diff --git a/userspace/falco/CMakeLists.txt b/userspace/falco/CMakeLists.txt
index 5177d953..f823f031 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/userspace/falco/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ add_executable(
   configuration.cpp
   logger.cpp
   falco_outputs.cpp
+  falco_outputs_file.cpp
+  falco_outputs_program.cpp
+  falco_outputs_stdout.cpp
+  falco_outputs_syslog.cpp
   event_drops.cpp
   statsfilewriter.cpp
   falco.cpp
@@ -57,6 +61,12 @@ else()
     configuration.cpp
     logger.cpp
     falco_outputs.cpp
+    falco_outputs_file.cpp
+    falco_outputs_grpc.cpp
+    falco_outputs_http.cpp
+    falco_outputs_program.cpp
+    falco_outputs_stdout.cpp
+    falco_outputs_syslog.cpp
     event_drops.cpp
     statsfilewriter.cpp
     falco.cpp
diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
index 09f72046..a797fd61 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
@@ -24,22 +24,20 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "formats.h"
 #include "logger.h"
+
+#include "falco_outputs_file.h"
+#include "falco_outputs_program.h"
+#include "falco_outputs_stdout.h"
+#include "falco_outputs_syslog.h"
 #ifndef MINIMAL_BUILD
-#include "falco_outputs_queue.h"
+#include "falco_outputs_http.h"
+#include "falco_outputs_grpc.h"
 #endif
+
 #include "banned.h" // This raises a compilation error when certain functions are used
 
 using namespace std;
 
-const static struct luaL_reg ll_falco_outputs [] =
-{
-#ifndef MINIMAL_BUILD
-	{"handle_http", &falco_outputs::handle_http},
-	{"handle_grpc", &falco_outputs::handle_grpc},
-#endif
-	{NULL, NULL}
-};
-
 falco_outputs::falco_outputs(falco_engine *engine):
 	m_falco_engine(engine),
 	m_initialized(false),
@@ -52,25 +50,12 @@ falco_outputs::falco_outputs(falco_engine *engine):
 
 falco_outputs::~falco_outputs()
 {
-	// Note: The assert()s in this destructor were previously places where
-	//       exceptions were thrown.  C++11 doesn't allow destructors to
-	//       emit exceptions; if they're thrown, they'll trigger a call
-	//       to 'terminate()'.  To maintain similar behavior, the exceptions
-	//       were replace with calls to 'assert()'
 	if(m_initialized)
 	{
-		lua_getglobal(m_ls, m_lua_output_cleanup.c_str());
-		if(!lua_isfunction(m_ls, -1))
+		// falco_formats::free_formatters(); // todo(leogr): find a better place to free formatters
+		for(auto it = m_outputs.cbegin(); it != m_outputs.cend(); ++it)
 		{
-			falco_logger::log(LOG_ERR, std::string("No function ") + m_lua_output_cleanup + " found. ");
-			assert(nullptr == "Missing lua cleanup function in ~falco_outputs");
-		}
-
-		if(lua_pcall(m_ls, 0, 0, 0) != 0)
-		{
-			const char *lerr = lua_tostring(m_ls, -1);
-			falco_logger::log(LOG_ERR, std::string("lua_pcall failed, err: ") + lerr);
-			assert(nullptr == "lua_pcall failed in ~falco_outputs");
+			(*it)->cleanup();
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -79,7 +64,7 @@ void falco_outputs::init(bool json_output,
 			 bool json_include_output_property,
 			 uint32_t rate, uint32_t max_burst, bool buffered,
 			 bool time_format_iso_8601, string hostname,
-			 const string& alternate_lua_dir)
+			 const string &alternate_lua_dir)
 {
 	// The engine must have been given an inspector by now.
 	if(!m_inspector)
@@ -89,16 +74,9 @@ void falco_outputs::init(bool json_output,
 
 	m_json_output = json_output;
 
-	falco_common::init(m_lua_main_filename.c_str(), alternate_lua_dir.c_str());
-
-	// Note that falco_formats is added to both the lua state used
-	// by the falco engine as well as the separate lua state used
-	// by falco outputs.
-	falco_formats::init(m_inspector, m_falco_engine, m_ls, json_output, json_include_output_property);
-
-	falco_logger::init(m_ls);
-
-	luaL_openlib(m_ls, "c_outputs", ll_falco_outputs, 0);
+	// todo(leogr): explain why falco_formats does not need to be initialized here
+	falco_formats::s_json_output = json_output;
+	falco_formats::s_json_include_output_property = json_include_output_property;
 
 	m_notifications_tb.init(rate, max_burst);
 
