diff --git a/Lib/typemaps/exception.swg b/Lib/typemaps/exception.swg
index 0225bdf04..781f74f58 100644
--- a/Lib/typemaps/exception.swg
+++ b/Lib/typemaps/exception.swg
@@ -3,7 +3,61 @@
 
 %insert("runtime") {
 
-  SWIG_define(SWIG_exception(code, msg),        SWIG_block(SWIG_error(code, msg); SWIG_fail))
-  SWIG_define(SWIG_contract_assert(expr, msg),  if (!(expr)) { SWIG_error(SWIG_RuntimeError, msg); SWIG_fail; } else)
+  SWIG_define(SWIG_exception(code, msg),        
+	      SWIG_block(SWIG_error(code, msg); SWIG_fail))
+
+  SWIG_define(SWIG_contract_assert(expr, msg),  
+	      if (!(expr)) { SWIG_error(SWIG_RuntimeError, msg); SWIG_fail; } else)
 
 }
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+/*
+  You can use the SWIG_CATCH_STDEXCEPT macro with the %exception
+  directive as follows:
+
+  %exception {
+    try {
+      $action
+    }
+    catch (my_except& e) {
+      ...
+    }
+    SWIG_CATCH_STDEXCEPT // catch std::exception
+    catch (...) {
+     SWIG_exception(SWIG_UnknownError, "Unknown exception");
+    }
+  }
+*/
+%{
+#include <stdexcept>
+%}
+%define SWIG_CATCH_STDEXCEPT
+  /* catching std::exception  */
+  catch (std::invalid_argument& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_ValueError, e.what() );
+  } catch (std::domain_error& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_ValueError, e.what() );
+  } catch (std::overflow_error& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_OverflowError, e.what() );
+  } catch (std::out_of_range& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_IndexError, e.what() );
+  } catch (std::length_error& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_IndexError, e.what() );
+  } catch (std::runtime_error& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_RuntimeError, e.what() );
+  } catch (std::exception& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_SystemError, e.what() );
+  }
+%enddef
+%define SWIG_CATCH_UNKNOWN
+  catch (std::exception& e) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_SystemError, e.what() );
+  }
+  catch (...) {
+    SWIG_exception(SWIG_UnknownError, "unknown exception");
+  }
+%enddef
+
+
+#endif /* __cplusplus */