diff --git a/sys/unix/Makefile.src b/sys/unix/Makefile.src
index 74d3307f6..10e833f61 100644
--- a/sys/unix/Makefile.src
+++ b/sys/unix/Makefile.src
@@ -673,8 +673,8 @@ Sysatt:	$(HOSTOBJ) $(HOBJ) $(TARGET_HACKLIB) $(GENTILEOFILE) \
 		$(DATE_O) $(BUILDMORE) Makefile
 	@echo "Loading $(GAME)."
 	$(AT)$(LD) $(TARGET_LFLAGS) /lib/crt0s.o /lib/shlib.ifile \
-		-o $(GAMEBIN) $(HOSTOBJ) $(HOBJ) $(DATE_O) $(TARGET_HACKLIB) \
-		$(LUALIBS)
+		-o $(GAMEBIN) $(HOSTOBJ) $(HOBJ) $(DATE_O) \
+		$(TARGET_HACKLIB) $(LUALIBS)
 	@touch Sysatt
 
 Systos:	$(HOSTOBJ) $(HOBJ) $(TARGET_HACKLIB) $(GENTILEOFILE) \
diff --git a/sys/unix/Makefile.top b/sys/unix/Makefile.top
index 5ecca3232..6641bc116 100644
--- a/sys/unix/Makefile.top
+++ b/sys/unix/Makefile.top
@@ -121,13 +121,14 @@ DAT = $(DATNODLB) $(DATDLB)
 RECOVERBIN = recover
 
 # Lua
-LUAHEADERS = lib/lua-$(LUA_VERSION)/src
-LUATESTTARGET = $(LUAHEADERS)/lua.h
-LUATOP = $(LUAHEADERS)
-LUAMAKEFLAGS = CC='$(CC)' SYSCFLAGS='$(SYSCFLAGS)'
-LUA2NHTOP = ../../..
-LUABASELIB = liblua-$(LUA_VERSION).a
-TOPLUALIB = lib/lua/$(LUABASELIB)
+LUAHEADERS ?= lib/lua-$(LUA_VERSION)/src
+LUATESTTARGET ?= $(LUAHEADERS)/lua.h
+LUATOP ?= $(LUAHEADERS)
+LUAMAKEFLAGS ?= CC='$(CC)' SYSCFLAGS='$(SYSCFLAGS)'
+LUA2NHTOP ?= ../../..
+LUABASELIB ?= liblua-$(LUA_VERSION).a
+TOPLUALIB ?= lib/lua/$(LUABASELIB)
+LUAHPREFIX ?= ../
 
 ALLDEP = $(PRECHECK) $(GAME) recover Guidebook $(VARDAT) spec_levs check-dlb
 
@@ -149,12 +150,12 @@ $(TOPLUALIB): $(LUATOP)/liblua.a
 
 include/nhlua.h: $(TOPLUALIB)
 	echo '/* nhlua.h - generated by top Makefile */' > $@
-	@echo '#include "../$(LUAHEADERS)/lua.h"' >> $@
+	@echo '#include "$(LUAHPREFIX)$(LUAHEADERS)/lua.h"' >> $@
 	@sed -e '/(lua_error)/!d' \
 		-e '/(lua_error)/s/LUA_API/ATTRNORETURN LUA_API/1' \
 		-e '/(lua_error)/s/;/ NORETURN;/1' < $(LUAHEADERS)/lua.h >> $@
-	@echo '#include "../$(LUAHEADERS)/lualib.h"' >> $@
-	@echo '#include "../$(LUAHEADERS)/lauxlib.h"' >> $@
+	@echo '#include "$(LUAHPREFIX)$(LUAHEADERS)/lualib.h"' >> $@
+	@echo '#include "$(LUAHPREFIX)$(LUAHEADERS)/lauxlib.h"' >> $@
 	@echo '/*nhlua.h*/' >> $@
 # LUATESTTARGET is this by default
 lib/lua-$(LUA_VERSION)/src/lua.h:
diff --git a/sys/unix/README-hints b/sys/unix/README-hints
index 283d1cf29..196f32734 100644
--- a/sys/unix/README-hints
+++ b/sys/unix/README-hints
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ make musl=1                   Build with settings appropriate for linking with
                               musl libc, instead of glibc. This causes
                               NOCRASHREPORT to be defined, and avoids the use
                               of 'col' during the build.
+make WANT_SYSTEM_LUA=1        Attempt to use an existing Lua package already
+                              on the system (initially for Alpine Linux).
 make resp=1                   Place the majority of the compiler switches into
                               a response file to de-clutter the build compiler
                               command lines and eliminate some of the
diff --git a/sys/unix/hints/linux.500 b/sys/unix/hints/linux.500
index 8a309bfe3..d8aebe39e 100755
--- a/sys/unix/hints/linux.500
+++ b/sys/unix/hints/linux.500
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 HINTSVERSION := 500
 
 ifdef MAKEFILE_TOP
+LUA_VERSION=5.4.8
 ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 PRECHECK+=checkmakefiles
 # all files included from this hints file get listed
@@ -67,6 +68,35 @@ USE_NOSTATICFN = 1
 
 #-INCLUDE compiler.500
 
+ifdef WANT_SYSTEM_LUA
+OS_ID := $(shell grep -E '^ID=' /etc/os-release 2>/dev/null | cut -d= -f2)
+ifeq ($(OS_ID),alpine)
+USE_SYSTEM_LUA=1
+CURSPKG = ncurses
+endif  # Alpine Linux
+
+ifeq "$(USE_SYSTEM_LUA)" "1"
+#5.4.8
+ifndef LUA_VERSION
+LUA_VERSION := 5.4.8
+endif
+LUASUBDELIM := $(subst ., ,$(LUA_VERSION))
+LUASHVER := $(word 1, $(LUASUBDELIM)).$(word 2, $(LUASUBDELIM))
+LUAHEADERS := /usr/include/lua$(LUASHVER)
+LUATESTTARGET := $(LUAHEADERS)/lua.h
+LUAHPREFIX :=
+LUAFLAGS := $(shell pkg-config --cflags lua-$(LUASHVER))
+LUALIBS := $(shell pkg-config --libs lua-$(LUASHVER))
+CFLAGS += $(LUAFLAGS)
+LUATOP=
+LUAMAKEFLAGS=
+LUA2NHTOP=
+LUABASELIB=
+TOPLUALIB=
+LUALIB=
+endif # USE_SYSTEM_LUA
+endif # WANT_SYSTEM_LUA
+
 ifdef WANT_WIN_QT
 ifdef WANT_WIN_QT5
 QTDIR=/usr
@@ -96,6 +126,7 @@ LFLAGS+=-fsanitize=undefined
 endif
 
 ifeq "$(USE_CURSESLIB)" "1"
+CURSPKG ?= ncursesw
 # default
 CURSESLIB = -lncurses -ltinfo
 # If CURSES_UNICODE is defined, we need ncursesw.
@@ -103,8 +134,8 @@ CURSESLIB = -lncurses -ltinfo
 # CURSESLIB = -lncurses -ltinfo
 ifdef MAKEFILE_SRC
 comma:=,
-NCURSES_LFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config ncursesw --libs)
-NCURSES_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config ncursesw --cflags)
+NCURSES_LFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config $(CURSPKG) --libs)
+NCURSES_CFLAGS = $(shell pkg-config $(CURSPKG) --cflags)
 ifeq (,$(findstring ncursesw, $(NCURSES_LFLAGS)))
 ifeq (,$(findstring ncurses, $(NCURSES_LFLAGS)))
 #this indicates that pkg-config itself was unavailable