = byte(code, start_idx)
+
+		if symbol == QUOTE or symbol == APOSTROPHE then
+			-- Quoted strings
+			local new_symbol
+			repeat
+				end_idx = end_idx + 1
+				new_symbol = byte(code, end_idx)
+				-- Skip over backslashes
+				if new_symbol == BACKSLASH then
+					end_idx = end_idx + 1
+				end
+			until symbol == new_symbol or new_symbol == nil
+		elseif whitespace_bytes[symbol] then
+			-- Consume spaces/tabs
+			while true do
+				if symbol == NEWLINE then lineno = lineno + 1 end
+
+				symbol = byte(code, end_idx + 1)
+				if not whitespace_bytes[symbol] then break end
+				end_idx = end_idx + 1
+			end
+		elseif symbol == LBRACKET then
+			-- Long strings (potentially)
+			end_idx, lineno = parse_long_string(code, start_idx, lineno)
+			if not end_idx then end_idx = start_idx end
+		elseif symbol == HYPHEN and byte(code, start_idx + 1) == HYPHEN then
+			-- Comments
+			end_idx, lineno = parse_long_string(code, start_idx + 2, lineno)
+			if not end_idx then
+				end_idx = find(code, "\n", start_idx, true) or #code + 1
+				lineno = lineno + 1
+			end
+		elseif symbol == DOT and byte(code, start_idx + 1) == DOT then
+			-- Varargs and string concatenation
+			end_idx = byte(code, start_idx + 2) == DOT and start_idx + 2 or start_idx + 1
+		elseif (symbol == COLON or symbol == EQUALS) and byte(code, start_idx + 1) == symbol then
+			-- == and goto labels
+			end_idx = start_idx + 1
+		end
+		next_token = sub(code, start_idx, end_idx)
+
+		local res = sub(code, last_idx, start_idx - 1)
+		if res == "" and next_token then
+			res, next_token = next_token, nil
+		end
+		last_idx = end_idx + 1
+		return res, lineno
+	end
+end
+
+-- local string_starting_tokens = set(QUOTE, APOSTROPHE, LBRACKET)
+
+local keywords = set("and", "break", "do", "else", "elseif", "end", "for",
+	"function", "if", "in", "local", "not", "or", "repeat", "return", "then",
+	"until", "while")
+local scope_begin = set("then", "do", "repeat")
+local scope_end = set("end", "until", "elseif")
+local operators = set("+", "-", "*", "/", "^", "%", "=", "==", "~=", "<", "<<",
+	"<=", ">", ">>", ">=", "&", "|", "~", "//", "and", "or", "..", "#", "not")
+
+local function copy_scope(scope)
+	return setmetatable({}, {__index = scope})
+end
+
+local function minify(code)
+	local locals_count = 0
+	local function new_var_name(scope, name)
+		locals_count = locals_count + 1
+		local var = ("_%x"):format(locals_count)
+		scope[name] = var
+		return var
+	end
+
+
+	-- Remove whitespace and comments when iterating
+	local raw_token_iterator = tokenise(code)
+	local need_whitespace = false
+	local next_token
+	local lineno_cache = -1
+	local function token_iterator()
+		if next_token ~= nil then
+			local token = next_token
+			next_token = nil
+			return token, lineno_cache
+		end
+
+		for token, lineno in raw_token_iterator do
+			local first_byte = byte(token, 1)
+			if whitespace_bytes[first_byte] or
+					(first_byte == HYPHEN and byte(token, 2) == HYPHEN) then
+				need_whitespace = true
+			else
+				lineno_cache = lineno
+				return token, lineno
+			end
+		end
+	end
+
+	-- Write tokens and any whitespace if necessary
+	local res = {}
+	local last_token = ""
+	local function write_token(token)
+		if need_whitespace then
+			need_whitespace = false
+			if (token:find("^[A-Za-z0-9_]") and last_token:find("[A-Za-z0-9_]$")) or
+					(token == ".." and last_token:find("[0-9]$") or
+					(token == "-" and last_token == "-")) then
+				res[#res + 1] = " "
 			end
 		end
 
-		-- Shift trailing spaces back
-		local spaces = res:match('(%s*)$') or ''
-		return spaces .. code:sub(s), res:sub(1, #res - #spaces)
-	end,
-
-	-- Handle multi-line comments
-	['%-%-%[=*%['] = function(code, res, char)
-		char = char:sub(4, -2)
-		local s, e = code:find(']' .. char .. ']', nil, true)
-		if not s or not e then return code, res end
-
-		-- Shift trailing spaces back
-		local spaces = res:match('(%s*)$') or ''
-		return spaces .. code:sub(e + 1), res:sub(1, #res - #spaces)
-	end,
-
-	-- Handle quoted text
-	['"'] = function(code, res, char)
-		res = res .. char
-
-		-- Handle backslashes
-		repeat
-			local _, e, pattern = find_multiple(code, '\\', char)
-			if pattern == char then
-				res = res .. code:sub(1, e)
-				code = code:sub(e + 1)
-			elseif pattern then
-				res = res .. code:sub(1, e + 1)
-				code = code:sub(e + 2)
-			end
-		until not pattern or pattern == char
-
-		return code, res
-	end,
-
-	['%s*[\r\n]%s*'] = function(code, res, char)
-		return code, res .. '\n'
-	end,
-
-	['[ \t]+'] = function(code, res, char)
