diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/derived_nested.i b/Examples/test-suite/derived_nested.i
index e374cf70f..2b3698045 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/derived_nested.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/derived_nested.i
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ This was reported in bug #909389 */
 
 %module derived_nested
 
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) BB::CC;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) BB::DD;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) BB::EE;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) BB::FF;
+
 %inline %{
 
 class A {
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_macro_locator.stderr b/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_macro_locator.stderr
index 8a78d46af..0d91ba5ae 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_macro_locator.stderr
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_macro_locator.stderr
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 cpp_macro_locator.i:66: Warning 204: CPP #warning, "inline warning message one".
 cpp_macro_locator.i:96: Warning 204: CPP #warning, "an inline warning message 2".
+cpp_macro_locator.i:50: Warning 325: Nested struct not currently supported (Inner ignored)
 cpp_macro_locator.i:53: Warning 509: Overloaded method overload1(int const *) effectively ignored,
 cpp_macro_locator.i:52: Warning 509: as it is shadowed by overload1(int *).
 cpp_macro_locator.i:61: Warning 509: Overloaded method overload2(int const *) effectively ignored,
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/namespace_class.i b/Examples/test-suite/namespace_class.i
index 113bbeb35..cc9940d13 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/namespace_class.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/namespace_class.i
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 %module namespace_class
 
 
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Ala::Ola;
+
 #ifdef SWIGD
 %warnfilter(SWIGWARN_IGNORE_OPERATOR_LT);
 #endif
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/namespace_union.i b/Examples/test-suite/namespace_union.i
index 84e38b4d5..85885f399 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/namespace_union.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/namespace_union.i
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 %module namespace_union
 
+#pragma SWIG nowarn=SWIGWARN_PARSE_UNNAMED_NESTED_CLASS
+
 %inline %{
 namespace SpatialIndex 
 { 
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/nested_class.i b/Examples/test-suite/nested_class.i
index 282875531..ccb7ecac1 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/nested_class.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/nested_class.i
@@ -1,5 +1,25 @@
 %module nested_class
 
+#pragma SWIG nowarn=SWIGWARN_PARSE_UNNAMED_NESTED_CLASS
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerStruct1;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerClass1;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerUnion1;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerClass2;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerStruct2;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerUnion2;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerClass4Typedef;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerStruct4Typedef;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerUnion4Typedef;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerClass5;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerStruct5;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerUnion5;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerMultiple;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerMultipleDerived;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerMultipleAnonTypedef1;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerMultipleNamedTypedef;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer::InnerSameName;
+%warnfilter(SWIGWARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS) Outer2::IgnoreMe;
+
 %inline %{
 struct Outer {
   typedef int Integer;
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/nested_comment.i b/Examples/test-suite/nested_comment.i
index df160b157..99d0ffb43 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/nested_comment.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/nested_comment.i
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 %module nested_comment
 
+#pragma SWIG nowarn=SWIGWARN_PARSE_UNNAMED_NESTED_CLASS
+
 // this example shows a problem with 'dump_nested' (parser.y).
 
 // bug #949654
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/nested_scope.i b/Examples/test-suite/nested_scope.i
index 358dbbb61..be93ad8c6 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/nested_scope.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/nested_scope.i
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 %module nested_scope
 
+#if !defined(SWIGCSHARP) && !defined(SWIGJAVA)
+%feature ("flatnested");
+#endif
+
 %inline %{
 namespace ns {
 	struct Global {
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/template_nested.i b/Examples/test-suite/template_nested.i
index c33018e0f..81a551a41 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/template_nested.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/template_nested.i
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 %module template_nested
 
+#if !defined(SWIGCSHARP) && !defined(SWIGJAVA)
+%feature ("flatnested");
+#endif
+
 // Test nested templates - that is template classes and template methods within a class.
 
 namespace ns {
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/union_scope.i b/Examples/test-suite/union_scope.i
index 67093eff6..b7307cb29 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/union_scope.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/union_scope.i
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 %warnfilter(SWIGWARN_RUBY_WRONG_NAME) nRState;		// Ruby, wrong class name
 %warnfilter(SWIGWARN_RUBY_WRONG_NAME) nRState_rstate;	// Ruby, wrong class name
+#pragma SWIG nowarn=SWIGWARN_PARSE_UNNAMED_NESTED_CLASS
 
