Index: nse_main.h
===================================================================
--- nse_main.h	(revision 11110)
+++ nse_main.h	(working copy)
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 class Target;
 int script_scan(std::vector<Target *> &targets);
+void script_scan_close(void);
 int script_updatedb();
 
 //parses the arguments provided to scripts via nmap's --script-args option 
Index: nmap.cc
===================================================================
--- nmap.cc	(revision 11110)
+++ nmap.cc	(working copy)
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@
 #include "traceroute.h"
 #include "nmap_tty.h"
 #include "nmap_dns.h"
+#include "nse_main.h"
 #include "services.h"
 #include "protocols.h"
 #include "targets.h"
@@ -1916,6 +1917,7 @@
   if (o.extra_payload) free(o.extra_payload);
   if (o.ipoptions) free(o.ipoptions);
 #ifndef NOLUA
+  script_scan_close();
   free(o.scriptargs);
 #endif
 }
Index: nse_main.cc
===================================================================
--- nse_main.cc	(revision 11111)
+++ nse_main.cc	(working copy)
@@ -219,6 +219,8 @@
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static lua_State* L = NULL;
+
 /* open a lua instance
  * open the lua standard libraries
  * open all the scripts and prepare them for execution
@@ -232,7 +234,6 @@
 	std::list<struct thread_record>::iterator thr_iter;
 	std::list<struct thread_record> torun_threads;
     std::vector<std::string>::iterator script_iter;
-	lua_State* L;
 
 	o.current_scantype = SCRIPT_SCAN;
 
@@ -251,54 +252,56 @@
 				SCRIPT_ENGINE, (*targets.begin())->NameIP(targetstr, sizeof(targetstr)));
 	)
 
-	L = luaL_newstate();
-	if (L == NULL) {
-		error("%s: Failed luaL_newstate()", SCRIPT_ENGINE);
-        return SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
-	}
-    lua_atpanic(L, panic);
+    if (L == NULL) {
+		L = luaL_newstate();
+		if (L == NULL) {
+			error("%s: Failed luaL_newstate()", SCRIPT_ENGINE);
+			return SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
+		}
+		lua_atpanic(L, panic);
 
-    status = lua_cpcall(L, init_lua, NULL);
-    if (status != 0)
-    {
-      error("%s: error while initializing Lua State:\n%s\n",
-          SCRIPT_ENGINE, lua_tostring(L, -1));
-      status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
-      goto finishup;
-    }
+		status = lua_cpcall(L, init_lua, NULL);
+		if (status != 0)
+		{
+		  error("%s: error while initializing Lua State:\n%s\n",
+			  SCRIPT_ENGINE, lua_tostring(L, -1));
+		  status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
+		  goto finishup;
+		}
 
-	//set the arguments - if provided
-    status = lua_cpcall(L, init_setargs, NULL);
-    if (status != 0)
-    {
-      error("%s: error while setting arguments for scripts:\n%s\n",
-          SCRIPT_ENGINE, lua_tostring(L, -1));
-      status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
-      goto finishup;
-    }
+		//set the arguments - if provided
+		status = lua_cpcall(L, init_setargs, NULL);
+		if (status != 0)
+		{
+		  error("%s: error while setting arguments for scripts:\n%s\n",
+			  SCRIPT_ENGINE, lua_tostring(L, -1));
+		  status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
+		  goto finishup;
+		}
 
-    lua_settop(L, 0); // safety, is 0 anyway
-    lua_rawgeti(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, errfunc); // index 1
+		lua_settop(L, 0); // safety, is 0 anyway
+		lua_rawgeti(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, errfunc); // index 1
 
-    if (!lua_checkstack(L, o.chosenScripts.size() + 1))
-    {
-      error("%s: stack overflow at %s:%d", SCRIPT_ENGINE, __FILE__, __LINE__);
-      status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
-      goto finishup;
-    }
-    lua_pushcclosure(L, init_rules, 0);
-    for (script_iter = o.chosenScripts.begin();
-         script_iter != o.chosenScripts.end();
-         script_iter++)
-      lua_pushstring(L, script_iter->c_str());
-    status = lua_pcall(L, o.chosenScripts.size(), 0, 1);
-    if (status != 0)
-    {
-      error("%s: error while initializing script rules:\n%s\n",
-          SCRIPT_ENGINE, lua_tostring(L, -1));
-      status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
-      goto finishup;
-    }
+		if (!lua_checkstack(L, o.chosenScripts.size() + 1))
+		{
+		  error("%s: stack overflow at %s:%d", SCRIPT_ENGINE, __FILE__, __LINE__);
+		  status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
+		  goto finishup;
+		}
+		lua_pushcclosure(L, init_rules, 0);
+		for (script_iter = o.chosenScripts.begin();
+			 script_iter != o.chosenScripts.end();
+			 script_iter++)
+		  lua_pushstring(L, script_iter->c_str());
+		status = lua_pcall(L, o.chosenScripts.size(), 0, 1);
+		if (status != 0)
+		{
+		  error("%s: error while initializing script rules:\n%s\n",
+			  SCRIPT_ENGINE, lua_tostring(L, -1));
+		  status = SCRIPT_ENGINE_ERROR;
+		  goto finishup;
+		}
+	}
 
 	SCRIPT_ENGINE_DEBUGGING(log_write(LOG_STDOUT, "%s: Matching rules.\n", SCRIPT_ENGINE);)
 
@@ -350,7 +353,7 @@
 	SCRIPT_ENGINE_DEBUGGING(
 			log_write(LOG_STDOUT, "%s: Script scanning completed.\n", SCRIPT_ENGINE);
 			)
-	lua_close(L);
+
 	torun_scripts.clear();
 	if(status != SCRIPT_ENGINE_SUCCESS) {
 		error("%s: Aborting script scan.", SCRIPT_ENGINE);
@@ -360,6 +363,11 @@
 	}
 }
 
+void script_scan_close(void) {
+	if (L != NULL)
+		lua_close(L);
+}
+
 int process_mainloop(lua_State *L) {
 	int state;
 	int unfinished = running_scripts.size() + waiting_scripts.size();