diff --git a/plugins/cheat/init.lua b/plugins/cheat/init.lua
index 2dee3677f34..ecaf6237377 100644
--- a/plugins/cheat/init.lua
+++ b/plugins/cheat/init.lua
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
 --     ...
 --   },
 --   "screen": {
---     "varname": "tag"
---   },
+--     "varname": "tag",
 --     ...
+--   },
 --   "region": {
 --     "varname": "tag",
 --     ...
@@ -153,16 +153,18 @@ function cheat.startplugin()
 				    tobcd = tobcd,
 				    frombcd = frombcd,
 				    pairs = pairs,
-				    ipairs = ipairs }
+				    ipairs = ipairs,
+			    	    table_insert = table.insert,
+			    	    table_remove = table.remove }
 		cheat.enabled = false
 		-- verify scripts are valid first
 		if not cheat.script then
 			return
 		end
 		for name, script in pairs(cheat.script) do
-			script = load(script, cheat.desc .. name, "t", cheat.cheat_env)
+			script, err = load(script, cheat.desc .. name, "t", cheat.cheat_env)
 			if not script then
-				print("error loading cheat script: " .. cheat.desc)
+				print("error loading cheat script: " .. cheat.desc .. " " .. err)
 				cheat = { desc = cheat.desc .. " error" }
 				return
 			end
@@ -233,21 +235,9 @@ function cheat.startplugin()
 		if not param then
 			return
 		end
-		if not param.min then
-			param.min = 0
-		else
-			param.min = tonumber(param.min)
-		end
-		if not param.max then
-			param.max = #param.item
-		else
-			param.max = tonumber(param.max)
-		end
-		if not param.step then
-			param.step = 1
-		else
-			param.step = tonumber(param.step)
-		end
+		param.min = tonumber(param.min) or 0
+		param.min = tonumber(param.min) or #param.item
+		param.step = tonumber(param.step) or 1
 		if param.item then
 			for count, item in pairs(param.item) do
 				if not item.value then
@@ -432,13 +422,13 @@ function cheat.startplugin()
 
 	emu.register_start(function()
 		cheats = load_cheats()
-		for num, cheat in ipairs(cheats) do
+		for num, cheat in pairs(cheats) do
 			parse_cheat(cheat)
 		end
 	end)
 
 	emu.register_frame(function()
-		for num, cheat in ipairs(cheats) do
+		for num, cheat in pairs(cheats) do
 			if cheat.enabled and cheat.script.run then
 				cheat.script.run()
 			end
@@ -447,7 +437,7 @@ function cheat.startplugin()
 
 	emu.register_frame_done(function()
 		line = 0
-		for num, draw in ipairs(output) do
+		for num, draw in pairs(output) do
 			if draw.type == "text" then
 				if not draw.color then
 					draw.scr:draw_text(draw.x, draw.y, draw.str)
@@ -455,9 +445,9 @@ function cheat.startplugin()
 					draw.scr:draw_text(draw.x, draw.y, draw.str, draw.color)
 				end
 			elseif draw.type == "line" then
-				draw.scr:draw_line(draw.x1, draw.x2, draw.y1, draw.y2, draw.color)
+				draw.scr:draw_line(draw.x1, draw.y1, draw.x2, draw.y2, draw.color)
 			elseif draw.type == "box" then
-				draw.scr:draw_box(draw.x1, draw.x2, draw.y1, draw.y2, draw.bgcolor, draw.linecolor)
+				draw.scr:draw_box(draw.x1, draw.y1, draw.x2, draw.y2, draw.bgcolor, draw.linecolor)
 			end
 		end
 		output = {}