diff --git a/compiler/ccgtrav.nim b/compiler/ccgtrav.nim
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..995ed2973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/ccgtrav.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+#
+#
+#           The Nimrod Compiler
+#        (c) Copyright 2012 Andreas Rumpf
+#
+#    See the file "copying.txt", included in this
+#    distribution, for details about the copyright.
+#
+
+## Generates traversal procs for the C backend. Traversal procs are only an
+## optimization; the GC works without them too.
+
+type
+  TTraversalClosure {.pure, final.} = object
+    p: BProc
+    visitorFrmt: string
+
+proc genTraverseProc(c: var TTraversalClosure, accessor: PRope, typ: PType)
+proc genCaseRange(p: BProc, branch: PNode)
+proc getTemp(p: BProc, t: PType, result: var TLoc)
+
+proc genTraverseProc(c: var TTraversalClosure, accessor: PRope, n: PNode) =
+  if n == nil: return
+  case n.kind
+  of nkRecList:
+    for i in countup(0, sonsLen(n) - 1):
+      genTraverseProc(c, accessor, n.sons[i])
+  of nkRecCase:
+    if (n.sons[0].kind != nkSym): InternalError(n.info, "genTraverseProc")
+    var p = c.p
+    let disc = n.sons[0].sym
+    p.s[cpsStmts].appf("switch ($1.$2) {$n", accessor, disc.loc.r)
+    for i in countup(1, sonsLen(n) - 1):
+      let branch = n.sons[i]
+      assert branch.kind in {nkOfBranch, nkElse}
+      if branch.kind == nkOfBranch:
+        genCaseRange(c.p, branch)
+      else:
+        p.s[cpsStmts].appf("default:$n")
+      genTraverseProc(c, accessor, lastSon(branch))
+      p.s[cpsStmts].appf("break;$n")
+    p.s[cpsStmts].appf("} $n")
+  of nkSym:
+    let field = n.sym
+    genTraverseProc(c, ropef("$1.$2", accessor, field.loc.r), field.loc.t)
+  else: internalError(n.info, "genTraverseProc()")
+
+proc parentObj(accessor: PRope): PRope {.inline.} =
+  if gCmd != cmdCompileToCpp:
+    result = ropef("$1.Sup", accessor)
+  else:
+    result = accessor
+
+proc genTraverseProc(c: var TTraversalClosure, accessor: PRope, typ: PType) =
+  if typ == nil: return
+  var p = c.p
+  case typ.kind
+  of tyGenericInst, tyGenericBody:
+    genTraverseProc(c, accessor, lastSon(typ))
+  of tyArrayConstr, tyArray:
+    let arraySize = lengthOrd(typ.sons[0])
+    var i: TLoc
+    getTemp(p, getSysType(tyInt), i)
+    appf(p.s[cpsStmts], "for ($1 = 0; $1 < $2; $1++) {$n",
+        i.r, arraySize.toRope)
+    genTraverseProc(c, ropef("$1[$2]", accessor, i.r), typ.sons[1])
+    appf(p.s[cpsStmts], "}$n")
+  of tyObject:
+    for i in countup(0, sonsLen(typ) - 1):
+      genTraverseProc(c, accessor.parentObj, typ.sons[i])
+    if typ.n != nil: genTraverseProc(c, accessor, typ.n)
+  of tyTuple:
+    if typ.n != nil:
+      genTraverseProc(c, accessor, typ.n)
+    else:
+      for i in countup(0, sonsLen(typ) - 1):
+        genTraverseProc(c, ropef("$1.Field$2", accessor, i.toRope), typ.sons[i])
+  of tyRef, tyString, tySequence:
+    appcg(p, cpsStmts, c.visitorFrmt, accessor)
+  else: 
+    # no marker procs for closures yet
+    nil
+
+proc genTraverseProcSeq(c: var TTraversalClosure, accessor: PRope, typ: PType) =
+  var p = c.p
+  assert typ.kind == tySequence  
+  var i: TLoc
+  getTemp(p, getSysType(tyInt), i)
+  appf(p.s[cpsStmts], "for ($1 = 0; $1 < $2->$3; $1++) {$n",
+      i.r, accessor, toRope(if gCmd != cmdCompileToCpp: "Sup.len" else: "len"))
+  genTraverseProc(c, ropef("$1->data[$2]", accessor, i.r), typ.sons[0])
+  appf(p.s[cpsStmts], "}$n")
+  
+proc genTraverseProc(m: BModule, typ: PType, reason: TTypeInfoReason): PRope =
+  var c: TTraversalClosure
+  var p = newProc(nil, m)
+  result = getGlobalTempName()
+  
+  case reason
+  of tiNew: c.visitorFrmt = "#nimGCvisit((void*)$1, op);$n"
+  else: assert false
+  
+  let header = ropef("N_NIMCALL(void, $1)(void* p, NI op)", result)
+  
+  let t = getTypeDesc(m, typ)
+  p.s[cpsLocals].appf("$1 a;$n", t)
+  p.s[cpsInit].appf("a = ($1)p;$n", t)
+  
+  c.p = p
+  if typ.kind == tySequence:
+    genTraverseProcSeq(c, "a".toRope, typ)
+  else:
+    genTraverseProc(c, "(*a)".toRope, typ.sons[0])
+  
+  let generatedProc = ropef("$1 {$n$2$3$4}$n",
+        [header, p.s[cpsLocals], p.s[cpsInit], p.s[cpsStmts]])
+  
+  m.s[cfsProcHeaders].appf("$1;$n", header)
+  m.s[cfsProcs].app(generatedProc)
+
+
diff --git a/compiler/ccgtypes.nim b/compiler/ccgtypes.nim
index 06b5a58db..4207e4dba 100755
--- a/compiler/ccgtypes.nim
+++ b/compiler/ccgtypes.nim
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ proc ccgIntroducedPtr(s: PSym): bool =
   assert skResult != s.kind
   case pt.Kind
   of tyObject:
-    # XXX quick hack floatSize*2 for the pegs module under 64bit
     if (optByRef in s.options) or (getSize(pt) > platform.floatSize * 2): 
       result = true           # requested anyway
     elif (tfFinal in pt.flags) and (pt.sons[0] == nil): 
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ proc ccgIntroducedPtr(s: PSym): bool =
       result = true           # ordinary objects are always passed by reference,
                               # otherwise casting doesn't work
   of tyTuple: 
-    result = (getSize(pt) > platform.floatSize) or (optByRef in s.options)
+    result = (getSize(pt) > platform.floatSize*2) or (optByRef in s.options)
   else: result = false
   
