diff --git a/rts/Lua/LuaUnsyncedRead.cpp b/rts/Lua/LuaUnsyncedRead.cpp
index c6cbffc520..9d37487768 100644
--- a/rts/Lua/LuaUnsyncedRead.cpp
+++ b/rts/Lua/LuaUnsyncedRead.cpp
@@ -396,6 +396,59 @@ static int GetSolidObjectSelectionVolume(lua_State* L, const CSolidObject* obj)
 
 
 
+template <typename T>
+static void PushNumberContainerAsArray(lua_State* const L, const T &v)
+{
+	lua_createtable(L, v.size(), 0);
+	for (size_t i = 0; const auto &x : v) {
+		lua_pushnumber(L, x);
+		lua_rawseti(L, -2, ++i);
+	}
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+static size_t PushUnitListSortedByDef(lua_State *const L, const T &units)
+{
+	using unitDefID_t = int;
+	using unitID_t = int;
+
+	std::map <unitDefID_t, std::vector <unitID_t>> unitsByDef;
+
+	for (const auto unitID : units)
+		unitsByDef[unitHandler.GetUnit(unitID)->unitDef->id].push_back(unitID);
+
+	lua_createtable(L, 0, unitsByDef.size());
+
+	for (const auto & [unitDefID, unitIDs] : unitsByDef) {
+		assert(!unitIDs.empty());
+
+		PushNumberContainerAsArray(L, unitIDs);
+		lua_rawseti(L, -2, unitDefID);
+	}
+
+	return unitsByDef.size();
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+static size_t PushSparseUnitTallyByDef(lua_State *const L, const T &v)
+{
+	std::vector <size_t> counts (unitDefHandler->NumUnitDefs() + 1, 0);
+	size_t numDefKeys = 0;
+	for (const int unitID: v)
+		if (!counts[unitHandler.GetUnit(unitID)->unitDef->id]++)
+			numDefKeys++;
+
+	lua_createtable(L, 0, numDefKeys);
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < counts.size(); ++i) {
+		if (counts[i] == 0)
+			continue;
+
+		lua_pushnumber(L, counts[i]);
+		lua_rawseti(L, -2, i);
+	}
+
+	return numDefKeys;
+}
 
 
 /******************************************************************************
@@ -2309,27 +2362,10 @@ int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetSpectatingState(lua_State* L)
  */
 int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetSelectedUnits(lua_State* L)
 {
-	unsigned int count = 0;
-	const auto& selUnits = selectedUnitsHandler.selectedUnits;
-
-	// { [1] = number unitID, ... }
-	lua_createtable(L, selUnits.size(), 0);
-
-	for (const int unitID: selUnits) {
-		lua_pushnumber(L, unitID);
-		lua_rawseti(L, -2, ++count);
-	}
+	PushNumberContainerAsArray(L, selectedUnitsHandler.selectedUnits);
 	return 1;
 }
 
-
-static std::vector< std::pair<int, std::vector<const CUnit*> > > gsusUnitDefMap;
-static std::vector< std::pair<int, int> > gsucCountMap;
-
-static std::vector< std::pair<int, std::vector<const CUnit*> > > ggusUnitDefMap;
-static std::vector< std::pair<int, int> > ggucCountMap;
-
-
 /*** Get selected units aggregated by unitDefID
  *
  * @function Spring.GetSelectedUnitsSorted
@@ -2338,44 +2374,7 @@ static std::vector< std::pair<int, int> > ggucCountMap;
  */
 int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetSelectedUnitsSorted(lua_State* L)
 {
-	gsusUnitDefMap.clear();
-	gsusUnitDefMap.resize(unitDefHandler->NumUnitDefs() + 1);
-
-	int numDefKeys = 0;
-
-	for (const int unitID: selectedUnitsHandler.selectedUnits) {
-		const CUnit* unit = unitHandler.GetUnit(unitID);
-		const UnitDef* unitDef = unit->unitDef;
-
-		gsusUnitDefMap[unitDef->id].first = unitDef->id;
-		gsusUnitDefMap[unitDef->id].second.push_back(unit);
-	}
-
-	// { [number unitDefID] = { [1] = [number unitID], ...}, ... }
-	lua_createtable(L, 0, gsusUnitDefMap.size());
-
-	for (const std::pair<int, std::vector<const CUnit*> >& p: gsusUnitDefMap) {
-		const std::vector<const CUnit*>& v = p.second;
-
-		if (v.empty())
-			continue;
-
-		{
-			// inner array-table
-			lua_createtable(L, v.size(), 0);
-
-			for (unsigned int i = 0; i < v.size(); i++) {
-				lua_pushnumber(L, v[i]->id);
-				lua_rawseti(L, -2, i + 1);
-			}
-
-			// push the UnitDef index
-			lua_rawseti(L, -2, p.first);
-		}
-
-		numDefKeys += 1;
-	}
-
+	const auto numDefKeys = PushUnitListSortedByDef(L, selectedUnitsHandler.selectedUnits);
 	lua_pushnumber(L, numDefKeys);
 
