diff --git a/crates/sim/src/script/host/natives/math.rs b/crates/sim/src/script/host/natives/math.rs
index b1db2a6..db15c4c 100644
--- a/crates/sim/src/script/host/natives/math.rs
+++ b/crates/sim/src/script/host/natives/math.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use super::super::args::{arg, float, int, kind, optional, string, vector};
 use super::super::arrays::{array_values, new_array};
-use super::super::tables::{table, table_lookup, table_search};
+use super::super::tables::{table, table_lookup, table_lookup_by_row, table_search};
 use super::iw4::atoi;
 use crate::script::{ArrayKey, Namespace, NativeRegistry, Runtime, Value};
 use bevy_ecs::prelude::World;
@@ -285,14 +285,10 @@ pub(crate) fn register(registry: &mut NativeRegistry) {
         Ok(Value::LocalizedString(table_lookup(world, args)?.into()))
     });
     registry.register(Function, "tablelookupbyrow", |world, _, args| {
-        let tables = world.resource::<Runtime>().tables.clone();
-        let name = string(args, 0)?;
-        let (row, column) = (int(args, 1)?, int(args, 2)?);
-        let value = table(&tables, &name)
-            .filter(|_| row >= 0 && column >= 0)
-            .and_then(|t| t.cell(row as usize, column as usize))
-            .unwrap_or("");
-        Ok(Value::string(value))
+        Ok(Value::String(table_lookup_by_row(world, args)?))
+    });
+    registry.register(Function, "tablelookupistringbyrow", |world, _, args| {
+        Ok(Value::LocalizedString(table_lookup_by_row(world, args)?))
     });
     registry.register(Function, "tablelookuprownum", |world, _, args| {
         let tables = world.resource::<Runtime>().tables.clone();
diff --git a/crates/sim/src/script/host/tables.rs b/crates/sim/src/script/host/tables.rs
index 4a0e5e4..cea2b90 100644
--- a/crates/sim/src/script/host/tables.rs
+++ b/crates/sim/src/script/host/tables.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use super::entities::table_key;
 use crate::script::{Runtime, StringTable, Value};
 use bevy_ecs::prelude::World;
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::sync::Arc;
 
 pub(super) fn table<'a>(
     tables: &'a BTreeMap<String, StringTable>,
@@ -48,3 +49,14 @@ pub(crate) fn table_lookup(world: &World, args: &[Value]) -> Result<String, Stri
         .unwrap_or("")
         .to_owned())
 }
+
+pub(crate) fn table_lookup_by_row(world: &World, args: &[Value]) -> Result<Arc<str>, String> {
+    let tables = world.resource::<Runtime>().tables.clone();
+    let name = string(args, 0)?;
+    let (row, column) = (int(args, 1)?, int(args, 2)?);
+    Ok(table(&tables, &name)
+        .filter(|_| row >= 0 && column >= 0)
+        .and_then(|t| t.cell(row as usize, column as usize))
+        .unwrap_or("")
+        .into())
+}