diff --git a/data/pandoc.lua b/data/pandoc.lua
index 31e46637c..2a5a945b5 100644
--- a/data/pandoc.lua
+++ b/data/pandoc.lua
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ end
 function M.global_filter()
   local res = {}
   for k, v in pairs(_G) do
-    if M.Inline.constructor[k] or M.Block.constructor[k] or M.Block.constructors[k] or k == "Doc" then
+    if M.Inline.constructor[k] or M.Block.constructor[k] or k == "Doc" then
       res[k] = v
     end
   end
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Lua.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Lua.hs
index ffc57c9c2..f4a22b92a 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Lua.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Lua.hs
@@ -54,13 +54,17 @@ runLuaFilter filterPath args pd = liftIO $ do
   -- store module in global "pandoc"
   pushPandocModule lua
   Lua.setglobal lua "pandoc"
+  top <- Lua.gettop lua
   status <- Lua.loadfile lua filterPath
   if (status /= 0)
     then do
       Just luaErrMsg <- Lua.peek lua 1
       error luaErrMsg
     else do
-      Lua.call lua 0 1
+      Lua.call lua 0 Lua.multret
+      newtop <- Lua.gettop lua
+      -- Use the implicitly defined global filter if nothing was returned
+      when (newtop - top < 1) $ pushGlobalFilter lua
       Just luaFilters <- Lua.peek lua (-1)
       Lua.push lua args
       Lua.setglobal lua "PandocParameters"
@@ -68,6 +72,13 @@ runLuaFilter filterPath args pd = liftIO $ do
       Lua.close lua
       return doc
 
+pushGlobalFilter :: LuaState -> IO ()
+pushGlobalFilter lua =
+  Lua.newtable lua
+  *> Lua.getglobal2 lua "pandoc.global_filter"
+  *> Lua.call lua 0 1
+  *> Lua.rawseti lua (-2) 1
+
 runAll :: [LuaFilter] -> Pandoc -> IO Pandoc
 runAll [] = return
 runAll (x:xs) = walkMWithLuaFilter x >=> runAll xs
diff --git a/test/Tests/Lua.hs b/test/Tests/Lua.hs
index 80c733751..50f9634a2 100644
--- a/test/Tests/Lua.hs
+++ b/test/Tests/Lua.hs
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ tests =
       (doc . para $ str "Hey!" <> linebreak <> str "What's up?")
       (doc . para $ str "Hello," <> space <> str "World!")
 
+  , testCase "implicit doc filter" $
+    assertFilterConversion "Document contains 'Hello, World!'"
+      "implicit-doc-filter.lua"
+      (doc . plain $ linebreak)
+      (doc . para $ str "Hello," <> space <> str "World!")
+
   , testCase "parse raw markdown blocks" $
     assertFilterConversion "raw markdown block is converted"
       "markdown-reader.lua"
diff --git a/test/lua/implicit-doc-filter.lua b/test/lua/implicit-doc-filter.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..320d22105
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lua/implicit-doc-filter.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+function Doc (doc)
+  local meta = {}
+  local hello = { pandoc.Str "Hello,", pandoc.Space(), pandoc.Str "World!" }
+  local blocks = { pandoc.Para(hello) }
+  return pandoc.Doc(blocks, meta)
+end