@@ -109,40 +87,47 @@ void falco_outputs::init(bool json_output,
 	m_initialized = true;
 }
 
-void falco_outputs::add_output(output_config oc)
+void falco_outputs::add_output(falco::outputs::output::config oc)
 {
-	uint8_t nargs = 3;
-	lua_getglobal(m_ls, m_lua_add_output.c_str());
 
-	if(!lua_isfunction(m_ls, -1))
+	falco::outputs::output *oo;
+
+	if(oc.name == "file")
 	{
-		throw falco_exception("No function " + m_lua_add_output + " found. ");
+		oo = new falco::outputs::output_file();
 	}
-	lua_pushstring(m_ls, oc.name.c_str());
-	lua_pushnumber(m_ls, (m_buffered ? 1 : 0));
-	lua_pushnumber(m_ls, (m_time_format_iso_8601 ? 1 : 0));
-
-	// If we have options, build up a lua table containing them
-	if(oc.options.size())
+	else if(oc.name == "program")
 	{
-		nargs = 4;
-		lua_createtable(m_ls, 0, oc.options.size());
-
-		for(auto it = oc.options.cbegin(); it != oc.options.cend(); ++it)
-		{
-			lua_pushstring(m_ls, (*it).second.c_str());
-			lua_setfield(m_ls, -2, (*it).first.c_str());
-		}
+		oo = new falco::outputs::output_program();
+	}
+	else if(oc.name == "stdout")
+	{
+		oo = new falco::outputs::output_stdout();
+	}
+	else if(oc.name == "syslog")
+	{
+		oo = new falco::outputs::output_syslog();
+	}
+#ifndef MINIMAL_BUILD
+	else if(oc.name == "http")
+	{
+		oo = new falco::outputs::output_http();
+	}
+	else if(oc.name == "grpc")
+	{
+		oo = new falco::outputs::output_grpc();
+	}
+#endif
+	else
+	{
+		throw falco_exception("Output not supported: " + oc.name);
 	}
 
-	if(lua_pcall(m_ls, nargs, 0, 0) != 0)
-	{
-		const char *lerr = lua_tostring(m_ls, -1);
-		throw falco_exception(string(lerr));
-	}
+	oo->init(oc, m_buffered, m_time_format_iso_8601, m_hostname);
+	m_outputs.push_back(oo);
 }
 
-void falco_outputs::handle_event(gen_event *ev, string &rule, string &source,
+void falco_outputs::handle_event(gen_event *evt, string &rule, string &source,
 				 falco_common::priority_type priority, string &format)
 {
 	if(!m_notifications_tb.claim())
@@ -151,29 +136,46 @@ void falco_outputs::handle_event(gen_event *ev, string &rule, string &source,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(m_ls_semaphore);
-	lua_getglobal(m_ls, m_lua_output_event.c_str());
-
-	if(lua_isfunction(m_ls, -1))
+	string sformat;
+	if(source == "syscall")
 	{
-		lua_pushlightuserdata(m_ls, ev);
-		lua_pushstring(m_ls, rule.c_str());
-		lua_pushstring(m_ls, source.c_str());
-		lua_pushstring(m_ls, falco_common::priority_names[priority].c_str());
-		lua_pushnumber(m_ls, priority);
-		lua_pushstring(m_ls, format.c_str());
-		lua_pushstring(m_ls, m_hostname.c_str());
-
-		if(lua_pcall(m_ls, 7, 0, 0) != 0)
+		if(m_time_format_iso_8601)
 		{
-			const char *lerr = lua_tostring(m_ls, -1);
-			string err = "Error invoking function output: " + string(lerr);
-			throw falco_exception(err);
+			sformat = "*%evt.time.iso8601: " + falco_common::priority_names[priority];
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			sformat = "*%evt.time: " + falco_common::priority_names[priority];
 		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		throw falco_exception("No function " + m_lua_output_event + " found in lua compiler module");
+		if(m_time_format_iso_8601)
+		{
+			sformat = "*%jevt.time.iso8601: " + falco_common::priority_names[priority];
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			sformat = "*%jevt.time: " + falco_common::priority_names[priority];
+		}
+	}
+
+	// if format starts with a *, remove it, as we added our own prefix
+	if(format[0] == '*')
+	{
+		sformat += " " + format.substr(1, format.length() - 1);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		sformat += " " + format;
+	}
+
+	string msg;
+	msg = falco_formats::format_event(evt, rule, source, falco_common::priority_names[priority], sformat);
+
+	for(auto it = m_outputs.cbegin(); it != m_outputs.cend(); ++it)
+	{
+		(*it)->output_event(evt, rule, source, priority, sformat, msg);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -230,151 +232,16 @@ void falco_outputs::handle_msg(uint64_t now,
 		full_msg += ")";
 	}
 