 proc fillResult(param: PSym) = 
@@ -766,6 +765,15 @@ proc fakeClosureType(owner: PSym): PType =
   r.addSon(newType(tyTuple, owner))
   result.addSon(r)
 
+type
+  TTypeInfoReason = enum  ## for what do we need the type info?
+    tiNew,                ## for 'new'
+    tiNewSeq,             ## for 'newSeq'
+    tiNonVariantAsgn,     ## for generic assignment without variants
+    tiVariantAsgn         ## for generic assignment with variants
+
+include ccgtrav
+
 proc genTypeInfo(m: BModule, typ: PType): PRope = 
   var t = getUniqueType(typ)
   # gNimDat contains all the type information nowadays:
@@ -787,7 +795,12 @@ proc genTypeInfo(m: BModule, typ: PType): PRope =
       genTypeInfoAuxBase(gNimDat, t, result, toRope"0")
     else:
       genTupleInfo(gNimDat, fakeClosureType(t.owner), result)
-  of tyRef, tyPtr, tySequence, tyRange: genTypeInfoAux(gNimDat, t, result)
+  of tySequence, tyRef:
+    genTypeInfoAux(gNimDat, t, result)
+    if optRefcGC in gGlobalOptions:
+      let markerProc = genTraverseProc(gNimDat, t, tiNew)
+      appf(gNimDat.s[cfsTypeInit3], "$1->marker = $2;$n", [result, markerProc])
+  of tyPtr, tyRange: genTypeInfoAux(gNimDat, t, result)
   of tyArrayConstr, tyArray: genArrayInfo(gNimDat, t, result)
   of tySet: genSetInfo(gNimDat, t, result)
   of tyEnum: genEnumInfo(gNimDat, t, result)
@@ -796,6 +809,6 @@ proc genTypeInfo(m: BModule, typ: PType): PRope =
     if t.n != nil: genObjectInfo(gNimDat, t, result)
     else: genTupleInfo(gNimDat, t, result)
   else: InternalError("genTypeInfo(" & $t.kind & ')')
-  
+
 proc genTypeSection(m: BModule, n: PNode) = 
   nil
diff --git a/lib/system/gc.nim b/lib/system/gc.nim
index f01e9c04a..af54fe350 100755
--- a/lib/system/gc.nim
+++ b/lib/system/gc.nim
@@ -338,17 +338,21 @@ proc forAllChildren(cell: PCell, op: TWalkOp) =
   sysAssert(cell != nil, "forAllChildren: 1")
   sysAssert(cell.typ != nil, "forAllChildren: 2")
   sysAssert cell.typ.kind in {tyRef, tySequence, tyString}, "forAllChildren: 3"
-  case cell.typ.Kind
-  of tyRef: # common case
-    forAllChildrenAux(cellToUsr(cell), cell.typ.base, op)
-  of tySequence:
-    var d = cast[TAddress](cellToUsr(cell))
-    var s = cast[PGenericSeq](d)
-    if s != nil:
-      for i in 0..s.len-1:
-        forAllChildrenAux(cast[pointer](d +% i *% cell.typ.base.size +%
-          GenericSeqSize), cell.typ.base, op)
-  else: nil
+  let marker = cell.typ.marker
+  if marker != nil:
+    marker(cellToUsr(cell), op.int)
+  else:
+    case cell.typ.Kind
+    of tyRef: # common case
+      forAllChildrenAux(cellToUsr(cell), cell.typ.base, op)
+    of tySequence:
+      var d = cast[TAddress](cellToUsr(cell))
+      var s = cast[PGenericSeq](d)
+      if s != nil:
+        for i in 0..s.len-1:
+          forAllChildrenAux(cast[pointer](d +% i *% cell.typ.base.size +%
+            GenericSeqSize), cell.typ.base, op)
+    else: nil
 
