diff --git a/stack.go b/stack.go
index 2570a54..3f45799 100644
--- a/stack.go
+++ b/stack.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package lua
 
-import "log"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+)
 
 func (l *State) push(v value) {
 	l.stack[l.top] = v
@@ -406,7 +409,10 @@ func (l *State) protect(f func()) (err error) {
 	nestedGoCallCount, protectFunction := l.nestedGoCallCount, l.protectFunction
 	l.protectFunction = func() {
 		if e := recover(); e != nil {
-			err = e.(error)
+			var ok bool
+			if err, ok = e.(error); !ok {
+				err = fmt.Errorf("%v", e)
+			}
 			l.nestedGoCallCount, l.protectFunction = nestedGoCallCount, protectFunction
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/vm_test.go b/vm_test.go
index e78570c..df385ba 100644
--- a/vm_test.go
+++ b/vm_test.go
@@ -351,6 +351,15 @@ func TestErrorf(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPanicWithString(t *testing.T) {
+	l := NewState()
+	OpenLibraries(l)
+	LoadString(l, "debug.gethook()")
+	if err := l.ProtectedCall(0, 0, 0); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected an error, got none")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPairsSplit(t *testing.T) {
 	testString(t, `
 	local t = {}