diff --git a/src/main.lua b/src/main.lua
index a9b19ca..cd11cac 100644
--- a/src/main.lua
+++ b/src/main.lua
@@ -361,12 +361,31 @@ local function placebuf(buf, x, y, z)
         place("down")
     end
 end
-local function getnearestunplaced(buf, pbuf, cx,cy,cz,clayer, sx,sz)
+local function directiondist(direction, wanted)
+    if direction == 0 then return 1 end
+    if direction == 1 and wanted == -1 then return 2 end
+    if direction == -1 and wanted == 1 then return 2 end
+
+    if direction ~= wanted then return 1 end -- failsafes
+    if direction == wanted then return 0 end
+end
+local function getnearestunplaced(buf, pbuf, cx,cy,cz,clayer, sx,sz, direction)
     local distance = math.huge
     local selected = nil
 
     for x=1,sx,1 do
         for y=1,sz,1 do
+            local extracost = 0
+            if x ~= cx and direction ~= 0 then
+                extracost = extracost + 1
+            end
+            if y > cz and direction ~= 1 then
+                extracost = extracost + directiondist(direction, 1)
+            end
+            if y < cz and direction ~= -1 then
+                extracost = extracost + directiondist(direction, -1)
+            end
+
             local needplace = buf[posasstring(x,cy,y)]
             if pbuf[posasstring(x,cy,y)] then needplace = 0 end -- already placed
             if clayer == 0 or clayer == 2 then
@@ -380,6 +399,7 @@ local function getnearestunplaced(buf, pbuf, cx,cy,cz,clayer, sx,sz)
             end
             if needplace then -- needs to be placed, calculate distance
                 local cd = math.abs(y-cz)+math.abs(x-cx) -- raw distance (amount of blocks between)
+                cd = cd + extracost
                 if cd < distance then
                     distance = cd
                     selected = {x,y}