diff --git a/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg b/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg
index 1af45b3d2..1205d590a 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg
+++ b/Lib/ruby/rubyrun.swg
@@ -394,18 +394,6 @@ SWIG_Ruby_SetModule(swig_module_info *pointer)
   rb_define_readonly_variable("$swig_runtime_data_type_pointer" SWIG_RUNTIME_VERSION SWIG_TYPE_TABLE_NAME, &swig_runtime_data_type_pointer);
 }
 
-/* This function can be used to check whether a proc or method or similarly
-   callable function has been passed.  Usually used in a %typecheck. */
-SWIGINTERN
-int SWIG_Ruby_isCallable( VALUE proc )
-{
-  static VALUE call_id = Qnil;
-  if ( call_id == Qnil ) call_id = rb_intern("call");
-  if ( rb_respond_to( proc, call_id ) )
-    return 1;
-  return 0;
-}
-
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/rubystdcommon.swg b/Lib/ruby/rubystdcommon.swg
index c953ea86f..98292957f 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/rubystdcommon.swg
+++ b/Lib/ruby/rubystdcommon.swg
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ namespace swig {
   struct traits_asptr {   
     static int asptr(VALUE obj, Type **val) {
       Type *p;
-      int res = (SWIG_ConvertPtr(obj, (void**)&p, type_info<Type>(), 0) == SWIG_OK) ? SWIG_OLDOBJ : 0;
+      int res = SWIG_ConvertPtr(obj, (void**)&p, type_info<Type>(), 0);
       if (SWIG_IsOK(res)) {
 	if (val) *val = p;
       }
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/rubystdfunctors.swg b/Lib/ruby/rubystdfunctors.swg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a63f3365b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/ruby/rubystdfunctors.swg
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+/**
+ * @file   rubystdfunctors.swg
+ * @date   Sun May  6 00:44:33 2007
+ * 
+ * @brief  This file provides unary and binary functors for STL
+ *         containers, that will invoke a Ruby proc or method to do
+ *         their operation.
+ *
+ *         You can use them in a swig file like:
+ *
+ *         %template< IntSet > std::set< int, RubyBinaryPredicate<> >;
+ *
+ *
+ *         which will then allow calling them from Ruby either like:
+ *  
+ *            # order of set is defined by C++ default
+ *            a = IntSet.new
+ *
+ *            # sort order defined by Ruby proc
+ *            b = IntSet.new( proc { |a,b| a > b } )
+ * 
+ */
+
+
+%{
+/* This function can be used to check whether a proc or method or similarly
+   callable function has been passed.  Usually used in a %typecheck. */
+SWIGINTERN
+int SWIG_Ruby_isCallable( VALUE proc )
+{
+  static VALUE call_id = rb_intern("call");
+  if ( rb_respond_to( proc, call_id ) )
+    return 1;
+  return 0;
+}
+
+/* This function can be used to check the arity (number of arguments)
+   a proc or method can take.  Usually used in a %typecheck.
+   Valid arities will be that equal to minimal or those < 0
+   which indicate a variable number of parameters at the end.
+ */
+SWIGINTERN
+int SWIG_Ruby_arity( VALUE proc, int minimal )
+{
+  static VALUE arity_id = rb_intern("arity");
+  if ( rb_respond_to( proc, arity_id ) )
+    {
+      VALUE num = rb_funcall( proc, arity_id, 0 );
+      int arity = NUM2INT(num);
+      if ( arity < 0 && (arity+1) < -minimal ) return 1;
+      if ( arity == minimal ) return 1;
+      return 1;
+    }
+  return 0;
+}
+
+%}
+
+
+namespace swig {
+
+  %apply GC_VALUE { RubyUnaryPredicate, RubyBinaryPredicate, RubyUnaryFunction,
+		      RubyBinaryFunction };
+
+  %typecheck(SWIG_TYPECHECK_POINTER,noblock=1) 
