diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/std_except.i b/SWIG/Lib/python/std_except.i
index 8f7ce4ebb..734f2ba93 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/python/std_except.i
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/std_except.i
@@ -5,21 +5,29 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 %}
 
+
+
 namespace std {
-  /* Mark all of them as exception classes */
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  exception;  
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  bad_exception;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  logic_error;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  domain_error;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  invalid_argument;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  length_error;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  out_of_range;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  runtime_error;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  range_error;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  overflow_error;
-  %feature("exceptionclass")  underflow_error;
+  /* 
+     Mark all of std exception classes as "exception classes" via
+     the "exceptionclass" feature.
+     
+     If needed, you can disable it by using %noexceptionclass.
+  */
+  %exceptionclass  exception;  
+  %exceptionclass  bad_exception;
+  %exceptionclass  logic_error;
+  %exceptionclass  domain_error;
+  %exceptionclass  invalid_argument;
+  %exceptionclass  length_error;
+  %exceptionclass  out_of_range;
+  %exceptionclass  runtime_error;
+  %exceptionclass  range_error;
+  %exceptionclass  overflow_error;
+  %exceptionclass  underflow_error;
 }
 
+
 namespace std {
   struct exception 
   {
diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/swig.swg b/SWIG/Lib/swig.swg
index 82fe0dfe0..e6e6109bf 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/swig.swg
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/swig.swg
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@
 #endif
 #define %noexception %feature("except","")
 
+#define %exceptionclass %feature("exceptionclass","1")
+#define %noexceptionclass %feature("exceptionclass","0")
+
+
 #define %newobject   %feature("new")
 
 /* Warnings */
diff --git a/SWIG/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx b/SWIG/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx
index 935920aa9..29ad7c14e 100644
--- a/SWIG/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx
+++ b/SWIG/Source/Modules/allocate.cxx
@@ -467,7 +467,9 @@ class Allocate : public Dispatcher {
       }
       Node *c = Swig_symbol_clookup(t,0);
       if (c) {
-	Setattr(c,"feature:exceptionclass","1");
+	if (!Getattr(c,"feature:exceptionclass")) {
+	  Setattr(c,"feature:exceptionclass","1");
+	}
       }
       p = nextSibling(p);
       Delete(t);
diff --git a/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx b/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx
index 1df9fdb2d..bb589b466 100644
--- a/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx
+++ b/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx
@@ -1954,7 +1954,7 @@ public:
       have_constructor = 0;
       have_repr = 0;
       
-      if (Getattr(n,"feature:exceptionclass")) {
+      if (checkAttribute(n,"feature:exceptionclass","1")) {
 	classic = 1;
         modern  = 0;
       }