diff --git a/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg b/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
index 3d10b9bb8..8463e28f8 100644
--- a/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
@@ -262,6 +262,13 @@ namespace swig {
     seq->erase(position);
   }
 
+  template <class Sequence>
+  struct traits_reserve {
+    static void reserve(Sequence & /*seq*/, typename Sequence::size_type /*n*/) {
+      // This should be specialized for types that support reserve
+    }
+  };
+
   template <class Sequence, class Difference>
   inline Sequence*
   getslice(const Sequence* self, Difference i, Difference j, Py_ssize_t step) {
@@ -279,6 +286,7 @@ namespace swig {
         return new Sequence(sb, se);
       } else {
         Sequence *sequence = new Sequence();
+        swig::traits_reserve<Sequence>::reserve(*sequence, (jj - ii + step - 1) / step);
         typename Sequence::const_iterator it = sb;
         while (it!=se) {
           sequence->push_back(*it);
@@ -289,6 +297,7 @@ namespace swig {
       } 
     } else {
       Sequence *sequence = new Sequence();
+      swig::traits_reserve<Sequence>::reserve(*sequence, (ii - jj - step - 1) / -step);
       typename Sequence::const_reverse_iterator sb = self->rbegin();
       typename Sequence::const_reverse_iterator se = self->rbegin();
       std::advance(sb,size-ii-1);
@@ -315,6 +324,7 @@ namespace swig {
         size_t ssize = jj - ii;
         if (ssize <= is.size()) {
           // expanding/staying the same size
+          swig::traits_reserve<Sequence>::reserve(*self, self->size() - ssize + is.size());
           typename Sequence::iterator sb = self->begin();
           typename InputSeq::const_iterator isit = is.begin();
           std::advance(sb,ii);
diff --git a/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i b/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i
index 97b48af70..894840c6c 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@
       }
     }
 
+    template <class K, class T>
+    struct traits_reserve<std::unordered_map<K,T> > {
+      static void reserve(std::unordered_map<K,T> &seq, typename std::unordered_map<K,T>::size_type n) {
+        seq.reserve(n);
+      }
+    };
+
     template <class K, class T>
     struct traits_asptr<std::unordered_map<K,T> >  {
       typedef std::unordered_map<K,T> unordered_map_type;
diff --git a/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i b/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i
index aadd15515..2410aa52b 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@
       }
     }
 
+    template <class K, class T>
+    struct traits_reserve<std::unordered_multimap<K,T> >  {
+      static void reserve(std::unordered_multimap<K,T> &seq, typename std::unordered_multimap<K,T>::size_type n) {
+        seq.reserve(n);
+      }
+    };
+
     template <class K, class T>
     struct traits_asptr<std::unordered_multimap<K,T> >  {
       typedef std::unordered_multimap<K,T> unordered_multimap_type;
diff --git a/Lib/python/std_unordered_multiset.i b/Lib/python/std_unordered_multiset.i
index d5b9ff61c..0d9f3d9c6 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_unordered_multiset.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_unordered_multiset.i
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@
       }
     }
 
+    template <class T>
+    struct traits_reserve<std::unordered_multiset<T> >  {
+      static void reserve(std::unordered_multiset<T> &seq, typename std::unordered_multiset<T>::size_type n) {
+        seq.reserve(n);
+      }
+    };
+
     template <class T>
     struct traits_asptr<std::unordered_multiset<T> >  {
       static int asptr(PyObject *obj, std::unordered_multiset<T> **m) {
diff --git a/Lib/python/std_unordered_set.i b/Lib/python/std_unordered_set.i
index a021cb4ed..855a28da5 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_unordered_set.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_unordered_set.i
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@
       }
     }
 
+    template <class T>
+    struct traits_reserve<std::unordered_set<T> >  {
+      static void reserve(std::unordered_set<T> &seq, typename std::unordered_set<T>::size_type n) {
+        seq.reserve(n);
+      }
+    };
+
     template <class T>
     struct traits_asptr<std::unordered_set<T> >  {
       static int asptr(PyObject *obj, std::unordered_set<T> **s) {
diff --git a/Lib/python/std_vector.i b/Lib/python/std_vector.i
index 3f04a30c7..2ac41a54d 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_vector.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_vector.i
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@
 %fragment("StdVectorTraits","header",fragment="StdSequenceTraits")
 %{
   namespace swig {
+    template <class T>
+    struct traits_reserve<std::vector<T> > {
+      static void reserve(std::vector<T> &seq, typename std::vector<T>::size_type n) {
+        seq.reserve(n);
+      }
+    };
+
     template <class T>
     struct traits_asptr<std::vector<T> >  {
       static int asptr(PyObject *obj, std::vector<T> **vec) {