diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/common.mk b/Examples/test-suite/common.mk
index 72c49648b..c502cfb65 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/common.mk
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/common.mk
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ CPP_TEST_CASES += \
 	cpp_nodefault \
 	cpp_static \
 	cpp_typedef \
+	cpp17_nested_namespaces \
 	curiously_recurring_template_pattern \
 	default_args \
 	default_arg_expressions \
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/cpp17_nested_namespaces.i b/Examples/test-suite/cpp17_nested_namespaces.i
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b9ec9bd5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/cpp17_nested_namespaces.i
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+%module cpp17_nested_namespaces
+// Tests c++17 style nested namespaces
+// Tests are designed so that code compiles with C++98 compilers
+
+#define CPP17 1
+%{
+#if __cplusplus >= 201703L
+#define CPP17 1
+#endif
+%}
+
+%inline %{
+// Tests with namespaces already defined using C++98 style (non-nested) namespaces
+namespace A1 {
+  struct A1Struct {
+    void A1Method() {}
+  };
+  namespace B1 {
+    struct B1Struct {
+      void B1Method() {}
+    };
+  }
+}
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A1::B1 {
+#else
+namespace A1 {
+ namespace B1 {
+#endif
+  A1Struct createA1Struct() { return ::A1::A1Struct(); }
+  B1Struct createB1Struct() { return ::A1::B1::B1Struct(); }
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+
+namespace A1 {
+  namespace B1 {
+    namespace C1 {
+      struct C1Struct {
+        void C1Method() {}
+      };
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A1::B1::C1 {
+#else
+namespace A1 {
+ namespace B1 {
+  namespace C1 {
+#endif
+  C1Struct createC1Struct() { return ::A1::B1::C1::C1Struct(); }
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+  }
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+%}
+
+%inline %{
+// Tests with namespaces already defined using C++17 style (nested) namespaces
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A2::B2 {
+#else
+namespace A2 {
+ namespace B2 {
+#endif
+  struct B2Struct {
+    void B2Method() {}
+  };
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A2::B2 {
+#else
+namespace A2 {
+ namespace B2 {
+#endif
+  B2Struct createB2Struct() { return ::A2::B2::B2Struct(); }
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A2::B2::C2 {
+#else
+namespace A2 {
+ namespace B2 {
+  namespace C2 {
+#endif
+    struct C2Struct {
+      void C2Method() {}
+    };
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+  }
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A2::B2::C2 {
+#else
+namespace A2 {
+ namespace B2 {
+  namespace C2 {
+#endif
+  C2Struct createC2Struct() { return ::A2::B2::C2::C2Struct(); }
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+  }
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+%}
+
+
+%inline %{
+// Tests with namespaces already defined using C++17 style (nested) namespaces to 3 levels
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A3::B3::C3 {
+#else
+namespace A3 {
+ namespace B3 {
+  namespace C3 {
+#endif
+    struct C3Struct {
+      void C3Method() {}
+    };
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+  }
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A3::B3::C3 {
+#else
+namespace A3 {
+ namespace B3 {
+  namespace C3 {
+#endif
+  C3Struct createC3Struct() { return ::A3::B3::C3::C3Struct(); }
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+  }
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A3::B3 {
+#else
+namespace A3 {
+ namespace B3 {
+#endif
+  struct B3Struct {
+    void B3Method() {}
+  };
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+
+#if defined(CPP17)
+namespace A3::B3 {
+#else
+namespace A3 {
+ namespace B3 {
+#endif
+  B3Struct createB3Struct() { return ::A3::B3::B3Struct(); }
+#if !defined(CPP17)
+ }
+}
+#else
+}
+#endif
+%}
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/java/cpp17_nested_namespaces_runme.java b/Examples/test-suite/java/cpp17_nested_namespaces_runme.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac29dee19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/java/cpp17_nested_namespaces_runme.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import cpp17_nested_namespaces.*;
