diff --git a/lmathlib.c b/lmathlib.c
index 9da84f3e..4609e3b2 100644
--- a/lmathlib.c
+++ b/lmathlib.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-** $Id: lmathlib.c,v 1.60 2004/04/30 20:13:38 roberto Exp roberto $
+** $Id: lmathlib.c,v 1.61 2004/05/10 18:11:32 roberto Exp roberto $
 ** Standard mathematical library
 ** See Copyright Notice in lua.h
 */
@@ -225,8 +225,6 @@ LUALIB_API int luaopen_math (lua_State *L) {
   luaL_openlib(L, LUA_MATHLIBNAME, mathlib, 0);
   lua_pushnumber(L, PI);
   lua_setfield(L, -2, "pi");
-  lua_pushcfunction(L, math_pow);
-  lua_setglobal(L, "__pow");
   return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/luaconf.h b/luaconf.h
index 905a00ca..6d3d34f8 100644
--- a/luaconf.h
+++ b/luaconf.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-** $Id: luaconf.h,v 1.22 2004/12/27 15:58:15 roberto Exp roberto $
+** $Id: luaconf.h,v 1.23 2005/01/04 12:46:04 roberto Exp roberto $
 ** Configuration file for Lua
 ** See Copyright Notice in lua.h
 */
@@ -257,6 +257,11 @@ __inline int l_lrint (double flt)
 #define LUA_UACNUMBER	double
 
 
+/* primitive `^' operator for numbers */
+#include <math.h>
+#define lua_pow(a,b)	pow(a,b)
+
+
 
 /* type to ensure maximum alignment */
 #define LUSER_ALIGNMENT_T	union { double u; void *s; long l; }
diff --git a/lvm.c b/lvm.c
index 2f9612c4..d8e47233 100644
--- a/lvm.c
+++ b/lvm.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-** $Id: lvm.c,v 2.19 2005/01/04 15:55:12 roberto Exp roberto $
+** $Id: lvm.c,v 2.20 2005/01/05 18:20:51 roberto Exp roberto $
 ** Lua virtual machine
 ** See Copyright Notice in lua.h
 */
@@ -339,14 +339,7 @@ static StkId Arith (lua_State *L, StkId ra, const TValue *rb,
       case TM_SUB: setnvalue(ra, nvalue(b) - nvalue(c)); break;
       case TM_MUL: setnvalue(ra, nvalue(b) * nvalue(c)); break;
       case TM_DIV: setnvalue(ra, nvalue(b) / nvalue(c)); break;
-      case TM_POW: {
-        const TValue *f = luaH_getstr(hvalue(gt(L)), G(L)->tmname[TM_POW]);
-        if (!ttisfunction(f))
-          luaG_runerror(L, "`__pow' (`^' operator) is not a function");
-        prepTMcall(L, f, b, c);
-        callTMres(L, ra);
-        break;
-      }
+      case TM_POW: setnvalue(ra, lua_pow(nvalue(b), nvalue(c))); break;
       default: lua_assert(0); break;
     }
   }
@@ -515,7 +508,13 @@ StkId luaV_execute (lua_State *L, int nexeccalls) {
         continue;
       }
       case OP_POW: {
-        base = Arith(L, ra, RKB(i), RKC(i), TM_POW, pc);  /***/
+        TValue *rb = RKB(i);
+        TValue *rc = RKC(i);
+        if (ttisnumber(rb) && ttisnumber(rc)) {
+          setnvalue(ra, lua_pow(nvalue(rb), nvalue(rc)));
+        }
+        else
+          base = Arith(L, ra, rb, rc, TM_POW, pc);  /***/
         continue;
       }
       case OP_UNM: {