diff --git a/.luacheckrc b/.luacheckrc
index 8fafac1bea6..005120ed2a3 100644
--- a/.luacheckrc
+++ b/.luacheckrc
@@ -12,7 +12,4 @@ quiet=1
 global=false
 -- don't show unused variables
 unused=false
--- excluded files due to using lua 5.4 syntax that currently gets flagged as a syntax error
--- clear out once a newer Ubuntu LTS base is used for our docker images, which would then also have a newer luacheck available
--- leave the lua module exclusion however
-exclude_files={"data/lua/core/wml.lua","data/lua/wml-flow.lua","data/lua/wml/find_path.lua","data/lua/wml/harm_unit.lua","data/lua/wml/modify_unit.lua","data/lua/wml/random_placement.lua","data/lua/functional.lua","src/modules/lua/testes/*.lua"}
+exclude_files={"src/modules/lua/testes/*.lua"}
diff --git a/data/lua/wml/find_path.lua b/data/lua/wml/find_path.lua
index 94347ffd4a5..736a823415e 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml/find_path.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml/find_path.lua
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ function wesnoth.wml_actions.find_path(cfg)
 				ignore_visibility = ignore_visibility
 			} )
 
-			if #path == 0 or cost >= 42424241 then
-				-- it's not a reachable hex. 42424242 is the high value returned for unwalkable or busy terrains
-			else
+			-- it's a reachable hex.
+			-- it's not 0, and less than 42424242 which is the high value returned for unwalkable or busy terrains
+			if #path ~= 0 and cost < 42424241 then
 				local steps = #path
 
 				local is_better = false
diff --git a/data/lua/wml/harm_unit.lua b/data/lua/wml/harm_unit.lua
index cb3114aaaef..0d22257d21a 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml/harm_unit.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml/harm_unit.lua
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ function wml_actions.harm_unit(cfg)
 					damage_multiplier = damage_multiplier - tod_bonus
 				elseif alignment == "liminal" then
 					damage_multiplier = damage_multiplier + math.max(0, wesnoth.current.schedule.liminal_bonus - math.abs(tod_bonus))
-				else -- neutral, do nothing
 				end
 				local resistance_modified = resistance * modifier
 				damage_multiplier = damage_multiplier * resistance_modified
diff --git a/data/lua/wml/modify_unit.lua b/data/lua/wml/modify_unit.lua
index d5843520314..f9c017b1a87 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml/modify_unit.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml/modify_unit.lua
@@ -10,20 +10,20 @@ function wml_actions.modify_unit(cfg)
 
 	local replace_mode = cfg.mode == "replace"
 
-	local function handle_attributes(cfg, unit_path, toplevel)
-		for current_key, current_value in pairs(wml.shallow_parsed(cfg)) do
+	local function handle_attributes(child_cfg, unit_path, toplevel)
+		for current_key, current_value in pairs(wml.shallow_parsed(child_cfg)) do
 			if type(current_value) ~= "table" and (not toplevel or (current_key ~= "type" and current_key ~= "mode")) then
 				wml.variables[string.format("%s.%s", unit_path, current_key)] = current_value
 			end
 		end
 	end
 
-	local function handle_child(cfg, unit_path)
+	local function handle_child(child_cfg, unit_path)
 		local children_handled = {}
-		local cfg = wml.shallow_parsed(cfg)
-		handle_attributes(cfg, unit_path)
+		child_cfg = wml.shallow_parsed(child_cfg)
+		handle_attributes(child_cfg, unit_path)
 
-		for current_index, current_table in ipairs(cfg) do
+		for current_index, current_table in ipairs(child_cfg) do
 			local current_tag = current_table[1]
 			local tag_index = children_handled[current_tag] or 0
 			handle_child(current_table[2], string.format("%s.%s[%u]",
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function wml_actions.modify_unit(cfg)
 		for current_index, current_table in ipairs(wml.shallow_parsed(cfg)) do
 			local current_tag = current_table[1]
 			if current_tag == "filter" then
-				-- nothing
+				goto skip
 			elseif current_tag == "object" or current_tag == "trait" or current_tag == "advancement" then
 				local mod = current_table[2]
 				if mod.delayed_variable_substitution then
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ function wml_actions.modify_unit(cfg)
 					unit_path, current_tag, tag_index))
 				children_handled[current_tag] = tag_index + 1
 			end
+			::skip::
 		end
 
 		if cfg.type then
diff --git a/data/lua/wml/random_placement.lua b/data/lua/wml/random_placement.lua
index f71adede906..353b053a790 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml/random_placement.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml/random_placement.lua
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ wesnoth.wml_actions.random_placement = function(cfg)
 		wml.variables[variable .. ".terrain"] = wesnoth.current.map[point]
 		if distance < 0 then
 			-- optimisation: nothing to do for distance < 0
+			goto skip
 		elseif distance == 0 then
 			-- optimisation: for distance = 0 we just need to remove the element at index
 			-- optimisation: swapping elements and storing size in an extra variable is faster than table.remove(locs, j)
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ wesnoth.wml_actions.random_placement = function(cfg)
 				::continue::
 			end
 		end
+		::skip::
 		-- TODO: This should really be "do" but is kept as "command" for compatibility
 		for do_child in wml.child_range(cfg, "command") do
 			local action = utils.handle_event_commands(do_child, "loop")