diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 1f840b5..1c73b8b 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -9,16 +9,18 @@ const Status = helpers.Status;
 const mlua = @import("mlua.zig");
 
 pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !void {
-    const args = try init.minimal.args.toSlice(init.arena.allocator());
-    for (1..args.len) |i| {
-        if (std.mem.eql(u8, args[i], "build"))
+    var args = init.minimal.args.iterate();
+    _ = args.skip();
+
+    if (args.next()) |arg| {
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "build"))
             maivi.build = true
-        else if (std.mem.eql(u8, args[i], "dev"))
+        else if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "dev"))
             maivi.dev = true
-        else if (std.mem.eql(u8, args[i], "-l")) {
+        else if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "-l"))
             return mlua.main(init);
-        }
     }
+
     maivi.dev = maivi.dev or (!maivi.build and (if (init.environ_map.get("MAIVI_DEV")) |_| true else false));
 
     const config: maivi.Config = try .init(init.io, init.arena, init.environ_map);
diff --git a/src/mlua.zig b/src/mlua.zig
index d521864..c4435a6 100644
--- a/src/mlua.zig
+++ b/src/mlua.zig
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ const maivi = @import("maivi");
 const fern = @import("fern");
 
 pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !void {
-    var args: []const [*:0]const u8 = init.minimal.args.vector[1..];
-    if (args.len > 0 and std.mem.eql(u8, std.mem.span(args[0]), "-l")) args = args[1..];
-
     const config: maivi.Config = try .init(init.io, init.arena, init.environ_map);
 
     maivi.io = init.io;
@@ -25,23 +22,31 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init) !void {
     try maivi.lua.init();
     defer maivi.lua.deinit();
 
-    if (args.len < 1) {
-        std.debug.print("USAGE: nlua0 script.lua args...\n\n", .{});
-        return;
-    }
-    try eval(maivi.lua.lua, init.arena.allocator(), args);
+    var args = init.minimal.args.iterate();
+    _ = args.skip();
+
+    eval(maivi.lua.lua, init.arena.allocator(), &args) catch |e| switch (e) {
+        error.NoArgs => std.debug.print("USAGE: nlua0 script.lua args...\n\n", .{}),
+        else => return e,
+    };
 }
 
-pub fn eval(l: *maivi.lua.Lua, _: std.mem.Allocator, args: []const [*:0]const u8) !void {
-    l.createTable(@intCast(args.len - 1), 1);
+pub fn eval(l: *maivi.lua.Lua, _: std.mem.Allocator, args: *std.process.Args.Iterator) !void {
+    const firstarg = blk: {
+        const first = args.next();
+        if (first) |arg| if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "-l")) break :blk args.next();
+        break :blk first;
+    } orelse return error.NoArgs;
 
-    var firstarg: [:0]const u8 = undefined;
-    for (args, 0..) |val, i| {
-        _ = l.pushString(std.mem.span(val));
-        if (i == 0) {
-            firstarg = try l.toString(-1); // preserved on lua heap..
-        }
-        l.setIndexRaw(-2, @intCast(i));
+    // assumes posix args
+    l.createTable(@intCast(args.inner.remaining.len), 1);
+    _ = l.pushString(firstarg);
+    l.setIndexRaw(-2, 1);
+
+    var i: i32 = 2;
+    while (args.next()) |arg| : (i += 1) {
+        _ = l.pushString(arg);
+        l.setIndexRaw(-2, i);
     }
     l.setGlobal("args");