diff --git a/worldedit/serialization.lua b/worldedit/serialization.lua
index bbedca5..379321f 100644
--- a/worldedit/serialization.lua
+++ b/worldedit/serialization.lua
@@ -271,3 +271,309 @@ worldedit.deserialize = function(originpos, value)
 	end
 	return count
 end
+
+-- create a copy of a node added by worldedit.deserializeAligned, then rotate it and replace the original with the correctly aligned copy
+--   hopefully this function is not required, but is included as it may aid/improve backward compatibility if worldedit.getNewRotation doesn't work properly
+worldedit.screwdriver_handler = function(pos, axisChange)
+	-- This function is hopefully not needed, but is included just in case (for old file formats)
+	-- the basis of this is the minetest screwdriver function
+	-- it would probably 
+	if axisChange == "Z" then return end
+
+	-- create a copy of the node
+	local nodeRot = minetest.get_node({x=pos.x, y=pos.y, z=pos.z})
+
+	-- Get ready to set the param2
+	local n = nodeRot.param2
+
+	-- screwdriver uses axis direction. not sure why, but leave it there just in case...
+	local axisdir = math.floor(n / 4)
+	local rotation = n - axisdir * 4
+	-- screwdriver uses a separate function rather than modulus. Not sure why, but this seems to work
+	if axisChange == "X" then
+		n = axisdir * 4 + ((rotation + 1) % 4)
+	elseif axisChange == "z" then
+		n = axisdir * 4 + ((rotation + 2) % 4)
+	elseif axisChange == "x" then
+		n = axisdir * 4 + ((rotation + 3) % 4)
+	else
+		n = axisdir * 4
+	end
+
+	-- now replace the node with the copied one
+	nodeRot.param2 = n
+	minetest.swap_node({x=pos.x, y=pos.y, z=pos.z}, nodeRot)
+		
+end
+
+-- return the correct orientation for a node within a region being loaded by worldedit.deserializeAligned
+worldedit.getNewRotation = function(param2, axisChange)
+	-- the basis of this is the minetest screwdriver function
+	if axisChange == "Z" then return param2 end
+
+	-- screwdriver uses axisdir. not sure why, but leave it there just in case...
+	local axisdir = math.floor(param2 / 4)
+	local rotation = param2 - axisdir * 4
+	-- screwdriver uses a separate function rather than modulus. Not sure why, but modulus seems to work without the extra call
+	if axisChange == "X" then
+		param2 = axisdir * 4 + ((rotation + 1) % 4)
+	elseif axisChange == "z" then
+		param2 = axisdir * 4 + ((rotation + 2) % 4)
+	elseif axisChange == "x" then
+		param2 = axisdir * 4 + ((rotation + 3) % 4)
+	end
+
+	-- now return the new param2
+	return param2
+end
+
+-- returns true if mod is known, else false. Accepts either a mod, or a mod:node 
+worldedit.knownMod = function(modName, missingMods)
+	local colonLoc = string.find(modName, ":")
+	if colonLoc ~= nil then modName = modName:sub(0,colonLoc-1) end
+	if not string.find(missingMods, (modName.. ";")) then
+		if not minetest.get_modpath(modName) then
+			missingMods = missingMods.. modName.. "; "
+			print("unknown mod: ".. modName)
+			return false, missingMods
+		else
+			return true, missingMods
+		end
+	else
+		return false, missingMods
+	end
+end
+
+worldedit.minmax = function(posToCheck,posMin,posMax)
+	if posToCheck.x < posMin.x then posMin.x = posToCheck.x end
+	if posToCheck.y < posMin.y then posMin.y = posToCheck.y end
+	if posToCheck.z < posMin.z then posMin.z = posToCheck.z end
+	if posToCheck.x > posMax.x then posMax.x = posToCheck.x end
+	if posToCheck.y > posMax.y then posMax.y = posToCheck.y end
+	if posToCheck.z > posMax.z then posMax.z = posToCheck.z end
+	
+	return posMin, posMax
+	
+end
+
+
+--loads the nodes represented by string `value` at position `originpos`, returning the number of nodes deserialized, and locations
+-- it is essentially an enhancement of worldedit.load with the addition of aligning load to a particular axis, tracking missingmods
+--   not attempting (and failing) to add nodes to unknown mods, monitoring the bounds of the load region
+
+--   Use .deserializeAlign to replace .deserialize by running with axis="Z":-
+--worldedit.deserialize = function(originpos, value)
+--	count = worldedit.deserializeAlign(originpos, value, "Z", false)
+--	return count
+--end
+
+--   Use .deserializeAlign to replace .allocate by running with  axis="Z" and runTest=true (as is done internally)
+--worldedit.allocate(originpos, value)
+--	count, posMin, posMax, unknownModCnt, missingMods = worldedit.deserializeAlign(originpos, value, "Z", true)
+--	return 	posMin, posMax, count
+--end
+
+--contains code based on [table.save/table.load](http://lua-users.org/wiki/SaveTableToFile) by ChillCode, available under the MIT license (GPL compatible)
+worldedit.deserializeAlign = function(originpos, value, axis, runTest)
+	local huge = math.huge
+	local posMin = {x=huge, y=huge, z=huge}
+	local posMax = {x=-huge, y=-huge, z=-huge}
+	local count = 0
+
+	if not runTest then
+		--make area stay loaded
