diff --git a/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_vector_runme.py b/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_vector_runme.py
index dd6352f38..ed2943b67 100644
--- a/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_vector_runme.py
+++ b/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_vector_runme.py
@@ -102,3 +102,12 @@ pv = pyvector([1, "hello", (1,2)])
 if pv[1] != "hello":
     raise RuntimeError
 
+
+iv = IntVector(5)
+for i in range(0,5):
+    iv[i] = i
+
+iv[1:3] = []
+if iv[1] != 3:
+    raise RuntimeError
+
diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg b/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
index eee5987c0..638a2b1c9 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
@@ -239,11 +239,21 @@ namespace swig {
     typename Sequence::size_type ii = swig::check_index(i, size, true);
     typename Sequence::size_type jj = swig::slice_index(j, size);
     if (jj < ii) jj = ii;
-    typename Sequence::iterator sb = self->begin();
-    typename InputSeq::const_iterator vmid = v.begin();
-    std::advance(sb,ii);
-    std::advance(vmid, jj - ii);
-    self->insert(std::copy(v.begin(), vmid, sb), vmid, v.end());
+    size_t ssize = jj - ii;
+    if (ssize <= v.size()) {
+      typename Sequence::iterator sb = self->begin();
+      typename InputSeq::const_iterator vmid = v.begin();
+      std::advance(sb,ii);
+      std::advance(vmid, jj - ii);
+      self->insert(std::copy(v.begin(), vmid, sb), vmid, v.end());
+    } else {
+      typename Sequence::iterator sb = self->begin();
+      typename Sequence::iterator se = self->begin();
+      std::advance(sb,ii);
+      std::advance(se,jj);
+      self->erase(sb,se);
+      self->insert(sb, v.begin(), v.end());
+    }
   }
 
   template <class Sequence, class Difference>