-	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(m_ls_semaphore);
-	lua_getglobal(m_ls, m_lua_output_msg.c_str());
-	if(lua_isfunction(m_ls, -1))
+	for(auto it = m_outputs.cbegin(); it != m_outputs.cend(); ++it)
 	{
-		lua_pushstring(m_ls, full_msg.c_str());
-		lua_pushstring(m_ls, falco_common::priority_names[priority].c_str());
-		lua_pushnumber(m_ls, priority);
-
-		if(lua_pcall(m_ls, 3, 0, 0) != 0)
-		{
-			const char *lerr = lua_tostring(m_ls, -1);
-			string err = "Error invoking function output: " + string(lerr);
-			throw falco_exception(err);
-		}
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		throw falco_exception("No function " + m_lua_output_msg + " found in lua compiler module");
+		(*it)->output_msg(priority, full_msg);
 	}
 }
 
 void falco_outputs::reopen_outputs()
 {
-	lua_getglobal(m_ls, m_lua_output_reopen.c_str());
-	if(!lua_isfunction(m_ls, -1))
+	for(auto it = m_outputs.cbegin(); it != m_outputs.cend(); ++it)
 	{
-		throw falco_exception("No function " + m_lua_output_reopen + " found. ");
-	}
-
-	if(lua_pcall(m_ls, 0, 0, 0) != 0)
-	{
-		const char *lerr = lua_tostring(m_ls, -1);
-		throw falco_exception(string(lerr));
+		(*it)->reopen();
 	}
 }
-
-#ifndef MINIMAL_BUILD
-int falco_outputs::handle_http(lua_State *ls)
-{
-	CURL *curl = NULL;
-	CURLcode res = CURLE_FAILED_INIT;
-	struct curl_slist *slist1;
-	slist1 = NULL;
-
-	if(!lua_isstring(ls, -1) ||
-	   !lua_isstring(ls, -2))
-	{
-		lua_pushstring(ls, "Invalid arguments passed to handle_http()");
-		lua_error(ls);
-	}
-
-	string url = (char *)lua_tostring(ls, 1);
-	string msg = (char *)lua_tostring(ls, 2);
-
-	curl = curl_easy_init();
-	if(curl)
-	{
-		slist1 = curl_slist_append(slist1, "Content-Type: application/json");
-		curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, slist1);
-		curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, url.c_str());
-		curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, msg.c_str());
-		curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE, -1L);
-
-		res = curl_easy_perform(curl);
-
-		if(res != CURLE_OK)
-		{
-			falco_logger::log(LOG_ERR, "libcurl error: " + string(curl_easy_strerror(res)));
-		}
-		curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
-		curl = NULL;
-		curl_slist_free_all(slist1);
-		slist1 = NULL;
-	}
-	return 1;
-}
-
-int falco_outputs::handle_grpc(lua_State *ls)
-{
-	// check parameters
-	if(!lua_islightuserdata(ls, -8) ||
-	   !lua_isstring(ls, -7) ||
-	   !lua_isstring(ls, -6) ||
-	   !lua_isstring(ls, -5) ||
-	   !lua_isstring(ls, -4) ||
-	   !lua_istable(ls, -3) ||
-	   !lua_isstring(ls, -2) ||
-	   !lua_istable(ls, -1))
-	{
-		lua_pushstring(ls, "Invalid arguments passed to handle_grpc()");
-		lua_error(ls);
-	}
-
-	falco::outputs::response grpc_res;
-
-	// time
-	gen_event *evt = (gen_event *)lua_topointer(ls, 1);
-	auto timestamp = grpc_res.mutable_time();
-	*timestamp = google::protobuf::util::TimeUtil::NanosecondsToTimestamp(evt->get_ts());
-
-	// rule
-	auto rule = grpc_res.mutable_rule();
-	*rule = (char *)lua_tostring(ls, 2);
-
-	// source
-	falco::schema::source s = falco::schema::source::SYSCALL;
-	string sstr = (char *)lua_tostring(ls, 3);
-	if(!falco::schema::source_Parse(sstr, &s))
-	{
-		lua_pushstring(ls, "Unknown source passed to to handle_grpc()");
-		lua_error(ls);
-	}
-	grpc_res.set_source(s);
-
-	// priority
-	falco::schema::priority p = falco::schema::priority::EMERGENCY;
-	string pstr = (char *)lua_tostring(ls, 4);
-	if(!falco::schema::priority_Parse(pstr, &p))
-	{
-		lua_pushstring(ls, "Unknown priority passed to to handle_grpc()");
-		lua_error(ls);
-	}
-	grpc_res.set_priority(p);
-
-	// output
-	auto output = grpc_res.mutable_output();
-	*output = (char *)lua_tostring(ls, 5);
-
-	// output fields
-	auto &fields = *grpc_res.mutable_output_fields();
-
-	lua_pushnil(ls); // so that lua_next removes it from stack and puts (k, v) on it
-	while(lua_next(ls, 6) != 0)
-	{
-		fields[lua_tostring(ls, -2)] = lua_tostring(ls, -1);
-		lua_pop(ls, 1); // remove value, keep key for lua_next
-	}
-	lua_pop(ls, 1); // pop table
-
-	// hostname
-	auto host = grpc_res.mutable_hostname();
-	*host = (char *)lua_tostring(ls, 7);
-
-	falco::outputs::queue::get().push(grpc_res);
-
-	return 1;
-}
-#endif
diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.h b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.h
index 7e9dd287..3ce53657 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.h
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.h
@@ -19,17 +19,12 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include <memory>
 #include <map>
 