 %inline %{
 class nRState { 
diff --git a/Source/CParse/parser.y b/Source/CParse/parser.y
index fe8b7f97f..4c6d11e64 100644
--- a/Source/CParse/parser.y
+++ b/Source/CParse/parser.y
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static int      extendmode   = 0;
 static int      compact_default_args = 0;
 static int      template_reduce = 0;
 static int      cparse_externc = 0;
-
+int		ignore_nested_classes = 0;
 /* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  *                            Assist Functions
  * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -1069,6 +1069,74 @@ static void update_nested_classes(Node *n)
   }
 }
 
+/* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * nested_forward_declaration()
+ * 
+ * Nested struct handling for C++ code if the nested classes are disabled.
+ * Create the nested class/struct/union as a forward declaration.
+ * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+static Node *nested_forward_declaration(const char *storage, const char *kind, String *sname, String *name, Node *cpp_opt_declarators) {
+  Node *nn = 0;
+  int warned = 0;
+
+  if (sname) {
+    /* Add forward declaration of the nested type */
+    Node *n = new_node("classforward");
+    Setattr(n, "kind", kind);
+    Setattr(n, "name", sname);
+    Setattr(n, "storage", storage);
+    Setattr(n, "sym:weak", "1");
+    add_symbols(n);
+    nn = n;
+  }
+
+  /* Add any variable instances. Also add in any further typedefs of the nested type.
+     Note that anonymous typedefs (eg typedef struct {...} a, b;) are treated as class forward declarations */
+  if (cpp_opt_declarators) {
+    int storage_typedef = (storage && (strcmp(storage, "typedef") == 0));
+    int variable_of_anonymous_type = !sname && !storage_typedef;
+    if (!variable_of_anonymous_type) {
+      int anonymous_typedef = !sname && (storage && (strcmp(storage, "typedef") == 0));
+      Node *n = cpp_opt_declarators;
+      SwigType *type = name;
+      while (n) {
+	Setattr(n, "type", type);
+	Setattr(n, "storage", storage);
+	if (anonymous_typedef) {
+	  Setattr(n, "nodeType", "classforward");
+	  Setattr(n, "sym:weak", "1");
+	}
+	n = nextSibling(n);
+      }
+      add_symbols(cpp_opt_declarators);
+
+      if (nn) {
+	set_nextSibling(nn, cpp_opt_declarators);
+      } else {
+	nn = cpp_opt_declarators;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!GetFlag(currentOuterClass, "nested")) {
+    if (nn && Equal(nodeType(nn), "classforward")) {
+      Node *n = nn;
+      SWIG_WARN_NODE_BEGIN(n);
+      Swig_warning(WARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS, cparse_file, cparse_line,"Nested %s not currently supported (%s ignored)\n", kind, sname ? sname : name);
+      SWIG_WARN_NODE_END(n);
+      warned = 1;
+    }
+
+    if (!warned) {
+      Swig_warning(WARN_PARSE_UNNAMED_NESTED_CLASS, cparse_file, cparse_line, "Nested %s not currently supported (ignored).\n", kind);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return nn;
+}
+
+
 Node *Swig_cparse(File *f) {
   scanner_file(f);
   top = 0;
@@ -3553,8 +3621,13 @@ cpp_class_decl  : storage_class cpptype idcolon inherit LBRACE {
 		   Setattr($$, "symtab", Swig_symbol_popscope());
 		   Classprefix = Getattr($<node>$, "Classprefix");
 		   Delattr($<node>$, "Classprefix");
+		   Delete(Namespaceprefix);
+		   Namespaceprefix = Swig_symbol_qualifiedscopename(0);
+		   Swig_features_get(Swig_cparse_features(), Namespaceprefix, Getattr($$, "name"), 0, $$);
 		   if (cplus_mode == CPLUS_PRIVATE) {
 		     $$ = 0; /* skip private nested classes */
+		   } else if (cparse_cplusplus && currentOuterClass && ignore_nested_classes && !GetFlag($$, "feature:flatnested")) {
