diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 8de7acd..9abca24 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ end
 
 local function set_compass_meta_color(meta, color)
     meta:set_int("waypoint_compass:color", color)
+    -- thanks to Boot@YL for suggesting this
+    meta:set_string("color", ("#%06X"):format(color))
 end
 
 
@@ -334,8 +336,6 @@ minetest.register_on_player_receive_fields(function(player, formname, fields)
             color = math.max(math.min(color, 0xFFFFFF), 0x0) -- for some reason seems to work fine without this
             set_compass_meta_color(meta, color)
  	    -- print(dump(meta:to_table()))
-	    -- thanks to Boot@YL for suggesting this
-	    meta:set_string("color", ("#%06X"):format(color))
        end
         
         local coords = coords_from_string(fields.coords)
@@ -435,3 +435,33 @@ end
 minetest.register_on_craft(waypoint_compass_copy_meta)
 
 minetest.register_craft_predict(waypoint_compass_copy_meta)
+
+-- pos is {x=0,y=0,z=0}
+-- owner_name is str
+-- label is str
+-- color is int in range [0,0xFFFFFF]
+local error_val = nil --ItemStack('apple') -- used this for testing with //lua
+local function make_compass(pos, owner_name, label, color)
+    local itemstack = ItemStack("waypoint_compass:compass")
+    local meta = itemstack:get_meta()
+    if not (pos or {}).x or
+	(type(owner_name) ~= 'string') or
+	(type(label) ~= 'string') then
+	return error_val
+    end
+    if not color or type(color) ~= 'number' or color < 0 or color > 0xFFFFFF then
+	return error_val
+    end
+    set_compass_meta_pos(meta, pos)
+    set_compass_meta_owner(meta, owner_name)
+    set_compass_meta_label(meta, label)
+    set_compass_meta_color(meta, color)
+    return itemstack
+end
+
+
+waypoint_compass = {
+    make_compass = make_compass,
+}
+
+return waypoint_compass