+		-- loop deserializeAlign once to identify posMin and posMax for loading (and holding) the region with voxel_manip
+		local count, posMin, posMax = worldedit.deserializeAlign(originpos, value, axis, true)
+		local manip = minetest.get_voxel_manip()
+		manip:read_from_map(posMin, posMax)
+	end
+
+	local add_node, get_meta = minetest.add_node, minetest.get_meta
+	local version = worldedit.valueversion(value)
+	local unknownModCnt = 0
+	local missingMods = ""
+
+--	print ("Debug info deserializeAligned: version: ".. version)
+--	minetest.chat_send_all("Debug info deserializeAligned: version: ".. version)
+
+	if version == 1 or version == 2 then --original flat table format
+		--obtain the node table
+		local get_tables = loadstring(value)
+		if not get_tables then --error loading value
+			return count
+		end
+		local tables = get_tables()
+
+		--transform the node table into an array of nodes
+		for i = 1, #tables do
+			for j, v in pairs(tables[i]) do
+				if type(v) == "table" then
+					tables[i][j] = tables[v[1]]
+				end
+			end
+		end
+		local nodes = tables[1]
+
+		--load the node array
+		count = #nodes
+		if version == 1 then --original flat table format
+			print ("WorldEdit deserializeAligned: attempting to rotate untested file format version: 1")
+			for index = 1, count do
+				local entry = nodes[index]
+				local pos = entry[1]
+				if axis == "x" then
+					pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x + pos.z, originpos.y - pos.y, originpos.z - pos.x
+				elseif axis == "X" then
+					pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x - pos.z, originpos.y - pos.y, originpos.z + pos.x
+				elseif axis == "z" then
+					pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x + pos.x, originpos.y - pos.y, originpos.z + pos.z
+				elseif axis == "Z" then
+					pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x - pos.x, originpos.y - pos.y, originpos.z - pos.z
+				end
+--				pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x - pos.x, originpos.y - pos.y, originpos.z - pos.z
+
+				posMin,posMax = worldedit.minmax(pos,posMin,posMax)	-- update max and min positions
+
+				entry[2].param2 = worldedit.getNewRotation(entry[2].param2,axis)	-- adjust param2 (rotation of the node) to match the overall rotation of the load
+												-- this has only been tested to work with version == 4
+												-- I'm not sure of the format, so if it wouldn't work then disable and
+												-- enable the worldedit.screwdriver_handler after the node has been added
+				knownMod, missingMods = worldedit.knownMod(entry[2].name, missingMods) 
+				if knownMod then
+					if not runTest then add_node(pos, entry[2]) end
+				else
+					unknownModCnt = unknownModCnt +1
+				end
+				-- worldedit.screwdriver_handler({x=pos.x, y=pos.y, z=pos.z}, axis)		-- this would rotate the node after it's been placed (just in case needed for old format)
+			end
+		else --previous meta flat table format
+			print ("WorldEdit deserializeAligned: attempting to rotate untested file format version: 2")
+			for index = 1, #nodes do
+				local entry = nodes[index]
+				if axis == "x" then
+					entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x - entry.z, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z + entry.x
+				elseif axis == "X" then
+					entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x + entry.z, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z - entry.x
+				elseif axis == "z" then
+					entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x - entry.x, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z - entry.z
+				elseif axis == "Z" then
+					entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x + entry.x, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z + entry.z
+				end
+--				entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x + entry.x, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z + entry.z
+
+
+				posMin,posMax = worldedit.minmax(entry,posMin,posMax)	-- update max and min positions
+				entry.param2 = worldedit.getNewRotation(entry.param2,axis)	-- adjust param2 (rotation of the node) to match the overall rotation of the load
+											-- this has only been tested to work with version == 4
+											-- I'm not sure of the format, so if it wouldn't work then disable and
+											-- enable the worldedit.screwdriver_handler after the node has been added
+
+				knownMod, missingMods = worldedit.knownMod(entry.name, missingMods) 
+				if knownMod then
+					if not runTest then add_node(entry, entry) end	--entry acts both as position and as node
+				else
+					unknownModCnt = unknownModCnt +1
+				end
+				-- worldedit.screwdriver_handler({x=entry.x, y=entry.y, z=entry.z}, axis)		-- this would rotate the node after it's been placed (just in case needed for old format)
+
+				get_meta(entry):from_table(entry.meta)
+			end
+		end
+ 	elseif version == 3 then --previous list format
