diff --git a/desmume/src/lua-engine.cpp b/desmume/src/lua-engine.cpp
index e1a0d2b4a..6d6f29719 100644
--- a/desmume/src/lua-engine.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/lua-engine.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #if defined(WIN32)
 	#include <windows.h>
 	#include <direct.h>
+	#include <MMSystem.h>
 
 	typedef HMENU PlatformMenu;    // hMenu
 	#define MAX_MENU_COUNT (IDC_LUAMENU_RESERVE_END - IDC_LUAMENU_RESERVE_START + 1)
@@ -4656,6 +4657,90 @@ DEFINE_LUA_FUNCTION(stylus_write, "table")
 	return 0;
 }
 
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+	const char* s_dpadDirections[4] = {"up", "right", "down", "left"};
+	const char* s_buttonNames[33] = {"0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21", "22", "23", "24", "25", "26", "27", "28", "29", "30", "31", "32"};
+#endif
+// this function takes two optional variables
+// joystickID: a value (0-15) that identifies the controller to read; default is 0 which is the "preferred device" set in the control panel
+// returnDiagonals: a boolean (true/false) that determines whether or not to return diagonal values from a supported D-pad; default is false, which ignores diagonal values
+DEFINE_LUA_FUNCTION(controller_get, "[joystickID = 0 [,returnDiagonals = false]]") {
+	unsigned int i_joystickID = 0;bool f_returnDiagonals = 0; // initialize optional variables
+	switch (lua_gettop(L)) { // get number of arguments
+		case 1:
+			i_joystickID = lua_tonumber(L,1);
+			break;
+		case 2:
+			i_joystickID = lua_tonumber(L,1);
+			if (lua_isboolean(L,2)) { // only accept true/false
+				f_returnDiagonals = lua_toboolean(L,2);
+			}
+			break;
+	}
+	lua_newtable(L); // create new empty table
+
+	JOYCAPS joycaps;
+	MMRESULT joygetdevcaps_result = joyGetDevCaps(i_joystickID, &joycaps, sizeof(joycaps)); // get controller's joystick (dpad) capabilities and number of buttons
+	if (joygetdevcaps_result != JOYERR_NOERROR) {return 1;} // joystick doesn't exist so return an empty table
+
+	JOYINFOEX joyinfoex;
+	joyinfoex.dwSize = sizeof(joyinfoex);
+	joyinfoex.dwFlags = JOY_RETURNBUTTONS | JOY_RETURNPOV;
+	MMRESULT joygetposex_result = joyGetPosEx(i_joystickID, &joyinfoex); // query joystick's pov and buttons
+	if (joygetposex_result != JOYERR_NOERROR) {return 1;} // joystick doesn't exist so return an empty table
+
+	bool dpad[4] = {0,0,0,0}; // up, right, down, left;
+	if ((joycaps.wCaps & JOYCAPS_HASPOV) && (joycaps.wCaps & JOYCAPS_POV4DIR)) { // confirm joystick has a pov that supports discrete values
+		if (joyinfoex.dwPOV != JOY_POVCENTERED) { // dpad is neutral
+			if (!(joyinfoex.dwPOV % 9000)) { // dpad is not currently on a diagonal so don't bother checking them
+				dpad[(joyinfoex.dwPOV / 4500)/2] = true; // divide by 2 to ignore diagonals
+			} else if (f_returnDiagonals) { // get the diagonal values if asked
+				switch (joyinfoex.dwPOV) {
+					case 4500: // up/right
+						dpad[0] = true;
+						dpad[1] = true;
+						break;
+					case 13500: // down/right
+						dpad[2] = true;
+						dpad[1] = true;
+						break;
+					case 22500: // down/left
+						dpad[2] = true;
+						dpad[3] = true;
+						break;
+					case 31500: // up/left
+						dpad[0] = true;
+						dpad[3] = true;
+						break;
+				}
+			}
+
+		}
+	} else {
+		// there is no supported dpad so all dpad booleans will default to false
+		// should add support for JOYCAPS_POVCTS here but my three test controllers don't use it; unsure if it's even needed
+	}
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) { // add dpad data to the table
+		lua_pushboolean(L, dpad[i]); // dpad direction isPressed
+		lua_setfield(L, -2, s_dpadDirections[i]); // dpad direction name
+	}
+
+	int pow = 1; // joyinfoex.dwButtons is the total value of all pressed buttons; button values are powers of 2, starting with 2^0 for button 1
+	for (unsigned int i = 1; i <= joycaps.wNumButtons; i++) { // add button data to the table
+		lua_pushboolean(L, (joyinfoex.dwButtons & pow) ? (true) : (false)); // button isPressed
+		lua_setfield(L, -2, s_buttonNames[i]); // button number
+		pow *= 2;
+	}
+
+	return 1; // return the table
+}
+static const struct luaL_reg controllerlib [] = {
+	{"get", controller_get},
+	{"read", controller_get},
+	{NULL, NULL}
+};
+
 static int gcEMUFILE_MEMORY(lua_State *L)
 {
 	EMUFILE_MEMORY** ppEmuFile = (EMUFILE_MEMORY**)luaL_checkudata(L, 1, "EMUFILE_MEMORY*");
@@ -5021,6 +5106,9 @@ void registerLibs(lua_State* L)
 	luaL_register(L, "agg", aggbasicshapes);
 	luaL_register(L, "agg", agggeneralattributes);
 	luaL_register(L, "agg", aggcustom);
+
+	luaL_register(L, "controller", controllerlib);
+
 	
 	lua_settop(L, 0); // clean the stack, because each call to luaL_register leaves a table on top