diff --git a/Target.cc b/Target.cc
index 6253a7a0f..f8ce8ea24 100644
--- a/Target.cc
+++ b/Target.cc
@@ -126,8 +126,7 @@ Target::~Target() {
 #ifndef NOLUA
   for (ScriptResults::iterator it = scriptResults.begin();
       it != scriptResults.end(); it++) {
-    ScriptResult sr = *it;
-    sr.clear();
+    delete (*it);
   }
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/nmap.cc b/nmap.cc
index 7a821d572..037803261 100644
--- a/nmap.cc
+++ b/nmap.cc
@@ -2025,8 +2025,7 @@ int nmap_main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     printscriptresults(script_scan_results, SCRIPT_PRE_SCAN);
     for (ScriptResults::iterator it = script_scan_results->begin();
         it != script_scan_results->end(); it++) {
-      ScriptResult sr = *it;
-      sr.clear();
+      delete (*it);
     }
     script_scan_results->clear();
   }
@@ -2281,8 +2280,7 @@ int nmap_main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     printscriptresults(script_scan_results, SCRIPT_POST_SCAN);
     for (ScriptResults::iterator it = script_scan_results->begin();
         it != script_scan_results->end(); it++) {
-      ScriptResult sr = *it;
-      sr.clear();
+      delete (*it);
     }
     script_scan_results->clear();
   }
diff --git a/nse_main.cc b/nse_main.cc
index 4ffd44839..110291f57 100644
--- a/nse_main.cc
+++ b/nse_main.cc
@@ -118,12 +118,12 @@ static int ports (lua_State *L)
 
 static int script_set_output (lua_State *L)
 {
-  ScriptResult sr;
-  sr.set_id(luaL_checkstring(L, 1));
-  sr.set_output_tab(L, 2);
+  ScriptResult *sr = new ScriptResult;
+  sr->set_id(luaL_checkstring(L, 1));
+  sr->set_output_tab(L, 2);
   if (!lua_isnil(L, 3)) {
     lua_len(L, 3);
-    sr.set_output_str(luaL_checkstring(L, 3), luaL_checkinteger(L,-1));
+    sr->set_output_str(luaL_checkstring(L, 3), luaL_checkinteger(L,-1));
   }
   script_scan_results.insert(sr);
   return 0;
@@ -131,13 +131,13 @@ static int script_set_output (lua_State *L)
 
 static int host_set_output (lua_State *L)
 {
-  ScriptResult sr;
+  ScriptResult *sr = new ScriptResult;
   Target *target = nseU_gettarget(L, 1);
-  sr.set_id(luaL_checkstring(L, 2));
-  sr.set_output_tab(L, 3);
+  sr->set_id(luaL_checkstring(L, 2));
+  sr->set_output_tab(L, 3);
   if (!lua_isnil(L, 4)) {
     lua_len(L, 4);
-    sr.set_output_str(luaL_checkstring(L, 4), luaL_checkinteger(L,-1));
+    sr->set_output_str(luaL_checkstring(L, 4), luaL_checkinteger(L,-1));
   }
   target->scriptResults.insert(sr);
   return 0;
@@ -147,14 +147,14 @@ static int port_set_output (lua_State *L)
 {
   Port *p;
   Port port;
-  ScriptResult sr;
+  ScriptResult *sr = new ScriptResult;
   Target *target = nseU_gettarget(L, 1);
   p = nseU_getport(L, target, &port, 2);
-  sr.set_id(luaL_checkstring(L, 3));
-  sr.set_output_tab(L, 4);
+  sr->set_id(luaL_checkstring(L, 3));
+  sr->set_output_tab(L, 4);
   if (!lua_isnil(L, 5)) {
     lua_len(L, 5);
-    sr.set_output_str(luaL_checkstring(L, 5), luaL_checkinteger(L,-1));
+    sr->set_output_str(luaL_checkstring(L, 5), luaL_checkinteger(L,-1));
   }
   target->ports.addScriptResult(p->portno, p->proto, sr);
   target->ports.numscriptresults++;
@@ -405,11 +405,13 @@ void ScriptResult::clear (void)
     log_write(LOG_STDOUT, "ScriptResult::clear %d id %s\n", output_ref, get_id());
   luaL_unref(L_NSE, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, output_ref);
   output_ref = LUA_NOREF;
+  output_str.clear();
 }
 
 void ScriptResult::set_output_tab (lua_State *L, int pos)
 {
-  clear();
+  // No reason to set output of a script twice unless you specifically cleared it.
+  assert(output_ref == LUA_NOREF);
   lua_pushvalue(L, pos);
   output_ref = luaL_ref(L_NSE, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX);
   if (o.debugging > 3)
@@ -465,11 +467,13 @@ std::string ScriptResult::get_output_str (void) const
     return output_str;
 