 	return 2;
@@ -2391,33 +2390,7 @@ int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetSelectedUnitsSorted(lua_State* L)
  */
 int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetSelectedUnitsCounts(lua_State* L)
 {
-	gsucCountMap.clear();
-	gsucCountMap.resize(unitDefHandler->NumUnitDefs() + 1, {0, 0});
-
-	int numDefKeys = 0;
-
-	// tally the types
-	for (const int unitID: selectedUnitsHandler.selectedUnits) {
-		const CUnit* unit = unitHandler.GetUnit(unitID);
-		const UnitDef* unitDef = unit->unitDef;
-
-		gsucCountMap[unitDef->id].first = unitDef->id;
-		gsucCountMap[unitDef->id].second += 1;
-	}
-
-	// { [number unitDefID] = number count, ... }
-	lua_createtable(L, 0, gsucCountMap.size());
-
-	for (const std::pair<int, int>& p: gsucCountMap) {
-		if (p.second == 0)
-			continue;
-
-		lua_pushnumber(L, p.second); // push the UnitDef unit count (value)
-		lua_rawseti(L, -2, p.first); // push the UnitDef index (key)
-
-		numDefKeys += 1;
-	}
-
+	const auto numDefKeys = PushSparseUnitTallyByDef(L, selectedUnitsHandler.selectedUnits);
 	lua_pushnumber(L, numDefKeys);
 
 	return 2;
@@ -4093,15 +4066,7 @@ int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetGroupUnits(lua_State* L)
 
 	const CGroup* group = uiGroupHandlers[gu->myTeam].GetGroup(groupID);
 
-	lua_createtable(L, group->units.size(), 0);
-
-	unsigned int count = 0;
-
-	for (const int unitID: group->units) {
-		lua_pushnumber(L, unitID);
-		lua_rawseti(L, -2, ++count);
-	}
-
+	PushNumberContainerAsArray(L, group->units);
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -4121,36 +4086,7 @@ int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetGroupUnitsSorted(lua_State* L)
 
 	const CGroup* group = uiGroupHandlers[gu->myTeam].GetGroup(groupID);
 
-	ggusUnitDefMap.clear();
-	ggusUnitDefMap.resize(unitDefHandler->NumUnitDefs() + 1);
-
-	for (const int unitID: group->units) {
-		const CUnit* unit = unitHandler.GetUnit(unitID);
-		const UnitDef* unitDef = unit->unitDef;
-
-		ggusUnitDefMap[unitDef->id].first = unitDef->id;
-		ggusUnitDefMap[unitDef->id].second.push_back(unit);
-	}
-
-	lua_createtable(L, 0, ggusUnitDefMap.size());
-
-	for (const auto& el: ggusUnitDefMap) {
-		const std::vector<const CUnit*>& v = el.second;
-
-		if (v.empty())
-			continue;
-
-		lua_pushnumber(L, el.first); // push the UnitDef index
-		lua_createtable(L, v.size(), 0); {
-
-			for (size_t i = 0; i < v.size(); i++) {
-				lua_pushnumber(L, v[i]->id);
-				lua_rawseti(L, -2, i + 1);
-			}
-		}
-		lua_rawset(L, -3);
-	}
-
+	PushUnitListSortedByDef(L, group->units);
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -4170,27 +4106,7 @@ int LuaUnsyncedRead::GetGroupUnitsCounts(lua_State* L)
 
 	const CGroup* group = uiGroupHandlers[gu->myTeam].GetGroup(groupID);
 
-	ggucCountMap.clear();
-	ggucCountMap.resize(unitDefHandler->NumUnitDefs() + 1, {0, 0});
-
-	for (const int unitID: group->units) {
-		const CUnit* unit = unitHandler.GetUnit(unitID);
-		const UnitDef* unitDef = unit->unitDef;
-
-		ggucCountMap[unitDef->id].first = unitDef->id;
-		ggucCountMap[unitDef->id].second += 1;
-	}
-
-	lua_createtable(L, 0, ggucCountMap.size());
-
-	for (const auto& el: ggucCountMap) {
-		if (el.second == 0)
-			continue;
-
-		lua_pushnumber(L, el.second); // push the UnitDef unit count
-		lua_rawseti(L, -2, el.first); // push the UnitDef index
-	}
-
+	PushSparseUnitTallyByDef(L, group->units);
 	return 1;
 }