diff --git a/worldedit_commands/init.lua b/worldedit_commands/init.lua
index 0aaa1d7..c128dfb 100644
--- a/worldedit_commands/init.lua
+++ b/worldedit_commands/init.lua
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ minetest.register_chatcommand("/set", {
 	privs = {},
 	func = worldedit.privs(safe_region(function(name, param)
 		local pos1, pos2 = worldedit.pos1[name], worldedit.pos2[name]
-		if worldedit.can_edit_volume(VoxelArea:iterp(pos1, pos2)) then
+		if worldedit.can_edit_volume(name, {pos1, pos2}) then
 			local node = get_node(name, param)
 			local count = worldedit.set(pos1, pos2, node)
 			worldedit.player_notify(name, count .. " nodes set")
diff --git a/worldedit_protection/depends.txt b/worldedit_protection/depends.txt
index 74054c6..f14783c 100644
--- a/worldedit_protection/depends.txt
+++ b/worldedit_protection/depends.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 worldedit
+commonlib
diff --git a/worldedit_protection/init.lua b/worldedit_protection/init.lua
index 201775a..fb8fcc2 100644
--- a/worldedit_protection/init.lua
+++ b/worldedit_protection/init.lua
@@ -1,13 +1,22 @@
 --if there's no protection mod, no worldedit means no editing, worldedit means editing anywhere (old behaviour)
 --if there's a protection mod (and it's creative mode), no worldedit means editing only in your area, worldedit means editing in no-man's land too, and areas means editing anywhere.
 
+--[[
 --let the other mod load first
 minetest.after(0, function()
 	--I would use mod.soft_depend from commonlib, but there are multiple mods that could create owned land
-	PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS = minetest.is_protected == old_is_protected
+	PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS = minetest.is_protected ~= old_is_protected
 	--else fall back to old behaviour, where
 	--worldedit privilege is permission to edit everything
 end)
+--]]
+local PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS = false
+mod.soft_depend("areas", function()
+	PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS = true
+end)
+--mod.soft_depend("other protection mod goes here", function()
+--	PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS = true
+--end)
 
 --[[
 worldedit.privs replaces privs = {worldedit = true}, and also helps bypass volume permission checks.
@@ -29,11 +38,9 @@ Returns:
 --privs={worldedit=true             [, server=true]}
 --privs={worldedit=worldedit.priv() [, server=true]}
 --instead, I had to wrap the rest of func = .
-worldedit.privs = function(--[[name, ]]privsfunc--[[, param]])
-	--This runs a function for a chatcommand's func = ,
-	--or it can be used directly in an if statement.
+worldedit.privs = function(privsfunc) --returns a function (the argument function wrapped in another) which takes the arguments (name, param).
 	if privsfunc == nil then
-		privsfunc = function(name, param) end
+		privsfunc = function() --[[no-op]] end
 	end
 
 	--this silly syntax was copied from safe_region, which is actually executed on chatcommand registration, and must return a function instead of the result of a function.
@@ -44,13 +51,17 @@ worldedit.privs = function(--[[name, ]]privsfunc--[[, param]])
 			--The ability to set the whole world as owned by yourself is already potentially destructive, what's more destructive capability?
 			privsfunc(name, param)
 			return 2 --edit everywhere without checks
-		elseif not minetest.setting_getbool("creative_mode") or not PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS then
+		end
+		local is_creative = minetest.setting_getbool("creative_mode")
+		if not is_creative or not PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS then
 			--no protection mod, or not the kind of world where people can just create nodes out of thin air,
 			--worldedit privilege means editing anywhere
 			if minetest.check_player_privs(name, {worldedit=true}) then
 				privsfunc(name, param)
 				return 2 --edit everywhere without checks
 			else
+				--default chatcommand failure message
+				minetest.chat_send_player(name, "You don't have permission to run this command (missing privileges: worldedit)\nReasons:".. (is_creative and "" or " (not creative mode)") .. (PROTECTION_MOD_EXISTS and "" or " (no protection mod)"))
 				--func(name, param) placeholder
 				return nil --edit nowhere
 			end
@@ -69,13 +80,10 @@ end
 --so the region is defined per-command on exec.
 --//move has disconnected sections, so it's passed as a list of points.
 --which are deduplicated.
-worldedit.can_edit_volume = function(--[[name, ]]volume, volfunc--[[, param]])
+worldedit.can_edit_volume = function(name, volume) --does not return a function like .privs does
 	--volume is before func, unlike safe_region having func before count
 	--because func may be removed to have can_edit_volume in an if statement
 	--like worldedit.privs can be
-	if volfunc == nil then
-		volfunc = function(name, param) end
-	end
 
 	--worldedit.privs was run once to prevent safe_region large area warnings,
 	--then safe_region was run to prevent unnecessary large-scale permission checks
@@ -83,14 +91,14 @@ worldedit.can_edit_volume = function(--[[name, ]]volume, volfunc--[[, param]])
 	--then worldedit.privs is run again to attempt skipping checks (resusing the same code)
 	--then set is finally run.
 
