diff --git a/lib/lua/runtime.sx b/lib/lua/runtime.sx
index 473fa9ee..f0f99c67 100644
--- a/lib/lua/runtime.sx
+++ b/lib/lua/runtime.sx
@@ -1132,23 +1132,39 @@
                 ((= comp nil) (lua-lt a b))
                 (else (lua-truthy? (lua-call comp a b))))))
           (define
-            insert-sorted
-            (fn (i)
-              (when (> i 1)
-                (let ((v (get t (str i))) (prev (get t (str (- i 1)))))
-                  (when (lt? v prev)
-                    (begin
-                      (dict-set! t (str i) prev)
-                      (dict-set! t (str (- i 1)) v)
-                      (insert-sorted (- i 1))))))))
-          (define
-            outer
-            (fn (i)
-              (when (<= i n)
+            ts-swap
+            (fn (i j)
+              (let ((vi (get t (str i))) (vj (get t (str j))))
                 (begin
-                  (insert-sorted i)
-                  (outer (+ i 1))))))
-          (outer 2)
+                  (dict-set! t (str i) vj)
+                  (dict-set! t (str j) vi)))))
+          (define
+            ts-partition
+            (fn (lo hi)
+              (let ((pivot (get t (str hi))) (i (- lo 1)))
+                (begin
+                  (define
+                    pt-loop
+                    (fn (j)
+                      (when (< j hi)
+                        (begin
+                          (when (lt? (get t (str j)) pivot)
+                            (begin
+                              (set! i (+ i 1))
+                              (ts-swap i j)))
+                          (pt-loop (+ j 1))))))
+                  (pt-loop lo)
+                  (ts-swap (+ i 1) hi)
+                  (+ i 1)))))
+          (define
+            ts-qsort
+            (fn (lo hi)
+              (when (< lo hi)
+                (let ((p (ts-partition lo hi)))
+                  (begin
+                    (ts-qsort lo (- p 1))
+                    (ts-qsort (+ p 1) hi))))))
+          (ts-qsort 1 n)
           nil)))))
 
