diff --git a/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg b/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
index 1687aca42..36557d75e 100644
--- a/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
@@ -434,8 +434,8 @@ namespace swig
     {
       swig::SwigVar_PyObject item = PySequence_GetItem(_seq, _index);
       try {
-	return swig::as<T>(item, true);
-      } catch (std::exception& e) {
+	return swig::as<T>(item);
+      } catch (const std::invalid_argument& e) {
 	char msg[1024];
 	sprintf(msg, "in sequence element %d ", (int)_index);
 	if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
diff --git a/Lib/python/pystdcommon.swg b/Lib/python/pystdcommon.swg
index 93ee34bc7..0242e4d35 100644
--- a/Lib/python/pystdcommon.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/pystdcommon.swg
@@ -107,14 +107,14 @@ namespace swig {
 
   template <class Type> 
   struct traits_as<Type, value_category> {
-    static Type as(PyObject *obj, bool throw_error) {
+    static Type as(PyObject *obj) {
       Type v;
       int res = asval(obj, &v);
       if (!obj || !SWIG_IsOK(res)) {
 	if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
 	  ::%type_error(swig::type_name<Type>());
 	}
-	if (throw_error) throw std::invalid_argument("bad type");
+	throw std::invalid_argument("bad type");
       }
       return v;
     }
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ namespace swig {
 
   template <class Type> 
   struct traits_as<Type, pointer_category> {
-    static Type as(PyObject *obj, bool throw_error) {
+    static Type as(PyObject *obj) {
       Type *v = 0;      
       int res = (obj ? traits_asptr<Type>::asptr(obj, &v) : SWIG_ERROR);
       if (SWIG_IsOK(res) && v) {
@@ -134,21 +134,17 @@ namespace swig {
 	  return *v;
 	}
       } else {
-	// Uninitialized return value, no Type() constructor required.
-	static Type *v_def = (Type*) malloc(sizeof(Type));
 	if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
 	  %type_error(swig::type_name<Type>());
 	}
-	if (throw_error) throw std::invalid_argument("bad type");
-	memset(v_def,0,sizeof(Type));
-	return *v_def;
+	throw std::invalid_argument("bad type");
       }
     }
   };
 
   template <class Type> 
   struct traits_as<Type*, pointer_category> {
-    static Type* as(PyObject *obj, bool throw_error) {
+    static Type* as(PyObject *obj) {
       Type *v = 0;      
       int res = (obj ? traits_asptr<Type>::asptr(obj, &v) : SWIG_ERROR);
       if (SWIG_IsOK(res)) {
@@ -157,15 +153,14 @@ namespace swig {
 	if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
 	  %type_error(swig::type_name<Type>());
 	}
-	if (throw_error) throw std::invalid_argument("bad type");
-	return 0;
+	throw std::invalid_argument("bad type");
       }
     }
   };
     
   template <class Type>
-  inline Type as(PyObject *obj, bool te = false) {
-    return traits_as<Type, typename traits<Type>::category>::as(obj, te);
+  inline Type as(PyObject *obj) {
+    return traits_as<Type, typename traits<Type>::category>::as(obj);
   }
 
   template <class Type>