+		print ("WorldEdit deserializeAligned: attempting to rotate untested file format version: 3")
+		local pos = {x=0, y=0, z=0}
+		local node = {name="", param1=0, param2=0}
+		for x, y, z, name, param1, param2 in value:gmatch("([+-]?%d+)%s+([+-]?%d+)%s+([+-]?%d+)%s+([^%s]+)%s+(%d+)%s+(%d+)[^\r\n]*[\r\n]*") do --match node entries
+			if axis == "x" then
+				pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x - tonumber(z), originpos.y + tonumber(y), originpos.z + tonumber(x)
+			elseif axis == "X" then
+				pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x + tonumber(z), originpos.y + tonumber(y), originpos.z - tonumber(x)
+			elseif axis == "z" then
+				pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x - tonumber(x), originpos.y + tonumber(y), originpos.z - tonumber(z)
+			elseif axis == "z" then
+				pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x + tonumber(x), originpos.y + tonumber(y), originpos.z + tonumber(z)
+			end
+--			pos.x, pos.y, pos.z = originpos.x + tonumber(x), originpos.y + tonumber(y), originpos.z + tonumber(z)
+			node.name, node.param1, node.param2 = name, param1, param2
+
+			posMin,posMax = worldedit.minmax(pos,posMin,posMax)	-- update max and min positions
+
+			node.param2 = worldedit.getNewRotation(node.param2,axis)	-- adjust param2 (rotation of the node) to match the overall rotation of the load
+										-- this has only been tested to work with version == 4
+										-- I'm not sure of the format, so if it wouldn't work then disable and
+										-- enable the worldedit.screwdriver_handler after the node has been added
+			knownMod, missingMods = worldedit.knownMod(node.name, missingMods) 
+			if knownMod then
+				if not runTest then add_node(pos, node) end
+			else
+				unknownModCnt = unknownModCnt +1
+			end
+			-- worldedit.screwdriver_handler({x=pos.x, y=pos.y, z=pos.z}, axis)		-- this would rotate the node after it's been placed (just in case needed for old format)
+			count = count + 1
+		end
+	elseif version == 4 then --current nested table format
+		--wip: this is a filthy hack that works surprisingly well
+		value = value:gsub("return%s*{", "", 1):gsub("}%s*$", "", 1)
+		local escaped = value:gsub("\\\\", "@@"):gsub("\\\"", "@@"):gsub("(\"[^\"]*\")", function(s) return string.rep("@", #s) end)
+		local startpos, startpos1, endpos = 1, 1
+		local nodes = {}
+		-- loop through the loaded file, and save each piece of node information to the node table
+		while true do
+			startpos, endpos = escaped:find("},%s*{", startpos)
+			if not startpos then
+				break
+			end
+			local current = value:sub(startpos1, startpos)
+			table.insert(nodes, minetest.deserialize("return " .. current))
+			startpos, startpos1 = endpos, endpos
+		end
+		table.insert(nodes, minetest.deserialize("return " .. value:sub(startpos1)))
+
+		--local nodes = minetest.deserialize(value) --wip: this is broken for larger tables in the current version of LuaJIT
+
+		--load the nodes
+		count = #nodes
+		for index = 1, count do
+			local entry = nodes[index]
+			print("Node: name: ".. entry.name)
+
+			if axis == "x" then
+				entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x - entry.z, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z + entry.x
+			elseif axis == "X" then
+				entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x + entry.z, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z - entry.x
+			elseif axis == "z" then
+				entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x - entry.x, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z - entry.z
+			elseif axis == "Z" then
+				entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x + entry.x, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z + entry.z
+			end
+--			entry.x, entry.y, entry.z = originpos.x + entry.x, originpos.y + entry.y, originpos.z + entry.z
+
+			posMin,posMax = worldedit.minmax(entry,posMin,posMax)	-- update max and min positions
+
+			entry.param2 = worldedit.getNewRotation(entry.param2,axis)	-- adjust param2 (rotation of the node) to match the overall rotation of the load
+			knownMod, missingMods = worldedit.knownMod(entry.name, missingMods) 
+			if knownMod then
+				if not runTest then add_node(entry, entry) end		--entry acts both as position and as node
+			else
+				unknownModCnt = unknownModCnt +1
+			end
+		end
+
+		--load the metadata
+		for index = 1, count do
+			local entry = nodes[index]
+			get_meta(entry):from_table(entry.meta)
+		end
+	end
+
+	-- Correct pos1 and pos2 location so markers appear as they would have without rotation (ie when saved with corrected origin)
+	if axis == "x" then
+		posMin.x, posMax.x = posMax.x, posMin.x
+	elseif axis == "X" then
+		posMin.z, posMax.z = posMax.z, posMin.z
+	elseif axis == "z" then
+		posMin.x, posMax.x = posMax.x, posMin.x
+		posMin.z, posMax.z = posMax.z, posMin.z
+	end
+	return count, posMin, posMax, unknownModCnt, missingMods
+end