diff --git a/cache.go b/cache.go
index 07a1829..553e91a 100644
--- a/cache.go
+++ b/cache.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package luar
 import (
 	"reflect"
 
-	"github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
+	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
 )
 
 func addMethods(L *lua.LState, c *Config, vtype reflect.Type, tbl *lua.LTable, ptrReceiver bool) {
@@ -20,6 +20,15 @@ func addMethods(L *lua.LState, c *Config, vtype reflect.Type, tbl *lua.LTable, p
 		for _, name := range namesFn(vtype, method) {
 			tbl.RawSetString(name, fn)
 		}
+
+		if c.PreprocessMetatables {
+			for j := 0; j < method.Type.NumIn(); j++ {
+				preprocessMetatables(L, c, method.Type.In(j))
+			}
+			for j := 0; j < method.Type.NumOut(); j++ {
+				preprocessMetatables(L, c, method.Type.Out(j))
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -86,6 +95,7 @@ func addFields(L *lua.LState, c *Config, vtype reflect.Type, tbl *lua.LTable) {
 				tbl.RawSetString(alias, ud)
 			}
 		}
+		preprocessMetatables(L, c, field.Type)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -95,6 +105,10 @@ func getMetatable(L *lua.LState, vtype reflect.Type) *lua.LTable {
 	if v := config.regular[vtype]; v != nil {
 		return v
 	}
+	if config.processing[vtype] {
+		return nil
+	}
+	config.processing[vtype] = true
 
 	var (
 		mt      *lua.LTable
@@ -184,7 +198,14 @@ func getMetatable(L *lua.LState, vtype reflect.Type) *lua.LTable {
 	mt.RawSetString("__metatable", lua.LString("gopher-luar"))
 	mt.RawSetString("methods", methods)
 
+	if process := config.Metatable; process != nil {
+		if newmt := process(L, vtype, mt, false); newmt != nil {
+			mt = newmt
+		}
+	}
+
 	config.regular[vtype] = mt
+	delete(config.processing, vtype)
 	return mt
 }
 
@@ -200,6 +221,39 @@ func getTypeMetatable(L *lua.LState, t reflect.Type) *lua.LTable {
 	mt.RawSetString("__eq", L.NewFunction(typeEq))
 	mt.RawSetString("__metatable", lua.LString("gopher-luar"))
 
+	if process := config.Metatable; process != nil {
+		if newmt := process(L, t, mt, true); newmt != nil {
+			mt = newmt
+		}
+	}
+
 	config.types = mt
 	return mt
 }
+
+func preprocessMetatables(L *lua.LState, c *Config, t reflect.Type) {
+	if !c.PreprocessMetatables || !doesGetMetatableHandle(t) {
+		return
+	}
+	getMetatable(L, t)
+	// also process the underlying type for containers
+	if k := t.Kind(); k == reflect.Ptr || k == reflect.Slice ||
+		k == reflect.Array || k == reflect.Chan {
+		if doesGetMetatableHandle(t.Elem()) {
+			preprocessMetatables(L, c, t.Elem())
+		}
+	} else if k == reflect.Map {
+		if doesGetMetatableHandle(t.Key()) {
+			preprocessMetatables(L, c, t.Key())
+		}
+		if doesGetMetatableHandle(t.Elem()) {
+			preprocessMetatables(L, c, t.Elem())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func doesGetMetatableHandle(t reflect.Type) bool {
+	k := t.Kind()
+	return k == reflect.Struct || k == reflect.Ptr || k == reflect.Slice ||
+		k == reflect.Array || k == reflect.Chan || k == reflect.Map
+}
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index b3f4736..40f5461 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package luar
 import (
 	"reflect"
 
-	"github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
+	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
 )
 
 // Config is used to define luar behaviour for a particular *lua.LState.
@@ -26,13 +26,46 @@ type Config struct {
 	//   - the method name and its name with a lowercase first letter
 	MethodNames func(t reflect.Type, m reflect.Method) []string
 