-		return code, res .. ' '
-	end,
-}
-
--- Give the functions alternate names
-matches["'"] = matches['"']
-
--- The actual transpiler
-return function(code)
-	assert(type(code) == 'string')
-
-	local res = ''
-
-	-- Split the code by "tokens"
-	while true do
-		-- Search for special characters
-		local s, e, pattern = find_multiple(code, '[\'"\\]', '%-%-%[=*%[',
-			'%-%-', '%[=*%[', '%s*[\r\n]%s*', '[ \t]+')
-		if not s then break end
-
-		-- Add non-matching characters
-		res = res .. code:sub(1, math.max(s - 1, 0))
-
-		-- Call the correct function
-		local char = code:sub(s, e)
-		local func = matches[char] or matches[pattern]
-		assert(func, 'No function found for pattern!')
-		code, res = func(code:sub(e + 1), res, char)
+		res[#res + 1] = token
+		last_token = token
 	end
 
-	return (res .. code):trim()
+	-- Expects to be called after the ( token
+	local process_block
+	local function process_function(old_scope)
+		local scope = copy_scope(old_scope)
+		write_token("(")
+		local token, lineno = token_iterator()
+		while token do
+			if token == ")" then
+				write_token(")")
+				process_block(copy_scope(scope), "function")
+				return
+			end
+			assert(not scope_begin[token] and not scope_end[token], token)
+
+			if token ~= "..." then
+				token = new_var_name(scope, token)
+			end
+			write_token(token)
+
+			token, lineno = token_iterator()
+			if token == "," then
+				write_token(",")
+				token, lineno = token_iterator()
+			elseif token ~= ")" then
+				error(("Unexpected token %q on line %d"):format(token, lineno))
+			end
+		end
+
+		error("Unexpected EOF on line " .. lineno)
+	end
+
+	local function process_declaration(scope)
+		write_token("local")
+
+		local token = token_iterator()
+		if token == "function" then
+			write_token("function")
+			write_token(new_var_name(scope, token_iterator()))
+			assert(token_iterator() == "(", "Expected ( after local function")
+			process_function(scope)
+			return
+		end
+
+		local var_names = {}
+		local var_count = 0
+		while true do
+			-- Variable name
+			write_token(token)
+			var_names[#var_names + 1] = #res
+			var_count = var_count + 1
+
+			token = token_iterator()
+			if token == "," then
+				write_token(token)
+				token = token_iterator()
+			elseif token == "=" then
+				write_token("=")
+				for i = 1, var_count do
+					process_block(scope, "local")
+					if i < var_count then
+						token = token_iterator()
+						if token ~= "," then
+							next_token = token
+							break
+						end
+						write_token(",")
+					end
+				end
+				break
+			else
+				next_token = token
+				break
+			end
+		end
+
+		for _, res_idx in ipairs(var_names) do
+			res[res_idx] = new_var_name(scope, res[res_idx])
+		end
+	end
+
+	local function process_table(scope)
+		write_token("{")
+		while true do
+			local token = token_iterator()
+
+			-- Key
+			local expect_value = false
+			if token ~= "function" and token:find("^[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*$") then
+				assert(not keywords[token])
+
+				-- If this is a variable name then swap it with the scope
+				next_token = token_iterator()
+				expect_value = next_token == "="
+				if expect_value then
+					write_token(token)
+				else
+					write_token(scope[token] or token)
+					if next_token ~= "," and next_token ~= "}" then
+						need_whitespace = true
+						process_block(scope, "{")
+					end
+				end
+			elseif token == "[" then
+				write_token("[")
+				process_block(scope, "[")
+				expect_value = true
+			elseif token == "}" then
+				if res[#res] == "," then
+					res[#res] = "}"
+				else
+					write_token(token)
+				end
+				break
+			else
+				next_token = token
+				process_block(scope, "{")
+			end
+
+			-- Separator (, or =)
+			local lineno
+			token, lineno = token_iterator()
+			if expect_value then
+				assert(token == "=")
+				write_token("=")
+				process_block(scope, "{")
+
+				token, lineno = token_iterator()
+			end
+
+			write_token(token)
+
+			if token == "}" then
+				break
+			elseif token ~= "," then
+				error(("Unexpected token %q on line %d, expected ','"):format(token, lineno))
+			end
+		end
+	end
+
+	function process_block(scope, block_start)
+		local for_scope
+		for token, lineno in token_iterator do
+			local token_first_byte = byte(token)
+			if whitespace_bytes[token_first_byte] then
+				if last_token and last_token:find("[A-Za-z0-9_]$") then
+					need_whitespace = true
+				end
+			elseif token == "function" then
+				-- Process functions
+				-- TODO: Maybe make this verify syntax?
