diff --git a/docs/Lua API.rst b/docs/Lua API.rst
index 3eb053e73..a4130096b 100644
--- a/docs/Lua API.rst	
+++ b/docs/Lua API.rst	
@@ -3920,6 +3920,22 @@ A class with all the tcp functionality.
 
   Tries connecting to that address and port. Returns ``client`` object.
 
+
+.. _map-render:
+
+map-render
+==========
+
+A way to ask df to render a slice of map. This uses native df rendering function so it's highly dependant on
+df settings (e.g. used tileset, colors, if using graphics or not and so on...)
+
+Functions
+---------
+
+- ``render_map_rect(x,y,z,w,h)``
+
+  returns a table with w*h*4 entries of rendered tiles. The format is same as ``df.global.gps.screen`` (tile,foreground,bright,background).
+
 .. _cxxrandom:
 
 cxxrandom
diff --git a/docs/Plugins.rst b/docs/Plugins.rst
index 4d122bb51..2b78fd700 100644
--- a/docs/Plugins.rst
+++ b/docs/Plugins.rst
@@ -2848,4 +2848,5 @@ in the `lua-api` file under `lua-plugins`:
 * `eventful`
 * `building-hacks`
 * `luasocket`
+* `map-render`
 * `cxxrandom`
diff --git a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index 284922cc1..fbca6bca9 100644
--- a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ if (BUILD_SUPPORTED)
     DFHACK_PLUGIN(liquids liquids.cpp Brushes.h LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
     DFHACK_PLUGIN(luasocket luasocket.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES clsocket lua dfhack-tinythread)
     DFHACK_PLUGIN(manipulator manipulator.cpp)
+    DFHACK_PLUGIN(map-render map-render.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
     DFHACK_PLUGIN(misery misery.cpp)
     DFHACK_PLUGIN(mode mode.cpp)
     DFHACK_PLUGIN(mousequery mousequery.cpp)
diff --git a/plugins/lua/map-render.lua b/plugins/lua/map-render.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9785c365e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/lua/map-render.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+local _ENV = mkmodule('plugins.map-render')
+
+--[[
+
+ Native functions:
+
+ * render_map_rect(x,y,z,w,h)
+
+--]]
+
+return _ENV
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/map-render.cpp b/plugins/map-render.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f89d8ab4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/map-render.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+#include "Core.h"
+#include "Console.h"
+#include "Export.h"
+#include "PluginManager.h"
+#include "VersionInfo.h"
+#include "VTableInterpose.h"
+#include "LuaTools.h"
+
+#include "DataDefs.h"
+
+#include "df/viewscreen_dwarfmodest.h"
+#include "df/init.h"
+#include "df/renderer.h"
+#include "df/graphic.h"
+#include "df/enabler.h"
+#include "df/map_renderer.h"
+
+using std::string;
+using std::vector;
+using namespace DFHack;
+using namespace df::enums;
+
+DFHACK_PLUGIN("map-render");
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL(window_x)
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL(window_y)
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL(window_z)
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL_NO_USE(gps)
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL_NO_USE(enabler)
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL_NO_USE(twbt_render_map)
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL(init)
+
+#ifdef WIN32
+    // On Windows there's no parameter pointing to the map_renderer structure
+    typedef void(_stdcall *RENDER_MAP)(int);
+
+    RENDER_MAP _render_map;
+
+    void render_map(){ _render_map(0); }
+#else
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL(map_renderer)
+
+    typedef void(*RENDER_MAP)(void*, int);
+
+    RENDER_MAP _render_map;
+
+    void render_map(){ _render_map(map_renderer,0); }
+#endif
+static int render_map_rect(lua_State* L)
+{
+    CoreSuspender suspender;
+
+    int x = luaL_checkint(L, 1);
+    int y = luaL_checkint(L, 2);
+    int z = luaL_checkint(L, 3);
+    int w = luaL_checkint(L, 4);
+    int h = luaL_checkint(L, 5);
+    uint8_t *s = df::global::gps->screen;
+    //backup state
+    //TODO: figure out if we can replace screen with other pointer. That way it could be a bit more tidy
+    int32_t win_h = df::global::gps->dimy;
+    int32_t was_x = *window_x;
+    int32_t was_y = *window_y;
+    int32_t was_z = *window_z;
+    int32_t gx = init->display.grid_x;
+    int32_t gy = init->display.grid_y;
+    init->display.grid_x = w+1;
+    init->display.grid_y = h+1;
+    *window_x = x;
+    *window_y = y;
+    *window_z = z;
+    //force full redraw
+    df::global::gps->force_full_display_count = 1;
+    //this modifies screen so it REALLY wants to redraw stuff
+    for (int ty = 0; ty < h; ty++)
+    for (int tx = 0; tx < w; tx++)
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
+        {
+            int t = (tx + 1)*win_h + ty + 1;
+            s[t * 4 + i] = 0;
+        }
+    }
+    render_map();
+    //restore state
+    *window_x = was_x;
+    *window_y = was_y;
+    *window_z = was_z;
+    init->display.grid_x = gx;
+    init->display.grid_y = gy;
+
+    lua_createtable(L,w*h*4,0);
+
+    int counter = 0;
+    for (int ty = 0; ty < h; ty++)
+    for (int tx = 0; tx < w; tx++)
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < 4;i++)
+        {
+            int t = (tx + 1)*win_h + ty + 1;
+            lua_pushnumber(L, s[t*4+i]);
+            lua_rawseti(L, -2, counter);
+            counter++;
+        }
+    }
+    return 1;
+}
+
+DFHACK_PLUGIN_LUA_COMMANDS{
+    DFHACK_LUA_COMMAND(render_map_rect),
+    DFHACK_LUA_END
+};
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_init(color_ostream &out, std::vector<PluginCommand> &commands)
+{
+    auto addr =reinterpret_cast<RENDER_MAP>(Core::getInstance().vinfo->getAddress("twbt_render_map"));
+    if (addr == nullptr)
+        return CR_FAILURE;
+    _render_map = addr;
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_shutdown(color_ostream &out)
+{
+    return CR_OK;
+}