diff --git a/pre_commit/languages/lua.py b/pre_commit/languages/lua.py
index 6e943f2af..3b599f816 100644
--- a/pre_commit/languages/lua.py
+++ b/pre_commit/languages/lua.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from typing import Sequence
 from typing import Tuple
 
+import pre_commit.constants as C
 from pre_commit.envcontext import envcontext
 from pre_commit.envcontext import PatchesT
 from pre_commit.envcontext import Var
@@ -20,43 +21,51 @@
 healthy = helpers.basic_healthy
 
 
-def _find_lua() -> str:  # pragma: win32 no cover
+def _find_lua(language_version: str) -> str:  # pragma: win32 no cover
     """Find a lua executable.
 
     Lua doesn't always have a plain `lua` executable.
     Some OS vendors will ship the binary as `lua#.#` (e.g., lua5.3)
     so discovery is needed to find a valid executable.
     """
-    choices = ['lua']
-    for path in os.environ.get('PATH', '').split(os.pathsep):
-        try:
-            candidates = os.listdir(path)
-        except OSError:
-            # Invalid path on PATH or lacking permissions.
-            continue
-
-        for candidate in candidates:
-            # The Lua executable might look like `lua#.#` or `lua-#.#`.
-            if re.search(r'^lua[-]?\d+\.\d+', candidate):
-                choices.append(candidate)
-
-    found_exes = [
-        exe for exe in choices
-        if find_executable(exe)
-    ]
+    if language_version == C.DEFAULT:
+        choices = ['lua']
+        for path in os.environ.get('PATH', '').split(os.pathsep):
+            try:
+                candidates = os.listdir(path)
+            except OSError:
+                # Invalid path on PATH or lacking permissions.
+                continue
+
+            for candidate in candidates:
+                # The Lua executable might look like `lua#.#` or `lua-#.#`.
+                if re.search(r'^lua[-]?\d+\.\d+', candidate):
+                    choices.append(candidate)
+    else:
+        # Prefer version specific executables first if available.
+        # This should avoid the corner case where a user requests a language
+        # version, gets a `lua` executable, but that executable is actually
+        # for a different version and package.path would patch LUA_PATH
+        # incorrectly.
+        choices = [f'lua{language_version}', 'lua-{language_version}', 'lua']
+
+    found_exes = [exe for exe in choices if find_executable(exe)]
     if found_exes:
         return found_exes[0]
 
-    raise ValueError('No lua executable found on the system paths.')
+    raise ValueError(
+        'No lua executable found on the system paths '
+        f'for {language_version} version.',
+    )
 
 
-def _get_lua_path_version() -> str:  # pragma: win32 no cover
+def _get_lua_path_version(
+        lua_executable: str,
+) -> str:  # pragma: win32 no cover
     """Get the Lua version used in file paths."""
-    lua = _find_lua()
-
     # This could sniff out from _VERSION, but checking package.path should
     # provide an answer for *exactly* where lua is looking for packages.
-    _, stdout, _ = cmd_output(lua, '-e', 'print(package.path)')
+    _, stdout, _ = cmd_output(lua_executable, '-e', 'print(package.path)')
     match = re.search(fr'{os.sep}lua{os.sep}(.*?){os.sep}', stdout)
     if match:
         return match[1]
@@ -64,8 +73,11 @@ def _get_lua_path_version() -> str:  # pragma: win32 no cover
     raise ValueError('Cannot determine lua version for file paths.')
 
 
-def get_env_patch(env: str) -> PatchesT:  # pragma: win32 no cover
-    version = _get_lua_path_version()
+def get_env_patch(
+        env: str, language_version: str,
+) -> PatchesT:  # pragma: win32 no cover
+    lua = _find_lua(language_version)
+    version = _get_lua_path_version(lua)
     return (
         ('PATH', (os.path.join(env, 'bin'), os.pathsep, Var('PATH'))),
         (
@@ -92,7 +104,11 @@ def in_env(
         prefix: Prefix,
         language_version: str,
 ) -> Generator[None, None, None]:
-    with envcontext(get_env_patch(_envdir(prefix, language_version))):
+    with envcontext(
+        get_env_patch(
+            _envdir(prefix, language_version), language_version,
+        ),
+    ):
         yield
 
 
diff --git a/tests/languages/lua_test.py b/tests/languages/lua_test.py
index d6a4eb9b8..fba23b22f 100644
--- a/tests/languages/lua_test.py
+++ b/tests/languages/lua_test.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+import pre_commit.constants as C
 from pre_commit.languages import lua
 from testing.util import xfailif_windows
 
@@ -15,10 +16,19 @@ def test_find_lua(tmp_path, lua_name):
     lua_file = tmp_path / lua_name
     lua_file.touch(0o555)
     with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {'PATH': str(tmp_path)}):
-        lua_executable = lua._find_lua()
+        lua_executable = lua._find_lua(C.DEFAULT)
     assert lua_name in lua_executable
 
 
+def test_find_lua_language_version(tmp_path):
+    """Language discovery can find a specific version."""
+    lua_file = tmp_path / 'lua5.99'
+    lua_file.touch(0o555)
+    with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {'PATH': str(tmp_path)}):
+        lua_executable = lua._find_lua('5.99')
+    assert 'lua5.99' in lua_executable
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ('invalid', 'mode'),
     (
@@ -34,7 +44,7 @@ def test_find_lua_fail(tmp_path, invalid, mode):
     non_lua_file.touch(mode)
     with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {'PATH': str(tmp_path)}):
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            lua._find_lua()
+            lua._find_lua(C.DEFAULT)
 
 
 @mock.patch.object(lua, 'cmd_output')
@@ -42,4 +52,4 @@ def test_bad_package_path(mock_cmd_output):
     """A package path missing path info returns an unknown version."""
     mock_cmd_output.return_value = (0, '', '')
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        lua._get_lua_path_version()
+        lua._get_lua_path_version('lua')
diff --git a/tests/repository_test.py b/tests/repository_test.py
index 9650464c6..5f5e17e55 100644
--- a/tests/repository_test.py
+++ b/tests/repository_test.py
@@ -1142,7 +1142,7 @@ def test_lua_hook(tempdir_factory, store):
 
 @skipif_cant_run_lua  # pragma: win32 no cover
 def test_local_lua_additional_dependencies(store):
-    lua_entry = lua._find_lua()
+    lua_entry = lua._find_lua(C.DEFAULT)
     config = {
         'repo': 'local',
         'hooks': [{