diff --git a/api.lua b/api.lua
index 1a4026b..e8b9c7a 100644
--- a/api.lua
+++ b/api.lua
@@ -1,17 +1,54 @@
 
--- Returns a list of areas that include the provided position
+--- Returns a list of areas that include the provided position.
 function areas:getAreasAtPos(pos)
-	local a = {}
-	local px, py, pz = pos.x, pos.y, pos.z
-	for id, area in pairs(self.areas) do
-		local ap1, ap2 = area.pos1, area.pos2
-		if px >= ap1.x and px <= ap2.x and
-		   py >= ap1.y and py <= ap2.y and
-		   pz >= ap1.z and pz <= ap2.z then
-			a[id] = area
+	local res = {}
+	if self.store then
+		local a = self.store:get_areas_for_pos(pos, false, true)
+		for store_id, store_area in pairs(a) do
+			local id = tonumber(store_area.data)
+			res[id] = self.areas[id]
+		end
+	else
+		local px, py, pz = pos.x, pos.y, pos.z
+		for id, area in pairs(self.areas) do
+			local ap1, ap2 = area.pos1, area.pos2
+			if
+					(px >= ap1.x and px <= ap2.x) and
+					(py >= ap1.y and py <= ap2.y) and
+					(pz >= ap1.z and pz <= ap2.z) then
+				res[id] = area
+			end
 		end
 	end
-	return a
+	return res
+end
+
+--- Returns areas that intersect with the passed area.
+function areas:getAreasIntersectingArea(pos1, pos2)
+	local res = {}
+	if self.store then
+		local a = self.store:get_areas_in_area(pos1, pos2,
+				true, false, true)
+		for store_id, store_area in pairs(a) do
+			local id = tonumber(store_area.data)
+			res[id] = self.areas[id]
+		end
+	else
+		self:sortPos(pos1, pos2)
+		local p1x, p1y, p1z = pos1.x, pos1.y, pos1.z
+		local p2x, p2y, p2z = pos2.x, pos2.y, pos2.z
+		for id, area in pairs(self.areas) do
+			local ap1, ap2 = area.pos1, area.pos2
+			if
+					(ap1.x <= p2x and ap2.x >= p1x) and
+					(ap1.y <= p2y and ap2.y >= p1y) and
+					(ap1.z <= p2z and ap2.z >= p1z) then
+				-- Found an intersecting area.
+				res[id] = area
+			end
+		end
+	end
+	return res
 end
 
 -- Checks if the area is unprotected or owned by you
@@ -43,41 +80,49 @@ end
 -- Note that this fails and returns false when the specified area is fully
 -- owned by the player, but with multiple protection zones, none of which
 -- cover the entire checked area.
--- @param name (optional) player name.  If not specified checks for any intersecting areas.
--- @param allow_open Whether open areas should be counted as is they didn't exist.
+-- @param name (optional) Player name.  If not specified checks for any intersecting areas.
+-- @param allow_open Whether open areas should be counted as if they didn't exist.
 -- @return Boolean indicating whether the player can interact in that area.
--- @return Un-owned intersecting area id, if found.
+-- @return Un-owned intersecting area ID, if found.
 function areas:canInteractInArea(pos1, pos2, name, allow_open)
 	if name and minetest.check_player_privs(name, self.adminPrivs) then
 		return true
 	end
-	areas:sortPos(pos1, pos2)
-	-- First check for a fully enclosing owned area.
-	if name then
-		for id, area in pairs(self.areas) do
-			-- A little optimization: isAreaOwner isn't necessary
-			-- here since we're iterating through all areas.
-			if area.owner == name and
-					self:isSubarea(pos1, pos2, id) then
-				return true
-			end
+	self:sortPos(pos1, pos2)
+
+	-- Intersecting non-owned area ID, if found.
+	local blocking_area = nil
+
+	local areas = self:getAreasIntersectingArea(pos1, pos2)
+	for id, area in pairs(areas) do
+		-- First check for a fully enclosing owned area.
+		-- A little optimization: isAreaOwner isn't necessary
+		-- here since we're iterating over all relevant areas.
+		if area.owner == name and
+				self:isSubarea(pos1, pos2, id) then
+			return true
+		end
+
+		-- Then check for intersecting non-owned (blocking) areas.
+		-- We don't bother with this check if we've already found a
+		-- blocking area, as the check is somewhat expensive.
+		-- The area blocks if the area is closed or open areas aren't
+		-- acceptable to the caller, and the area isn't owned.
+		-- Note: We can't return directly here, because there might be
+		-- an exclosing owned area that we haven't gotten to yet.
+		if not blocking_area and
+				(not allow_open or not area.open) and
+				(not name or not self:isAreaOwner(id, name)) then
+			blocking_area = id
 		end
 	end
-	-- Then check for intersecting (non-owned) areas.
-	for id, area in pairs(self.areas) do
-		local p1, p2 = area.pos1, area.pos2
-		if (p1.x <= pos2.x and p2.x >= pos1.x) and
-		   (p1.y <= pos2.y and p2.y >= pos1.y) and
-		   (p1.z <= pos2.z and p2.z >= pos1.z) then
-			-- Found an intersecting area.
-			-- Return if the area is closed or open areas aren't
-			-- allowed, and the area isn't owned.
-			if (not allow_open or not area.open) and
-					(not name or not areas:isAreaOwner(id, name)) then
-				return false, id
-			end
-		end
+
+	if blocking_area then
+		return false, blocking_area
 	end
+
+	-- There are no intersecting areas or they are only partially
+	-- intersecting areas and they are all owned by the player.
 	return true
 end
 