-	regular map[reflect.Type]*lua.LTable
-	types   *lua.LTable
+	// The metatable post-processor function. This gets run last, after the
+	// [default implementation] is done. If nil, skipped. You may use this to
+	// provide custom metamethods or the like for specific Go types.
+	//
+	// If the constructor parameter is true, the metatable is being created for
+	// the global constructor metatable; as such, this will only be called once.
+	//
+	// [default implementation]: https://github.com/layeh/gopher-luar/blob/master/cache.go#L92
+	Metatable func(L *lua.LState, t reflect.Type, mt *lua.LTable, constructor bool) *lua.LTable
+
+	// When true, all metatables are fully processed as soon as they are
+	// discovered. This increases memory use but enables operations that depend
+	// on complete metatable information (e.g., full annotation generation via
+	// the use of [Config.Metatable]).
+	//
+	// When false (default), metatables are processed only when needed. Calling
+	// [New] triggers initial processing, and further processing occurs only
+	// when a field, method, or call is accessed. If true, all referenced types
+	// are processed during New rather than on first use.
+	//
+	// This is not affected by [NewType] due to how luar is implemented. If you
+	// wish to do things based on the type of a [NewType], simply call [New] and
+	// unless you need it, discard the result.
+	PreprocessMetatables bool
+
+	// overhead: to prevent recursion for [Config.PreprocessMetatables], we must
+	// store a map of types that are currently being processed. I wanted to use
+	// [Config.regular] with an empty table, but [getMetatable] puts the exact
+	// number of entries as the capacity, and unless I make a second switch,
+	// I can't think of a good way to emulate this behaviour. This will work for
+	// now, I think. FIXME.
+	processing map[reflect.Type]bool
+	regular    map[reflect.Type]*lua.LTable
+	types      *lua.LTable
 }
 
 func newConfig() *Config {
 	return &Config{
-		regular: make(map[reflect.Type]*lua.LTable),
+		processing: make(map[reflect.Type]bool),
+		regular:    make(map[reflect.Type]*lua.LTable),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/preprocess_test.go b/preprocess_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..531386b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preprocess_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package luar
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
+)
+
+type Foo struct{ A Bar } // test field
+
+type Bar struct{ A int } // no-op
+
+func (b Bar) Baz() Baz { return Baz{A: struct{ A FooFoo }{}} } // test method
+
+type Baz struct{ A struct{ A FooFoo } } // test nested
+
+type FooFoo struct {
+	a FooBar
+	b FooBaz
+
+	T1 int
+	T2 string
+	T3 map[string]int
+	T4 []int
+} // b is hidden as field, visible as method
+
+func (f FooFoo) Baz(bar BarBaz) FooBaz { return f.b }
+
+type FooBar struct{ A int }
+
+type FooBaz struct{ A [][][]*[][]*[]*[][]*BarFoo } // ungodly depth achieved!
+
+type BarFoo struct{ A BarBar }
+
+type BarBar int
+
+type BarBaz interface{ Baz() FooBaz }
+
+func Test_preprocess(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("enabled", testPreprocess([]reflect.Type{
+		reflect.TypeOf(Foo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(Bar{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(Baz{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(struct{ A FooFoo }{}), // nested
+		reflect.TypeOf(FooFoo{}),
+		// reflect.TypeOf(FooBar{}), // hidden, skipped
+		reflect.TypeOf(FooBaz{}), // hidden as field, visible as method
+		// reflect.TypeOf(BarBar(0)), // not of interest
+		reflect.TypeOf([]int{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(map[string]int{}),
+
+		// oh no...
+		reflect.TypeOf([][][]*[][]*[]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf([][]*[][]*[]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf([]*[][]*[]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(&[][]*[]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf([][]*[]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf([]*[]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(&[]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf([]*[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(&[][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf([][]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf([]*BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(&BarFoo{}),
+		reflect.TypeOf(BarFoo{}),
+	}, true, New))
+	t.Run("disabled", testPreprocess([]reflect.Type{
+		reflect.TypeOf(Foo{}), // no preprocessing -> only the original type
+	}, false, New))
+
+	t.Run("type_enabled", testPreprocess([]reflect.Type{reflect.TypeOf(Foo{})}, true, NewType))
+	t.Run("type_disabled", testPreprocess([]reflect.Type{reflect.TypeOf(Foo{})}, false, NewType))
+}
+
+type newfn = func(L *lua.LState, value interface{}) lua.LValue
+
+func testPreprocess(expected []reflect.Type, preprocess bool, newfn newfn) func(t *testing.T) {
+	return func(t *testing.T) {
+		L := lua.NewState()
+		defer L.Close()
+
+		got := map[string]bool{}
+
+		GetConfig(L).PreprocessMetatables = preprocess
+		GetConfig(L).Metatable = func(L *lua.LState, t reflect.Type, mt *lua.LTable, constructor bool) *lua.LTable {
+			got[t.String()] = true
+			return mt
+		}
+
+		newfn(L, Foo{})
+
+		expectedM := map[string]bool{}
+		for _, v := range expected {
+			expectedM[v.String()] = true
+		}
+		for name := range expectedM {
+			if _, ok := got[name]; ok {
+				t.Logf("processed %s", name)
+			} else {
+				t.Errorf("expected %s to be processed", name)
+			}
+		}
+		for name := range got {
+			if _, ok := expectedM[name]; !ok {
+				t.Errorf("did not expect %s to be processed", name)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}