-	return function(name, param)
+	--<==>--local returnfunc = function(name, param)
 		--worldedit.privs said that 'name' can use worldedit at least somewhere
 		--	return value 1 (or 2) before this function was run.
 
 		--Try skipping volume permission checks.
-		local wp = worldedit.privs()
+		local wp = worldedit.privs(nil)(name, nil)
 		if wp == 2 then
-			volfunc(name, param)
+			--volfunc(name, param)
 			return true
 		elseif wp == nil then
 			--safety feature in case worldedit.can_edit_volume is ever run alone, without being surrounded by worldedit.privs()
@@ -106,7 +114,15 @@ worldedit.can_edit_volume = function(--[[name, ]]volume, volfunc--[[, param]])
 		local has_worldedit = minetest.check_player_privs(name, {worldedit=true})
 
 		--all or nothing here
-		for i in volume do
+		--volume may be a single region (//set) or two possibly overlapping regions (//move)
+		--an overlapping //move is checked twice - any attempt to make it more efficient (by combining the volumes into a single two-pos one) may take into account that the format is //move axis amount, and break if the format is changed to //move xamount yamount zamount
+		for v = 1,3,2 do         --volume[1] and volume[2]
+		if volume[v] ~= nil then --volume[3] and volume[4]
+		        volume[v],   volume[v+1] = worldedit.sort_pos(volume[v], volume[v+1])
+		for y = volume[v].y, volume[v+1].y do
+		for z = volume[v].z, volume[v+1].z do
+		for x = volume[v].x, volume[v+1].x do
+		local node = {x=x, y=y, z=z}
 			--[[
 			THIS SECTION IGNORES the distinction of area that is owned by someone else, but still editable
 			this is treated as area owned by the editor, or no-man's land depending on if it's shared with one person or everyone
@@ -117,11 +133,16 @@ worldedit.can_edit_volume = function(--[[name, ]]volume, volfunc--[[, param]])
 			--]]
 
 			--Is it owned?
-			if minetest.is_protected(i) then
+			if minetest.is_protected(node, "") then
 				--Is it someone else's?
-				if minetest.is_protected(i, name) then
+				if minetest.is_protected(node, name) then
 					--already checked the ability to make it mine (areas)
-					minetest.chat_send_player(name, "Someone else owns at least part of what you want to edit")
+					minetest.chat_send_player(name, "You don't have permission to run this command "..
+						"(Region "..minetest.pos_to_string(volume[1]).."-"..minetest.pos_to_string(volume[2])..
+						(volume[3] ~= nil and ("+"..minetest.pos_to_string(volume[3]).."-"..minetest.pos_to_string(volume[4])) or "")..
+						" overlaps (first match) areaname: (x, y, z)-(x, y, z) owned by playername)"..
+						"\nReasons: (missing areas privilege)"
+					)
 					--volfunc(name, param) placeholder
 					return false
 				end
@@ -130,18 +151,22 @@ worldedit.can_edit_volume = function(--[[name, ]]volume, volfunc--[[, param]])
 
 			--no-man's land
 			--can I edit that?
-			elseif not has_worldedit then --use cached check
-				minetest.chat_send_player(name, "You can only edit area in which you own a plot (missing worldedit privilege)")
+			elseif not has_worldedit then --using cached check
+				minetest.chat_send_player(name, "You don't have permission to run this command (missing worldedit privilege)\nReasons: (At least part of this area is unowned (not owned by you)) (missing areas privilege)")
 				--volfunc(name, param) placeholder
 				return false
 			end
-		end
+		end -- for x
+		end -- for z
+		end -- for y
+		end -- if not nil
+		end -- for v
 
 		--the whole thing is
 		--a) owned by me, and/or
 		--b) owned by no one and I have the worldedit privilege.
 		--c) I have the areas privilege and it's possibly owned by someone else. (returned earlier)
-		volfunc(name, param)
+		--volfunc(name, param)
 		return true
-	end
+	--<==>--end
 end