diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaAttributes.cs b/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaAttributes.cs
index ebfb733a93..dfb125d560 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaAttributes.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaAttributes.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,18 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 		public string Description { get; }
 	}
 
+	[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Method)]
+	public class LuaMethodExampleAttribute : Attribute
+	{
+		public LuaMethodExampleAttribute(string name, string example)
+		{
+			Example = example;
+		}
+
+		public string Name { get; }
+		public string Example { get; }
+	}
+
 	[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class)]
 	public class LuaLibraryAttribute : Attribute
 	{
diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaDocumentation.cs b/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaDocumentation.cs
index 34f0271d7e..9487336989 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaDocumentation.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.Common/lua/LuaDocumentation.cs
@@ -162,12 +162,13 @@ __Types and notation__
 	public class LibraryFunction
 	{
 		private readonly LuaMethodAttribute _luaAttributes;
+		private readonly LuaMethodExampleAttribute _luaExampleAttribute;
 		private readonly MethodInfo _method;
 
 		public LibraryFunction(string library, string libraryDescription, MethodInfo method)
 		{
-			_luaAttributes = method.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(LuaMethodAttribute), false)
-				.First() as LuaMethodAttribute;
+			_luaAttributes = method.GetCustomAttribute<LuaMethodAttribute>(false);
+			_luaExampleAttribute = method.GetCustomAttribute<LuaMethodExampleAttribute>(false);
 			_method = method;
 
 			Library = library;
@@ -183,6 +184,8 @@ __Types and notation__
 
 		public string Description => _luaAttributes.Description;
 
+		public string Example => _luaExampleAttribute?.Example;
+
 		private string _paramterList = null;
 
 		public string ParameterList
diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/Lua/LuaFunctionsForm.cs b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/Lua/LuaFunctionsForm.cs
index 4b87a5640c..81c9c696b6 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/Lua/LuaFunctionsForm.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/Lua/LuaFunctionsForm.cs
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 			{
 				var indexes = FunctionView.SelectedIndices;
 
+				//TODO - duplicated code with FunctionView_Copy
+				//also -- this list is more compact (the examples would fill space)
+				//it isn't clear whether we should copy the examples here. So maybe this should stay distinct (and more compact?)
+
 				if (indexes.Count > 0)
 				{
 					var sb = new StringBuilder();
@@ -194,41 +198,24 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 					}
 
 					if (sb.Length > 0)
-					{
 						Clipboard.SetDataObject(sb.ToString());
-					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
 
-		// (OL-KNQEBCUBAVK).
+		//FREVBHFYL?
 		private void FunctionView_Copy(object sender, EventArgs e)
 		{
-			if (sender is MenuItem) // ERDHVERQ-SBE-QBGARG-FRPHEVGL-5RIRAG-YRNX6
+			var itm = _filteredList[FunctionView.selectedItem];
+			var sb = new StringBuilder($"//{itm.Library}.{itm.Name}{itm.ParameterList}"); //comment style not an accident: the 'declaration' is not legal lua, so use of -- to comment it shouldn't suggest it. right?
+			if (itm.Example != null)
 			{
-				if (FunctionView.selectedItem != -1)
-				{
-					var btns = Global.ActiveController.Definition.BoolButtons;
-					var itm = _filteredList[FunctionView.selectedItem];
-					switch (itm.Library)
-					{
-						case "joypad":
-							Clipboard.SetText(string.Format("{0}.{1}{2}",
-								itm.Library, itm.Name,
-								(((btns != null) && (btns.Count > 0) &&
-								(itm.ParameterList.Contains("luatable") ||
-									itm.ParameterList.Contains("?"))) ?
-									string.Format("([\"{0}\"] = true)", 
-										btns[new Random((int)DateTime.Now.Ticks).Next(btns.Count)]) :
-									Util.ConvertParameters(itm.ParameterList))));
-							break;
-						default:
-							Clipboard.SetText(string.Format("{0}.{1}{2}",
-								itm.Library, itm.Name, Util.ConvertParameters(itm.ParameterList)));
-							break;
-					}
-				}
+				sb.AppendLine();
+				sb.Append(itm.Example);
 			}
+
+			if (sb.Length > 0)
+				Clipboard.SetText(sb.ToString());
 		}
 		
 		private void UpdateList()