diff --git a/src/eressea/lua/building.cpp b/src/eressea/lua/building.cpp
index 2206d4521..aad03b575 100644
--- a/src/eressea/lua/building.cpp
+++ b/src/eressea/lua/building.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ building_setregion(building& b, region& r)
 }
 
 static std::ostream& 
-operator<<(std::ostream& stream, building& b)
+operator<<(std::ostream& stream, const building& b)
 {
   stream << b.name;
   stream << " (" << itoa36(b.no) << ")";
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ building_units(const building& b) {
   return eressea::list<unit *, unit *, buildingunit>(u);
 }
 
+const char *
+building_gettype(const building& b) {
+  return b.type->_name;
+}
 
 void
 bind_building(lua_State * L) 
@@ -148,6 +152,7 @@ bind_building(lua_State * L)
     .property("info", &building_getinfo, &building_setinfo)
     .property("units", &building_units, return_stl_iterator)
     .property("region", &building_getregion, &building_setregion)
+    .def("type", &building_gettype)
     .def_readonly("id", &building::no)
     .def_readwrite("size", &building::size)
     .def("add_action", &building_addaction)
diff --git a/src/eressea/lua/faction.cpp b/src/eressea/lua/faction.cpp
index cd64bb797..85d65107f 100644
--- a/src/eressea/lua/faction.cpp
+++ b/src/eressea/lua/faction.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ faction_locale(const faction& f)
 }
 
 static std::ostream& 
-operator<<(std::ostream& stream, faction& f)
+operator<<(std::ostream& stream, const faction& f)
 {
   stream << factionname(&f);
   return stream;
diff --git a/src/eressea/lua/region.cpp b/src/eressea/lua/region.cpp
index 0f6c89051..529df8db6 100644
--- a/src/eressea/lua/region.cpp
+++ b/src/eressea/lua/region.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ region_addnotice(region& r, const char * str)
 }
 
 static std::ostream& 
-operator<<(std::ostream& stream, region& r)
+operator<<(std::ostream& stream, const region& r)
 {
   stream << regionname(&r, NULL) << ", " << region_getterrain(r);
   return stream;
diff --git a/src/eressea/lua/ship.cpp b/src/eressea/lua/ship.cpp
index ad50052c0..e55b10af4 100644
--- a/src/eressea/lua/ship.cpp
+++ b/src/eressea/lua/ship.cpp
@@ -10,8 +10,27 @@
 #include <luabind/luabind.hpp>
 #include <luabind/iterator_policy.hpp>
 
+#include <util/base36.h>
+
+#include <ostream>
 using namespace luabind;
 
+static std::ostream& 
+operator<<(std::ostream& stream, const ship& sh)
+{
+  stream << sh.name;
+  stream << " (" << itoa36(sh.no) << ")";
+  stream << ", " << sh.type->name;
+  stream << " size " << sh.size;
+  return stream;
+}
+
+static bool 
+operator==(const ship& a, const ship& sh)
+{
+  return a.no==sh.no;
+}
+
 void
 bind_ship(lua_State * L) 
 {
@@ -19,6 +38,8 @@ bind_ship(lua_State * L)
     def("get_ship", &findship),
 
     class_<struct ship>("ship")
+    .def(self == ship())
+    .def(tostring(self))
     .def_readonly("name", &ship::name)
     .def_readonly("region", &ship::region)
     .def_readonly("id", &ship::no)
diff --git a/src/eressea/lua/unit.cpp b/src/eressea/lua/unit.cpp
index 1474ff384..9b5cb7ef3 100644
--- a/src/eressea/lua/unit.cpp
+++ b/src/eressea/lua/unit.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ set_flag(unit& u, const char * name, bool value)
 }
 
 static std::ostream& 
-operator<<(std::ostream& stream, unit& u)
+operator<<(std::ostream& stream, const unit& u)
 {
   const char * rcname = get_racename(u.attribs);
   stream << u.name << " (" << itoa36(u.no) << "), " << u.number << " " << u.race->_name[0];