-extern "C" {
-#include "lua.h"
-#include "lualib.h"
-#include "lauxlib.h"
-}
-
 #include "gen_filter.h"
 #include "json_evt.h"
 #include "falco_common.h"
 #include "token_bucket.h"
 #include "falco_engine.h"
+#include "falco_output.h"
 
 //
 // This class acts as the primary interface between a program and the
@@ -43,27 +38,19 @@ public:
 	falco_outputs(falco_engine *engine);
 	virtual ~falco_outputs();
 
-	// The way to refer to an output (file, syslog, stdout, etc.)
-	// An output has a name and set of options.
-	struct output_config
-	{
-		std::string name;
-		std::map<std::string, std::string> options;
-	};
-
 	void init(bool json_output,
 		  bool json_include_output_property,
 		  uint32_t rate, uint32_t max_burst, bool buffered,
 		  bool time_format_iso_8601, std::string hostname,
 		  const std::string& alternate_lua_dir);
 
-	void add_output(output_config oc);
+	void add_output(falco::outputs::output::config oc);
 
 	//
 	// ev is an event that has matched some rule. Pass the event
 	// to all configured outputs.
 	//
-	void handle_event(gen_event *ev, std::string &rule, std::string &source,
+	void handle_event(gen_event *evt, std::string &rule, std::string &source,
 			  falco_common::priority_type priority, std::string &format);
 
 	// Send a generic message to all outputs. Not necessarily associated with any event.
@@ -71,21 +58,17 @@ public:
 			falco_common::priority_type priority,
 			std::string &msg,
 			std::string &rule,
-			std::map<std::string,std::string> &output_fields);
+			std::map<std::string, std::string> &output_fields);
 
 	void reopen_outputs();
 
-#ifndef MINIMAL_BUILD
-	static int handle_http(lua_State *ls);
-	static int handle_grpc(lua_State *ls);
-#endif
-
 private:
-
 	falco_engine *m_falco_engine;
 
 	bool m_initialized;
 
+	std::vector<falco::outputs::output *> m_outputs;
+
 	// Rate limits notifications
 	token_bucket m_notifications_tb;
 
@@ -93,11 +76,4 @@ private:
 	bool m_json_output;
 	bool m_time_format_iso_8601;
 	std::string m_hostname;
-
-	std::string m_lua_add_output = "add_output";
-	std::string m_lua_output_event = "output_event";
-	std::string m_lua_output_msg = "output_msg";
-	std::string m_lua_output_cleanup = "output_cleanup";
-	std::string m_lua_output_reopen = "output_reopen";
-	std::string m_lua_main_filename = "output.lua";
 };
diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs_queue.h b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs_queue.h
index 26c1e041..421d3036 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs_queue.h
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs_queue.h
@@ -56,5 +56,5 @@ public:
 	queue(queue const&) = delete;
 	void operator=(queue const&) = delete;
 };
-} // namespace output
+} // namespace outputs
 } // namespace falco