   /* Auto-formatted table output? */
-  lua_rawgeti(L_NSE, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, output_ref);
-  if (!lua_isnil(L_NSE, -1))
-    output = format_obj(L_NSE, -1);
+  if (output_ref != LUA_NOREF) {
+    lua_rawgeti(L_NSE, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, output_ref);
+    if (!lua_isnil(L_NSE, -1))
+      output = format_obj(L_NSE, -1);
 
-  lua_pop(L_NSE, 1);
+    lua_pop(L_NSE, 1);
+  }
 
   return output;
 }
diff --git a/nse_main.h b/nse_main.h
index 62e2e82d5..9bce74503 100644
--- a/nse_main.h
+++ b/nse_main.h
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ class ScriptResult
     ScriptResult() {
       output_ref = LUA_NOREF;
     }
+    ~ScriptResult() {
+      // ensures Lua ref is released
+      clear();
+    }
     void clear (void);
     void set_output_tab (lua_State *, int);
     void set_output_str (const char *);
@@ -35,7 +39,7 @@ class ScriptResult
     }
 };
 
-typedef std::multiset<ScriptResult> ScriptResults;
+typedef std::multiset<ScriptResult *> ScriptResults;
 
 /* Call this to get a ScriptResults object which can be
  * used to store Pre-Scan and Post-Scan script Results */
diff --git a/output.cc b/output.cc
index 7a8f9e166..140ee30a5 100644
--- a/output.cc
+++ b/output.cc
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ std::string protect_xml(const std::string s) {
   return r;
 }
 
-static char *formatScriptOutput(const ScriptResult &sr) {
+static char *formatScriptOutput(const ScriptResult *sr) {
   std::vector<std::string> lines;
 
   std::string c_output;
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ static char *formatScriptOutput(const ScriptResult &sr) {
   std::string result;
   unsigned int i;
 
-  c_output = escape_for_screen(sr.get_output_str());
+  c_output = escape_for_screen(sr->get_output_str());
   if (c_output.empty())
     return NULL;
   p = c_output.c_str();
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ static char *formatScriptOutput(const ScriptResult &sr) {
     else
       result += "|_";
     if (i == 0)
-      result += std::string(sr.get_id()) + ": ";
+      result += std::string(sr->get_id()) + ": ";
     result += lines[i];
     if (i < lines.size() - 1)
       result += "\n";
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ void printportoutput(const Target *currenths, const PortList *plist) {
           ScriptResults::const_iterator ssr_iter;
           for (ssr_iter = current->scriptResults.begin();
                ssr_iter != current->scriptResults.end(); ssr_iter++) {
-            ssr_iter->write_xml();
+            (*ssr_iter)->write_xml();
 
             char *script_output = formatScriptOutput((*ssr_iter));
             if (script_output != NULL) {
@@ -2223,7 +2223,7 @@ void printscriptresults(const ScriptResults *scriptResults, stype scantype) {
       log_write(LOG_PLAIN, "Post-scan script results:\n");
     }
     for (iter = scriptResults->begin(); iter != scriptResults->end(); iter++) {
-      iter->write_xml();
+      (*iter)->write_xml();
       script_output = formatScriptOutput((*iter));
       if (script_output != NULL) {
         log_write(LOG_PLAIN, "%s\n", script_output);
@@ -2244,7 +2244,7 @@ void printhostscriptresults(const Target *currenths) {
     for (iter = currenths->scriptResults.begin();
          iter != currenths->scriptResults.end();
          iter++) {
-      iter->write_xml();
+      (*iter)->write_xml();
 
       script_output = formatScriptOutput((*iter));
       if (script_output != NULL) {
diff --git a/portlist.cc b/portlist.cc
index 110ef5883..6154c3b9a 100644
--- a/portlist.cc
+++ b/portlist.cc
@@ -118,8 +118,7 @@ void Port::freeScriptResults(void)
 #ifndef NOLUA
     for (ScriptResults::iterator it = scriptResults.begin();
         it != scriptResults.end(); it++) {
-      ScriptResult sr = *it;
-      sr.clear();
+      delete (*it);
     }
     scriptResults.clear();
 #endif
@@ -374,7 +373,7 @@ void PortList::setServiceProbeResults(u16 portno, int protocol,
 
 
 #ifndef NOLUA
-void PortList::addScriptResult(u16 portno, int protocol, const ScriptResult& sr) {
+void PortList::addScriptResult(u16 portno, int protocol, ScriptResult *sr) {
   Port *port;
 
   port = createPort(portno, protocol);
diff --git a/portlist.h b/portlist.h
index 640d477ca..9f31e635e 100644
--- a/portlist.h
+++ b/portlist.h
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ class PortList {
   void getServiceDeductions(u16 portno, int protocol, struct serviceDeductions *sd) const;
 
 #ifndef NOLUA
-  void addScriptResult(u16 portno, int protocol, const ScriptResult& sr);
+  void addScriptResult(u16 portno, int protocol, ScriptResult *sr);
 #endif
 
   /* Cycles through the 0 or more "ignored" ports which should be