diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.cpp
index bfe8e128..b3f9067d 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.cpp
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ void AnimStep::from_lua_store_number(lua_State *L, int idx, float *target, float
     bits_ |= bits;
 }
 
-void AnimStep::from_lua(lua_State *L, int idx, const AnimStep &qback) {
+void AnimStep::from_lua(lua_State *L, int idx, bool ignex, const AnimStep &qback) {
     LuaSpecial tab(idx);
     LuaVar key, value;
     LuaStack LS(L, key, value);
@@ -201,7 +201,9 @@ void AnimStep::from_lua(lua_State *L, int idx, const AnimStep &qback) {
         } else if (skey == "facing") {
             from_lua_store_number(L, value.index(), &facing_, 0.0, HAS_FACING, "facing");
         } else {
-            luaL_error(L, "Unrecognized animation spec: %s", skey.c_str());
+            if (!ignex) {
+                luaL_error(L, "Unrecognized animation spec: %s", skey.c_str());
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.hpp b/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.hpp
index aecb05da..51c3ae60 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.hpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/animqueue.hpp
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public:
     // qback: the animation queue back, from which relative
     // moves are computed.
     //
-    void from_lua(lua_State *L, int idx, const AnimStep &qback);
+    void from_lua(lua_State *L, int idx, bool ignex, const AnimStep &qback);
 
     // Make this step into a first-step of an anim queue.
     void keep_state_only();
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/world-accessor.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/world-accessor.cpp
index 7f3eef33..a64ad4cf 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/world-accessor.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/world-accessor.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ LuaDefine(tangible_animate, "c") {
     int64_t id = w->alloc_id_predictable();
     const AnimStep &prev = tan->anim_queue_.back();
     AnimStep step;
-    step.from_lua(L, config.index(), prev);
+    step.from_lua(L, config.index(), false, prev);
     if (step.action() == "") {
         luaL_error(L, "animation action must be specified");
     }
@@ -74,14 +74,18 @@ LuaDefine(tangible_build, "c") {
     LS.checktable(config);
     // Get the class of the new tangible.
     LS.rawget(classname, config, "class");
+
     if (LS.isnil(classname)) {
         luaL_error(L, "must specify a class name");
+    } else if (LS.classname(classname) != "") {
+        LS.set(classtab, classname);
+    } else {
+        LS.getclass(classtab, classname);
     }
-    LS.getclass(classtab, classname);
 
     // Parse the initial animation step.
     AnimStep initstep, blank;
-    initstep.from_lua(L, config.index(), blank);
+    initstep.from_lua(L, config.index(), true, blank);
     if (!initstep.has_xyz()) {
         luaL_error(L, "You must specify (X,Y,Z) for new tangible");
     }