+
+public class cpp17_nested_namespaces_runme {
+
+  static {
+    try {
+      System.loadLibrary("cpp17_nested_namespaces");
+    } catch (UnsatisfiedLinkError e) {
+      System.err.println("Native code library failed to load. See the chapter on Dynamic Linking Problems in the SWIG Java documentation for help.\n" + e);
+      System.exit(1);
+    }
+  }
+
+  public static void main(String argv[]) {
+    new A1Struct().A1Method();
+    new B1Struct().B1Method();
+    new C1Struct().C1Method();
+    cpp17_nested_namespaces.createA1Struct().A1Method();
+    cpp17_nested_namespaces.createB1Struct().B1Method();
+    cpp17_nested_namespaces.createC1Struct().C1Method();
+
+    new B2Struct().B2Method();
+    new C2Struct().C2Method();
+    cpp17_nested_namespaces.createB2Struct().B2Method();
+    cpp17_nested_namespaces.createC2Struct().C2Method();
+
+    new B3Struct().B3Method();
+    new C3Struct().C3Method();
+    cpp17_nested_namespaces.createB3Struct().B3Method();
+    cpp17_nested_namespaces.createC3Struct().C3Method();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/Source/CParse/parser.y b/Source/CParse/parser.y
index 0c8d95ecd..cae20eb3f 100644
--- a/Source/CParse/parser.y
+++ b/Source/CParse/parser.y
@@ -4400,32 +4400,61 @@ cpp_using_decl : USING idcolon SEMI {
 
 cpp_namespace_decl : NAMESPACE idcolon LBRACE { 
                 Hash *h;
-                $1 = Swig_symbol_current();
-		h = Swig_symbol_clookup($2,0);
-		if (h && ($1 == Getattr(h,"sym:symtab")) && (Strcmp(nodeType(h),"namespace") == 0)) {
-		  if (Getattr(h,"alias")) {
-		    h = Getattr(h,"namespace");
-		    Swig_warning(WARN_PARSE_NAMESPACE_ALIAS, cparse_file, cparse_line, "Namespace alias '%s' not allowed here. Assuming '%s'\n",
-				 $2, Getattr(h,"name"));
-		    $2 = Getattr(h,"name");
+		Node *parent_ns = 0;
+		List *scopes = Swig_scopename_tolist($2);
+		int ilen = Len(scopes);
+		int i;
+
+/*
+Printf(stdout, "==== Namespace %s creation...\n", $2);
+*/
+		$<node>$ = 0;
+		for (i = 0; i < ilen; i++) {
+		  Node *ns = new_node("namespace");
+		  Symtab *current_symtab = Swig_symbol_current();
+		  String *scopename = Getitem(scopes, i);
+		  Setattr(ns, "name", scopename);
+		  $<node>$ = ns;
+		  if (parent_ns)
+		    appendChild(parent_ns, ns);
+		  parent_ns = ns;
+		  h = Swig_symbol_clookup(scopename, 0);
+		  if (h && (current_symtab == Getattr(h, "sym:symtab")) && (Strcmp(nodeType(h), "namespace") == 0)) {
+/*
+Printf(stdout, "  Scope %s [found C++17 style]\n", scopename);
+*/
+		    if (Getattr(h, "alias")) {
+		      h = Getattr(h, "namespace");
+		      Swig_warning(WARN_PARSE_NAMESPACE_ALIAS, cparse_file, cparse_line, "Namespace alias '%s' not allowed here. Assuming '%s'\n",
+				   scopename, Getattr(h, "name"));
+		      scopename = Getattr(h, "name");
+		    }
+		    Swig_symbol_setscope(Getattr(h, "symtab"));
+		  } else {
+/*
+Printf(stdout, "  Scope %s [creating single scope C++17 style]\n", scopename);
+*/
+		    h = Swig_symbol_newscope();
+		    Swig_symbol_setscopename(scopename);
 		  }
-		  Swig_symbol_setscope(Getattr(h,"symtab"));
-		} else {
-		  Swig_symbol_newscope();
-		  Swig_symbol_setscopename($2);
+		  Delete(Namespaceprefix);
+		  Namespaceprefix = Swig_symbol_qualifiedscopename(0);
 		}
-		Delete(Namespaceprefix);
-		Namespaceprefix = Swig_symbol_qualifiedscopename(0);
+		Delete(scopes);
              } interface RBRACE {
-                Node *n = $5;
-		set_nodeType(n,"namespace");
-		Setattr(n,"name",$2);
-                Setattr(n,"symtab", Swig_symbol_popscope());
-		Swig_symbol_setscope($1);
-		$$ = n;
-		Delete(Namespaceprefix);
-		Namespaceprefix = Swig_symbol_qualifiedscopename(0);
-		add_symbols($$);
+		Node *n = $<node>4;
+		Node *top_ns = 0;
+		do {
+		  Setattr(n, "symtab", Swig_symbol_popscope());
+		  Delete(Namespaceprefix);
+		  Namespaceprefix = Swig_symbol_qualifiedscopename(0);
+		  add_symbols(n);
+		  top_ns = n;
+		  n = parentNode(n);
+		} while(n);
+		appendChild($<node>4, firstChild($5));
+		Delete($5);
+		$$ = top_ns;
              } 
              | NAMESPACE LBRACE {
 	       Hash *h;