+				write_token("function")
+				local first = true
+				for token2 in token_iterator do
+					if token2 == "(" then
+						process_function(scope)
+						break
+					end
+					write_token(first and scope[token2] or token2)
+					first = false
+				end
+			elseif token == "local" then
+				-- Process local declarations
+				assert(block_start ~= "local")
+				process_declaration(scope)
+			elseif token == "for" then
+				assert(block_start ~= "local")
+				write_token("for")
+				for_scope = copy_scope(scope)
+				for_scope["?"] = lineno
+				for token2 in token_iterator do
+					if token2 == "," then
+						write_token(token2)
+					elseif token2 == "in" or token2 == "=" then
+						write_token(token2)
+						break
+					else
+						write_token(new_var_name(for_scope, token2))
+					end
+				end
+			elseif scope_begin[token] then
+				write_token(token)
+				if not for_scope then
+					process_block(copy_scope(scope), token)
+				elseif token ~= "do" then
+					error(("Unexpected token %q on line %d (for statement on line %d)"):format(token, lineno, for_scope["?"]))
+				else
+					process_block(for_scope, token)
+					for_scope = nil
+				end
+			elseif scope_end[token] then
+				if token == "elseif" then
+					assert(block_start == "then", "Mismatched elseif")
+				elseif block_start == "repeat" then
+					assert(token == "until", "Mismatched until")
+					write_token(token)
+					process_block(scope, "local")
+					return
+				elseif token ~= "end" or block_start == nil or block_start == "(" or block_start == "local" then
+					error("Mismatched end on line " .. lineno)
+				end
+
+				write_token(token)
+				return
+
+			-- Use recursion with brackets if required
+			elseif (token == "(" or token == "[") and
+					(token == block_start or block_start == "{" or block_start == "local") then
+				write_token(token)
+				process_block(scope, token)
+			elseif (token == ")" and block_start == "(") or
+					(token == "]" and block_start == "[") then
+				write_token(token)
+				return
+
+			elseif token == "else" then
+				assert(block_start == "then", "Mismatched else")
+
+				-- Reset the scope
+				for var in pairs(scope) do
+					scope[var] = nil
+				end
+				write_token(token)
+
+			elseif token == "{" then
+				-- Parse tables
+				process_table(scope)
+
+			elseif token == "." or token == ":" then
+				-- Parse attributes
+				write_token(token)
+
+				local new_token = assert(token_iterator(), "Expected attribute, got EOF")
+				if new_token:find("^[A-Za-z0-9_]") then
+					-- Attribute (or decimal place on a number)
+					write_token(new_token)
+				else
+					-- Not an attribute (for example 1.)
+					next_token = new_token
+				end
+			else
+				write_token(scope[token] or token)
+			end
+
+			-- Peek at the next token
+			if (block_start == "local" or block_start == "{") and not operators[token] then
+				next_token = token_iterator()
+				if next_token == nil or next_token == "," or
+						(block_start == "{" and next_token == "}") or (next_token ~= "and" and
+						next_token ~= "or" and next_token:find("^[A-Za-z0-9_]")) then
+					return
+				end
+			end
+		end
+	end
+
+	process_block({})
+	local token, lineno = token_iterator()
+	if token then
+		error(("Unexpected data %q on line %d, expected EOF"):format(token, lineno))
+	end
+
+	return table.concat(res)
 end
+
+return minify