diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/Makefile.in b/Examples/test-suite/python/Makefile.in
index 6be3f5012..7546d3bae 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/python/Makefile.in
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/Makefile.in
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ CPP_TEST_CASES += \
 	file_test \
 	implicittest \
 	inout \
+	input \
 	inplaceadd \
 	kwargs \
 	li_std_except \
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/input.i b/Examples/test-suite/python/input.i
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8626773a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/input.i
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+%module input
+
+%apply int *INPUT {int *bar};
+
+%typemap(out) int * Foo::foo {
+  if ($1) {
+    $result = PyInt_FromLong(*$1);
+  } else {
+    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+    $result = Py_None;
+  }
+}
+
+%inline 
+{
+  struct Foo {
+    int *foo(int *bar) {
+      if (bar) {
+	*bar *= 2;
+      }
+      return (bar) ? bar : 0;
+    }
+  };
+}
+
+
+
+%include std_string.i
+%apply std::string *INPUT {std::string *bar};
+%typemap(out) int * sfoo {
+  if ($1) {
+    $result = PyInt_FromLong(*$1);
+  } else {
+    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+    $result = Py_None;
+  }
+}
+
+%typemap(out, fragment=SWIG_From_frag(std::string)) std::string * sfoo {
+  if ($1) {
+    $result = SWIG_From(std::string)(*$1);
+  } else {
+    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+    $result = Py_None;
+  }
+}
+
+%inline %{
+  std::string *sfoo(std::string *bar) {
+    if (bar) *bar += " world";
+    return (bar) ? bar : 0;
+  }
+%}
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/input_runme.py b/Examples/test-suite/python/input_runme.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d4778ff8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/input_runme.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from input import *
+
+f = Foo()
+if f.foo(2) != 4:
+  raise RuntimeError
+  
+if f.foo(None)!= None:
+  raise RuntimeError
+
+if sfoo("Hello") != "Hello world":
+  raise RuntimeError
+
+if sfoo(None) != None:
+  raise RuntimeError
+  
diff --git a/Lib/python/pyinout.swg b/Lib/python/pyinout.swg
index e0623487d..93d13c81a 100644
--- a/Lib/python/pyinout.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/pyinout.swg
@@ -80,11 +80,7 @@ or you can use the %apply directive :
     res = asptr_meth($input, &$1);
     if (!res) {
       SWIG_type_error("$basetype", $input);
-    } else {
-      if (!$1) {
-	SWIG_null_ref("$basetype");
-      }
-    }    
+    }
     if (SWIG_arg_fail($argnum)) SWIG_fail;
   }