diff --git a/player/lua.c b/player/lua.c
index 04c7dbb977..680577554c 100644
--- a/player/lua.c
+++ b/player/lua.c
@@ -391,6 +391,7 @@ static int load_lua(struct mpv_handle *client, const char *fname)
     r = 0;
 
 error_out:
+    osd_set_external(ctx->mpctx->osd, client, 0, 0, NULL); // remove overlay
     mp_resume_all(client);
     if (ctx->state)
         lua_close(ctx->state);
@@ -963,14 +964,14 @@ static int script_command_native(lua_State *L)
 
 static int script_set_osd_ass(lua_State *L)
 {
-    struct MPContext *mpctx = get_mpctx(L);
+    struct script_ctx *ctx = get_ctx(L);
     int res_x = luaL_checkinteger(L, 1);
     int res_y = luaL_checkinteger(L, 2);
     const char *text = luaL_checkstring(L, 3);
     if (!text[0])
         text = " "; // force external OSD initialization
-    osd_set_external(mpctx->osd, res_x, res_y, (char *)text);
-    mp_input_wakeup(mpctx->input);
+    osd_set_external(ctx->mpctx->osd, ctx->client, res_x, res_y, (char *)text);
+    mp_input_wakeup(ctx->mpctx->input);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/sub/osd.c b/sub/osd.c
index a9bc035c73..c05fc5a0e3 100644
--- a/sub/osd.c
+++ b/sub/osd.c
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ void osd_free(struct osd_state *osd)
     talloc_free(osd);
 }
 
-static void osd_changed_unlocked(struct osd_state *osd, int obj)
+void osd_changed_unlocked(struct osd_state *osd, int obj)
 {
     osd->objs[obj]->force_redraw = true;
     osd->want_redraw = true;
@@ -201,23 +201,6 @@ void osd_set_progbar(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_progbar_state *s)
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&osd->lock);
 }
 
-void osd_set_external(struct osd_state *osd, int res_x, int res_y, char *text)
-{
-    pthread_mutex_lock(&osd->lock);
-    struct osd_object *osd_obj = osd->objs[OSDTYPE_EXTERNAL];
-    if (strcmp(osd_obj->text, text) != 0 ||
-        osd_obj->external_res_x != res_x ||
-        osd_obj->external_res_y != res_y)
-    {
-        talloc_free(osd_obj->text);
-        osd_obj->text = talloc_strdup(osd_obj, text);
-        osd_obj->external_res_x = res_x;
-        osd_obj->external_res_y = res_y;
-        osd_changed_unlocked(osd, osd_obj->type);
-    }
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&osd->lock);
-}
-
 void osd_set_external2(struct osd_state *osd, struct sub_bitmaps *imgs)
 {
     pthread_mutex_lock(&osd->lock);
diff --git a/sub/osd.h b/sub/osd.h
index c066b09645..654330f152 100644
--- a/sub/osd.h
+++ b/sub/osd.h
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ struct osd_progbar_state {
 };
 void osd_set_progbar(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_progbar_state *s);
 
-void osd_set_external(struct osd_state *osd, int res_x, int res_y, char *text);
-
 void osd_set_external2(struct osd_state *osd, struct sub_bitmaps *imgs);
 
 enum mp_osd_draw_flags {
@@ -203,6 +201,9 @@ void osd_object_get_bitmaps(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj,
 void osd_init_backend(struct osd_state *osd);
 void osd_destroy_backend(struct osd_state *osd);
 
+void osd_set_external(struct osd_state *osd, void *id, int res_x, int res_y,
+                      char *text);
+
 // doesn't need locking
 void osd_get_function_sym(char *buffer, size_t buffer_size, int osd_function);
 extern const char *const osd_ass_0;
diff --git a/sub/osd_dummy.c b/sub/osd_dummy.c
index 1982870248..061f6446c3 100644
--- a/sub/osd_dummy.c
+++ b/sub/osd_dummy.c
@@ -26,3 +26,8 @@ void osd_object_get_bitmaps(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj,
 {
     *out_imgs = (struct sub_bitmaps) {0};
 }
+
+void osd_set_external(struct osd_state *osd, char *id, int res_x, int res_y,
+                      char *text)
+{
+}
diff --git a/sub/osd_libass.c b/sub/osd_libass.c
index d58573a910..30d404d8c6 100644
--- a/sub/osd_libass.c
+++ b/sub/osd_libass.c
@@ -79,12 +79,21 @@ static void destroy_ass_renderer(struct ass_state *ass)
     ass->log = NULL;
 }
 
+static void destroy_external(struct osd_external *ext)
+{
+    talloc_free(ext->text);
+    destroy_ass_renderer(&ext->ass);
+}
+
 void osd_destroy_backend(struct osd_state *osd)
 {
     for (int n = 0; n < MAX_OSD_PARTS; n++) {
         struct osd_object *obj = osd->objs[n];
         destroy_ass_renderer(&obj->ass);
         talloc_free(obj->parts_cache.parts);
+        for (int i = 0; i < obj->num_externals; i++)
+            destroy_external(&obj->externals[i]);
+        obj->num_externals = 0;
     }
 }
 
@@ -431,44 +440,76 @@ static void update_osd(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
     update_progbar(osd, obj);
 }
 