+    RubyUnaryPredicate, RubyUnaryPredicate&, RubyUnaryFunction, RubyUnaryFunction&
+  {
+    $1 = SWIG_Ruby_isCallable($input) && SWIG_Ruby_arity($input, 1);
+  }
+
+  %typecheck(SWIG_TYPECHECK_POINTER,noblock=1) 
+    RubyBinaryPredicate, RubyBinaryPredicate&, RubyBinaryFunction, RubyBinaryFunction& {
+    $1 = SWIG_Ruby_isCallable($input) && SWIG_Ruby_arity($input, 2);
+  }
+
+  %typemap(in,noblock=1) RubyUnaryFunction&, RubyUnaryFunction {
+    $1 = new swig::RubyUnaryFunction<>($input);
+  }
+  %typemap(in,noblock=1) RubyUnaryPredicate&, RubyUnaryPredicate {
+    $1 = new swig::RubyUnaryPredicate<>($input);
+  }
+
+  %typemap(in,noblock=1)  RubyBinaryFunction&, RubyBinaryFunction {
+    $1 = new swig::RubyBinaryFunction<>($input);
+  }
+  %typemap(in,noblock=1) RubyBinaryPredicate&, RubyBinaryPredicate {
+    $1 = new swig::RubyBinaryPredicate<>($input);
+  }
+
+
+  %ignore RubyBinaryFunction;
+  struct RubyBinaryFunction {};
+
+  %ignore RubyUnaryFunction;
+  struct RubyUnaryFunction {};
+
+  %ignore RubyBinaryPredicate;
+  struct RubyBinaryPredicate {};
+
+  %ignore RubyUnaryPredicate;
+  struct RubyUnaryPredicate {};
+
+}
+
+
+%{
+namespace swig {
+
+  static ID call_id = rb_intern("call");
+
+  template <class _DefaultFunc = std::less<GC_VALUE> >
+  struct RubyBinaryPredicate : GC_VALUE, std::binary_function<GC_VALUE, GC_VALUE, bool>
+  {
+    RubyBinaryPredicate(VALUE obj = Qnil) : GC_VALUE(obj) { }
+    bool operator()(GC_VALUE arg1, GC_VALUE arg2) const
+    {
+      if (_obj != Qnil) {
+        SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;
+	VALUE res = rb_funcall( _obj, swig::call_id, 2, 
+				VALUE(arg1), VALUE(arg2));
+        SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_END_BLOCK;
+        return RTEST(res);
+      } else {
+        return _DefaultFunc()(arg1, arg2);
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  template <class _DefaultFunc = std::less<GC_VALUE> >
+  struct RubyBinaryFunction : GC_VALUE, std::binary_function<GC_VALUE, GC_VALUE, GC_VALUE>
+  {
+    RubyBinaryFunction(VALUE obj = Qnil) : GC_VALUE(obj) { }
+    GC_VALUE operator()(GC_VALUE arg1, GC_VALUE arg2) const
+    {
+      if (_obj != Qnil) {
+        SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;
+	VALUE res = rb_funcall( _obj, swig::call_id, 2, 
+				VALUE(arg1), VALUE(arg2));
+        SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_END_BLOCK;
+        return GC_VALUE(res);
+      } else {
+        return _DefaultFunc()(arg1, arg2);
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+
+  struct RubyUnaryPredicate : GC_VALUE, std::unary_function<GC_VALUE, bool>
+  {
+    RubyUnaryPredicate(VALUE obj = Qnil) : GC_VALUE(obj) { }
+    bool operator()(GC_VALUE arg1) const
+    {
+      SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;
+      VALUE res = rb_funcall( _obj, swig::call_id, 1, VALUE(arg1));
+      SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_END_BLOCK;
+      return RTEST(res);
+    }
+  };
+
+  struct RubyUnaryFunction : GC_VALUE, std::unary_function<GC_VALUE, GC_VALUE>
+  {
+    RubyUnaryFunction(VALUE obj = Qnil) : GC_VALUE(obj) { }
+    GC_VALUE operator()(GC_VALUE arg1) const
+    {
+      SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;
+      VALUE res = rb_funcall( _obj, swig::call_id, 1, VALUE(arg1));
+      SWIG_RUBY_THREAD_END_BLOCK;
+      return GC_VALUE(res);
+    }
+  };
+}
+%}
+
+
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/std_map.i b/Lib/ruby/std_map.i
index 69d71e453..cf06f0797 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/std_map.i
+++ b/Lib/ruby/std_map.i
@@ -398,4 +398,5 @@
 