diff --git a/internal.lua b/internal.lua
index f1b048d..ea94a27 100644
--- a/internal.lua
+++ b/internal.lua
@@ -30,6 +30,40 @@ function areas:load()
 		self.areas = {}
 	end
 	file:close()
+	self:populateStore()
+end
+
+--- Checks an AreaStore ID.
+-- Deletes the AreaStore (falling back to the iterative method)
+-- and prints an error message if the ID is invalid.
+-- @return Whether the ID was valid.
+function areas:checkAreaStoreId(sid)
+	if not sid then
+		minetest.log("error", "AreaStore failed to find an ID for an "
+			.."area!  Falling back to iterative area checking.")
+		self.store = nil
+		self.store_ids = nil
+	end
+	return sid and true or false
+end
+
+-- Populates the AreaStore after loading, if needed.
+function areas:populateStore()
+	if not rawget(_G, "AreaStore") then
+		return
+	end
+	local store = AreaStore()
+	local store_ids = {}
+	for id, area in pairs(areas.areas) do
+		local sid = store:insert_area(area.pos1,
+			area.pos2, tostring(id))
+		if not self:checkAreaStoreId(sid) then
+			return
+		end
+		store_ids[id] = sid
+	end
+	self.store = store
+	self.store_ids = store_ids
 end
 
 -- Finds the first usable index in a table
@@ -41,15 +75,28 @@ local function findFirstUnusedIndex(t)
 	return i
 end
 
--- Add a area, returning the new area's id.
+--- Add a area.
+-- @return The new area's ID.
 function areas:add(owner, name, pos1, pos2, parent)
 	local id = findFirstUnusedIndex(self.areas)
-	self.areas[id] = {name=name, pos1=pos1, pos2=pos2, owner=owner,
-			parent=parent}
+	self.areas[id] = {
+		name = name,
+		pos1 = pos1,
+		pos2 = pos2,
+		owner = owner,
+		parent = parent
+	}
+	-- Add to AreaStore
+	if self.store then
+		local sid = self.store:insert_area(pos1, pos2, tostring(id))
+		if self:checkAreaStoreId(sid) then
+			self.store_ids[id] = sid
+		end
+	end
 	return id
 end
 
--- Remove a area, and optionally it's children recursively.
+--- Remove a area, and optionally it's children recursively.
 -- If a area is deleted non-recursively the children will
 -- have the removed area's parent as their new parent.
 function areas:remove(id, recurse)
@@ -73,6 +120,12 @@ function areas:remove(id, recurse)
 
 	-- Remove main entry
 	self.areas[id] = nil
+
+	-- Remove from AreaStore
+	if self.store then
+		self.store:remove_area(self.store_ids[id])
+		self.store_ids[id] = nil
+	end
 end
 
 -- Checks if a area between two points is entirely contained by another area