-static void update_external(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
+static void update_external(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj,
+                            struct osd_external *ext)
 {
-    bstr t = bstr0(obj->text);
+    bstr t = bstr0(ext->text);
     if (!t.len)
         return;
-    create_ass_track(osd, obj, &obj->ass, obj->external_res_x,
-                     obj->external_res_y);
+    create_ass_track(osd, obj, &ext->ass, ext->res_x, ext->res_y);
 
-    clear_ass(&obj->ass);
+    clear_ass(&ext->ass);
 
-    int resy = obj->ass.track->PlayResY;
-    mp_ass_set_style(get_style(&obj->ass, "OSD"), resy, osd->opts->osd_style);
+    int resy = ext->ass.track->PlayResY;
+    mp_ass_set_style(get_style(&ext->ass, "OSD"), resy, osd->opts->osd_style);
 
     // Some scripts will reference this style name with \r tags.
     const struct osd_style_opts *def = osd_style_conf.defaults;
-    mp_ass_set_style(get_style(&obj->ass, "Default"), resy, def);
+    mp_ass_set_style(get_style(&ext->ass, "Default"), resy, def);
 
     while (t.len) {
         bstr line;
         bstr_split_tok(t, "\n", &line, &t);
         if (line.len) {
             char *tmp = bstrdup0(NULL, line);
-            add_osd_ass_event(obj->ass.track, "OSD", tmp);
+            add_osd_ass_event(ext->ass.track, "OSD", tmp);
             talloc_free(tmp);
         }
     }
 }
 
-static void update_object(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj)
+void osd_set_external(struct osd_state *osd, void *id, int res_x, int res_y,
+                      char *text)
 {
-    switch (obj->type) {
-    case OSDTYPE_OSD:
-        update_osd(osd, obj);
-        break;
-    case OSDTYPE_EXTERNAL:
-        update_external(osd, obj);
-        break;
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&osd->lock);
+    struct osd_object *obj = osd->objs[OSDTYPE_EXTERNAL];
+    struct osd_external *entry = 0;
+    for (int n = 0; n < obj->num_externals; n++) {
+        if (obj->externals[n].id == id) {
+            entry = &obj->externals[n];
+            break;
+        }
     }
+    if (!entry && !text)
+        goto done;
+
+    if (!entry) {
+        struct osd_external new = { .id = id };
+        MP_TARRAY_APPEND(obj, obj->externals, obj->num_externals, new);
+        entry = &obj->externals[obj->num_externals - 1];
+    }
+
+    if (!text) {
+        int index = entry - &obj->externals[0];
+        destroy_external(entry);
+        MP_TARRAY_REMOVE_AT(obj->externals, obj->num_externals, index);
+        goto done;
+    }
+
+    if (!entry->text || strcmp(entry->text, text) != 0 ||
+        entry->res_x != res_x || entry->res_y != res_y)
+    {
+        talloc_free(entry->text);
+        entry->text = talloc_strdup(NULL, text);
+        entry->res_x = res_x;
+        entry->res_y = res_y;
+        update_external(osd, obj, entry);
+        obj->parts_cache.change_id = 1;
+        osd_changed_unlocked(osd, obj->type);
+    }
+
+done:
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&osd->lock);
 }
 
 static void append_ass(struct ass_state *ass, struct mp_osd_res *res,
@@ -485,10 +526,12 @@ static void append_ass(struct ass_state *ass, struct mp_osd_res *res,
 void osd_object_get_bitmaps(struct osd_state *osd, struct osd_object *obj,
                             struct sub_bitmaps *out_imgs)
 {
-    if (obj->force_redraw)
-        update_object(osd, obj);
+    if (obj->force_redraw && obj->type == OSDTYPE_OSD)
+        update_osd(osd, obj);
 
     append_ass(&obj->ass, &obj->vo_res, &obj->parts_cache);
+    for (int n = 0; n < obj->num_externals; n++)
+        append_ass(&obj->externals[n].ass, &obj->vo_res, &obj->parts_cache);
 
     *out_imgs = obj->parts_cache;
 
diff --git a/sub/osd_state.h b/sub/osd_state.h
index 66fee5a387..c52c3354cd 100644
--- a/sub/osd_state.h
+++ b/sub/osd_state.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ struct osd_object {
 
     bool force_redraw;
 
-    // OSDTYPE_SUB/OSDTYPE_SUB2/OSDTYPE_OSD/OSDTYPE_EXTERNAL
+    // OSDTYPE_OSD
     char *text;
 
     // OSDTYPE_OSD
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ struct osd_object {
     struct dec_sub *sub;
 
     // OSDTYPE_EXTERNAL
-    int external_res_x, external_res_y;
+    struct osd_external *externals;
+    int num_externals;
 
     // OSDTYPE_EXTERNAL2
     struct sub_bitmaps *external2;
@@ -48,6 +49,13 @@ struct osd_object {
     struct ass_state ass;
 };
 
+struct osd_external {
+    void *id;
+    char *text;
+    int res_x, res_y;
+    struct ass_state ass;
+};
+
 struct osd_state {
     pthread_mutex_t lock;
 
@@ -64,4 +72,6 @@ struct osd_state {
     struct mp_draw_sub_cache *draw_cache;
 };
 
+void osd_changed_unlocked(struct osd_state *osd, int obj);
+
 #endif