 %mixin std::map "Enumerable";
 
+%include <rubystdfunctors.swg>
 %include <std/std_map.i>
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/std_set.i b/Lib/ruby/std_set.i
index c0f529b9c..ab61a34e3 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/std_set.i
+++ b/Lib/ruby/std_set.i
@@ -59,4 +59,5 @@
 
 %mixin std::set "Enumerable";
 
+%include <rubystdfunctors.swg>
 %include <std/std_set.i>
diff --git a/Lib/std/std_map.i b/Lib/std/std_map.i
index 487223604..24f3f4a39 100644
--- a/Lib/std/std_map.i
+++ b/Lib/std/std_map.i
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap_traits_ptr(SWIG_TYPECHECK_MAP, std::map<_Key, _Tp, _Compare, _Alloc >);
 
+    map( const _Compare&, const _Alloc& a = allocator_type() );
+
 #ifdef %swig_map_methods
     // Add swig/language extra methods
     %swig_map_methods(std::map<_Key, _Tp, _Compare, _Alloc >);
diff --git a/Lib/std/std_multimap.i b/Lib/std/std_multimap.i
index 0cf46a962..8da49af99 100644
--- a/Lib/std/std_multimap.i
+++ b/Lib/std/std_multimap.i
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap_traits_ptr(SWIG_TYPECHECK_MULTIMAP, std::multimap<_Key, _Tp, _Compare, _Alloc >);
   
+    multimap( const _Compare&, const _Alloc& a = allocator_type() );
+
 #ifdef %swig_multimap_methods
     // Add swig/language extra methods
     %swig_multimap_methods(std::multimap<_Key, _Tp, _Compare, _Alloc >);
diff --git a/Lib/std/std_multiset.i b/Lib/std/std_multiset.i
index bec72e82a..9552edcc8 100644
--- a/Lib/std/std_multiset.i
+++ b/Lib/std/std_multiset.i
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap_traits_ptr(SWIG_TYPECHECK_MULTISET, std::multiset<_Key, _Compare, _Alloc >);
 
+    multiset( const _Compare&, const _Alloc& a = allocator_type() );
+
 #ifdef %swig_multiset_methods
     // Add swig/language extra methods
     %swig_multiset_methods(std::multiset<_Key, _Compare, _Alloc >);
diff --git a/Lib/std/std_set.i b/Lib/std/std_set.i
index 685084174..15cf59008 100644
--- a/Lib/std/std_set.i
+++ b/Lib/std/std_set.i
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ namespace std {
 	template <>  struct traits<std::set<_Key, _Compare, _Alloc > > {
 	  typedef pointer_category category;
 	  static const char* type_name() {
-	    return "std::set<" #_Key "," #_Alloc " >";
+	    return "std::set<" #_Key "," #_Compare "," #_Alloc " >";
 	  }
 	};
       }
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap_traits_ptr(SWIG_TYPECHECK_SET, std::set<_Key, _Compare, _Alloc >);
 
+    set( const _Compare&, const _Alloc& a = allocator_type() );
+
 #ifdef %swig_set_methods
     // Add swig/language extra methods
     %swig_set_methods(std::set<_Key, _Compare, _Alloc >);