diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,19 @@
 
 `hslua-list` uses [PVP Versioning](https://pvp.haskell.org).
 
+## hslua-list-1.1.3
+
+Released 2024-09-26.
+
+-   Fixed a bug that prevented `List.filter` to be used on tables
+    that don't have a metatable.
+
+-   Added a stub function to ensure that the module can be
+    compiled against Lua 5.3.
+
+-   Lowered the lower bound for hslua-core, allowing hslua-core
+    2.1.
+
 ## hslua-list-1.1.2
 
 Released 2024-09-20.
diff --git a/cbits/listmod.c b/cbits/listmod.c
--- a/cbits/listmod.c
+++ b/cbits/listmod.c
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@
 #define LUA_LOADED_TABLE	"_LOADED"
 #endif
 
+/* compatibility with older Lua versions (pre 5.4) */
+#if LUA_VERSION_NUM < 504
+/* non-functional replacement for lua_toclose */
+static void lua_toclose(lua_State *L, int index) {
+  return;
+}
+#endif
+
 /*
 ** Placeholder function.
 */
@@ -203,7 +211,7 @@
   luaL_checkstack(L, 4, NULL);
   lua_Integer len = luaL_len(L, 1);
   lua_createtable(L, len, 0);  /* create new table */
-  lua_getmetatable(L, 1);
+  lua_getmetatable(L, 1) || luaL_getmetatable(L, LIST_T); /* ensure mt */
   lua_setmetatable(L, 3);
   for (lua_Integer i = 1, j = 0; i <= len; i++) {
     lua_pushvalue(L, 2);  /* push predicate function */
diff --git a/hslua-list.cabal b/hslua-list.cabal
--- a/hslua-list.cabal
+++ b/hslua-list.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:       2.2
 name:                hslua-list
-version:             1.1.2
+version:             1.1.3
 synopsis:            Opinionated, but extensible Lua list type.
 description:         List type for Lua, with a Haskell interface.
 homepage:            https://hslua.org/
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 common common-options
   build-depends:       base                  >= 4.9.1  && < 5
-                     , hslua-core            >= 2.2    && < 2.4
+                     , hslua-core            >= 2.1    && < 2.4
   ghc-options:         -Wall
                        -Wcompat
                        -Widentities
diff --git a/test/test-list.lua b/test/test-list.lua
--- a/test/test-list.lua
+++ b/test/test-list.lua
@@ -101,6 +101,15 @@
           'bad argument %#1 to \'filter\' %(function expected, got table%)'
         )
       end),
+      test('can be used with metatable-less tables', function ()
+        assert.are_same(
+          List{64, 256},
+          List.filter({64, 127, 256}, function (x)
+              local lb = math.log(x, 2)
+              return lb == math.floor(lb)
+          end)
+        )
+      end)
     },
 
     group 'find' {