 proc addNewObjToZCT(res: PCell, gch: var TGcHeap) {.inline.} =
   # we check the last 8 entries (cache line) for a slot that could be reused.
@@ -528,6 +532,9 @@ proc doOperation(p: pointer, op: TWalkOp) =
     sysAssert(c.refcount >=% rcIncrement, "doOperation 3")
     c.refcount = c.refcount -% rcIncrement
 
+proc nimGCvisit(d: pointer, op: int) {.compilerProc.} =
+  doOperation(d, TWalkOp(op))
+
 # we now use a much simpler and non-recursive algorithm for cycle removal
 proc collectCycles(gch: var TGcHeap) =
   var tabSize = 0
diff --git a/lib/system/hti.nim b/lib/system/hti.nim
index 776a4d2c2..1d62b910a 100755
--- a/lib/system/hti.nim
+++ b/lib/system/hti.nim
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ type # This should be he same as ast.TTypeKind
     base: ptr TNimType
     node: ptr TNimNode # valid for tyRecord, tyObject, tyTuple, tyEnum
     finalizer: pointer # the finalizer for the type
+    marker: proc (p: pointer, op: int) # marker proc for GC
   PNimType = ptr TNimType
   
 # node.len may be the ``first`` element of a set
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 4a43c3b04..9921e06d7 100755
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ version 0.9.0
   - Test capture of for loop vars; test generics;
   - test constant closures
 
-- GC: marker procs for native Nimrod GC and Boehm GC; precise stack marking;
-  escape analysis for string/seq seems to be easy to do too;
-  even further write barrier specialization
 - dead code elim for JS backend; 'of' operator for JS backend
 - const ptr/ref
 - unsigned ints and bignums; requires abstract integer literal type: 
@@ -133,6 +130,11 @@ Low priority
     need to recompile clients; er ... what about templates, macros or anything
     that has inlining semantics?
 - codegen should use "NIM_CAST" macro and respect aliasing rules for GCC
+- GC: precise stack marking;
+  escape analysis for string/seq seems to be easy to do too;
+  even further write barrier specialization
+- GC: marker procs Boehm GC
+- implement marker procs for assignment and message passing
 - warning for implicit openArray -> varargs conversion
 - implement explicit varargs; **but** ``len(varargs)`` problem remains! 
   --> solve by implicit conversion from varargs to openarray
diff --git a/web/news.txt b/web/news.txt
index de9624225..633ad3d08 100755
--- a/web/news.txt
+++ b/web/news.txt
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ Changes affecting backwards compatibility
   string versions of the WinAPI. Use the ``-d:useWinAnsi`` switch to revert
   back to the old behaviour which uses the Ansi string versions.
 - ``static`` is now a keyword.
+- Templates now participate in overloading resolution which can break code that
+  uses templates in subtle ways. Use the new ``immediate`` pragma for templates
+  to get a template of old behaviour.
+- There is now a proper distinction in the type system between ``expr`` and
+  ``PNimrodNode`` which unfortunately breaks the old macro system.
 
 
 Compiler Additions
@@ -42,6 +47,8 @@ Compiler Additions
 - The compiler can detect and evaluate calls that can be evaluated at compile
   time for optimization purposes with the ``--implicitStatic`` command line
   option or pragma.
+- The compiler now generates marker procs that the GC can use instead of RTTI.
+  This speeds up the GC quite a bit.
 
 
 Language Additions