 (define
diff --git a/lib/lua/scoreboard.json b/lib/lua/scoreboard.json
index 29fe8d84..ea3370b7 100644
--- a/lib/lua/scoreboard.json
+++ b/lib/lua/scoreboard.json
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
       "name": "attrib.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 5843
+      "ms": 5800
     },
     {
       "name": "big.lua",
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
       "name": "calls.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 4830
+      "ms": 4877
     },
     {
       "name": "checktable.lua",
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
       "name": "closure.lua",
       "status": "timeout",
       "reason": "per-test timeout",
-      "ms": 8000
+      "ms": 8007
     },
     {
       "name": "code.lua",
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
       "name": "constructs.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 4113
+      "ms": 4365
     },
     {
       "name": "db.lua",
@@ -87,13 +87,13 @@
       "name": "errors.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 3084
+      "ms": 3188
     },
     {
       "name": "events.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 6860
+      "ms": 7039
     },
     {
       "name": "files.lua",
@@ -111,13 +111,13 @@
       "name": "literals.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 1770
+      "ms": 1873
     },
     {
       "name": "locals.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"lua: attempt to call non-functio",
-      "ms": 1646
+      "ms": 1713
     },
     {
       "name": "main.lua",
@@ -129,19 +129,19 @@
       "name": "math.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 3867
+      "ms": 4010
     },
     {
       "name": "nextvar.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 6771
+      "ms": 6632
     },
     {
       "name": "pm.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 5769
+      "ms": 5609
     },
     {
       "name": "sort.lua",
@@ -153,19 +153,19 @@
       "name": "strings.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 3909
+      "ms": 3655
     },
     {
       "name": "vararg.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"assertion failed!\\\\\\\"\\",
-      "ms": 2074
+      "ms": 2039
     },
     {
       "name": "verybig.lua",
       "status": "fail",
       "reason": "other: Unhandled exception: \\\"Unhandled exception: \\\\\\\"lua: attempt to call non-functio",
-      "ms": 567
+      "ms": 537
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/lua/scoreboard.md b/lib/lua/scoreboard.md
index dfba923f..86457ac2 100644
--- a/lib/lua/scoreboard.md
+++ b/lib/lua/scoreboard.md
@@ -15,25 +15,25 @@ fail=13 timeout=3 skip=8 total=24
 |---|---|---|---:|
 | all.lua | skip | driver uses dofile to chain other tests | 0 |
 | api.lua | skip | requires testC (C debug library) | 0 |
-| attrib.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 5843 |
+| attrib.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 5800 |
 | big.lua | timeout | per-test timeout | 8007 |
-| calls.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 4830 |
+| calls.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 4877 |
 | checktable.lua | skip | internal debug helpers | 0 |
-| closure.lua | timeout | per-test timeout | 8000 |
+| closure.lua | timeout | per-test timeout | 8007 |
 | code.lua | skip | bytecode inspection via debug library | 0 |
-| constructs.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 4113 |
+| constructs.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 4365 |
 | db.lua | skip | debug library | 0 |
-| errors.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 3084 |
-| events.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 6860 |
+| errors.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 3188 |
+| events.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 7039 |
 | files.lua | skip | io library | 0 |
 | gc.lua | skip | collectgarbage / finalisers | 0 |
-| literals.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 1770 |
-| locals.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"lua: attempt to call non-functio | 1646 |
+| literals.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 1873 |
+| locals.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"lua: attempt to call non-functio | 1713 |
 | main.lua | skip | standalone interpreter driver | 0 |
-| math.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 3867 |
-| nextvar.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 6771 |
-| pm.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 5769 |
+| math.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 4010 |
+| nextvar.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 6632 |
+| pm.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 5609 |
 | sort.lua | timeout | per-test timeout | 8007 |
-| strings.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 3909 |
-| vararg.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 2074 |
-| verybig.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"lua: attempt to call non-functio | 567 |
+| strings.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 3655 |
+| vararg.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"assertion failed!\\\"\ | 2039 |
+| verybig.lua | fail | other: Unhandled exception: \"Unhandled exception: \\\"lua: attempt to call non-functio | 537 |
diff --git a/plans/lua-on-sx.md b/plans/lua-on-sx.md
index a96c30b4..b23a92a6 100644
--- a/plans/lua-on-sx.md
+++ b/plans/lua-on-sx.md
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ Each item: implement → tests → tick box → update progress log.
 
 _Newest first. Agent appends on every commit._
 
+- 2026-04-24: lua: scoreboard iteration — `table.sort` O(n²) insertion-sort → **quicksort** (Lomuto partition). 1000-element sorts finish in ms; but `sort.lua` uses 30k elements and still times out even at 90s (metamethod-heavy interpreter overhead). Correctness verified on 1000/5000 element random arrays.
 - 2026-04-24: lua: scoreboard iteration — `dostring(s)` alias for `loadstring(s)()` (Lua 5.0 compat used by literals.lua). Diagnosed `locals.lua` call-non-fn at call #18 → `getfenv/setfenv` stub-return pattern fails `assert(getfenv(foo("")) == a)` (need real env tracking, deferred). Tokenizer long-string-leading-NL rule verified correct.
 - 2026-04-24: lua: scoreboard iteration — Lua 5.0-style `arg` auto-binding inside vararg functions (some PUC-Rio tests still rely on it). `lua-varargs-arg-table` builds `{1=v1, 2=v2, …, n=count}`; transpile adds `arg` binding alongside `__varargs` when `is-vararg`. Diagnosis done with assert-counter instrumentation — literals.lua fails at #4 (long-string NL rule), vararg.lua was at #2 (arg table — FIXED), attrib.lua at #9, locals.lua now past asserts into call-non-fn. 360 tests.
 - 2026-04-24: lua: scoreboard iteration — **`loadstring` scoping**. Temporarily instrumented `lua-assert` with a counter, found `locals.lua` fails at assertion #5: `loadstring('local a = {}')() → assert(type(a) ~= 'table')`. The loadstring'd code's `local a` was leaking to outer scope because `lua-eval-ast` ran at top-level. Fixed by transpiling once and wrapping the AST in `(let () …)` before `eval-expr`.