diff --git a/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.cpp b/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.cpp
index e02170e99..3726f7d63 100644
--- a/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.cpp
+++ b/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.cpp
@@ -146,5 +146,12 @@ bool peek(lua_State *L, std::string *out, StackIdx idx)
     *out = std::string(str, len);
     return true;
 }
+
+QString toString(lua_State *L, StackIdx idx)
+{
+    size_t len{};
+    const auto *ptr = luaL_tolstring(L, idx, &len);
+    return QString::fromUtf8(ptr, int(len));
+}
 }  // namespace chatterino::lua
 #endif
diff --git a/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.hpp b/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.hpp
index 132a1e26e..eb0a8d661 100644
--- a/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.hpp
+++ b/src/controllers/plugins/LuaUtilities.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #    include <QList>
 
+#    include <string>
 #    include <vector>
 struct lua_State;
 class QJsonObject;
@@ -35,6 +36,9 @@ bool peek(lua_State *L, QString *out, StackIdx idx = -1);
 bool peek(lua_State *L, QByteArray *out, StackIdx idx = -1);
 bool peek(lua_State *L, std::string *out, StackIdx idx = -1);
 
+// forces conversion of value at idx to a string
+QString toString(lua_State *L, StackIdx idx = -1);
+
 /// TEMPLATES
 
 template <typename T>