+		     $$ = nested_forward_declaration($1, $2, $3, Copy($3), $9);
 		   } else if (nscope_inner) {
 		     /* this is tricky */
 		     /* we add the declaration in the original namespace */
@@ -3572,16 +3645,15 @@ cpp_class_decl  : storage_class cpptype idcolon inherit LBRACE {
 		     add_symbols($9);
 		     if (nscope) {
 		       $$ = nscope; /* here we return recreated namespace tower instead of the class itself */
-		       if ($9)
+		       if ($9) {
 			 appendSibling($$, $9);
-		     }
-		     else if (!SwigType_istemplate(ty) && template_parameters == 0) /* for tempalte we need the class itself */
+		       }
+		     } else if (!SwigType_istemplate(ty) && template_parameters == 0) { /* for tempalte we need the class itself */
 		       $$ = $9;
+		     }
 		   } else {
 		     Delete(yyrename);
 		     yyrename = 0;
-		     Delete(Namespaceprefix);
-		     Namespaceprefix = Swig_symbol_qualifiedscopename(0);
 		     if (!cparse_cplusplus && currentOuterClass) { /* nested C structs go into global scope*/
 		       Node *outer = currentOuterClass;
 		       while (Getattr(outer, "nested:outer"))
@@ -3665,7 +3737,14 @@ cpp_class_decl  : storage_class cpptype idcolon inherit LBRACE {
                /* Check for pure-abstract class */
 	       Setattr($$,"abstracts", pure_abstracts($6));
 	       n = $8;
-	       if (n) {
+	       Swig_features_get(Swig_cparse_features(), Namespaceprefix, 0, 0, $$);
+	       if (cparse_cplusplus && currentOuterClass && ignore_nested_classes && !GetFlag($$, "feature:flatnested")) {
+		 String *name = n ? Copy(Getattr(n, "name")) : 0;
+		 $$ = nested_forward_declaration($1, $2, 0, name, n);
+		 Swig_symbol_popscope();
+	         Delete(Namespaceprefix);
+		 Namespaceprefix = Swig_symbol_qualifiedscopename(0);
+	       } else if (n) {
 	         appendSibling($$,n);
 		 /* If a proper typedef name was given, we'll use it to set the scope name */
 		 name = try_to_find_a_name_for_unnamed_structure($1, n);
diff --git a/Source/Include/swigwarn.h b/Source/Include/swigwarn.h
index ea1cf7fe4..1210d64a6 100644
--- a/Source/Include/swigwarn.h
+++ b/Source/Include/swigwarn.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
 #define WARN_PARSE_PRIVATE_INHERIT    309
 #define WARN_PARSE_TEMPLATE_REPEAT    310
 #define WARN_PARSE_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL   311
+#define WARN_PARSE_UNNAMED_NESTED_CLASS 312
 #define WARN_PARSE_UNDEFINED_EXTERN   313
 #define WARN_PARSE_KEYWORD            314
 #define WARN_PARSE_USING_UNDEF        315
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@
 #define WARN_PARSE_REDUNDANT          322
 #define WARN_PARSE_REC_INHERITANCE    323
 #define WARN_PARSE_NESTED_TEMPLATE    324
+#define WARN_PARSE_NAMED_NESTED_CLASS 325
 #define WARN_PARSE_EXTEND_NAME        326
 
 #define WARN_CPP11_LAMBDA             340
diff --git a/Source/Modules/csharp.cxx b/Source/Modules/csharp.cxx
index 1713e6f3f..4a105aa16 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/csharp.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/csharp.cxx
@@ -4288,8 +4288,8 @@ public:
     Delete(dirclassname);
   }
 
-  bool nestedClassesSupported() const {
-    return true;
+  NestedClassSupport nestedClassesSupport() const {
+    return NCS_Full;
   }
 };				/* class CSHARP */
 
diff --git a/Source/Modules/java.cxx b/Source/Modules/java.cxx
index c47dd3e48..601cbb20e 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/java.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/java.cxx
@@ -4607,8 +4607,8 @@ public:
     Setattr(n, "director:ctor", class_ctor);
   }
 
-  bool nestedClassesSupported() const {
-    return true;
+  NestedClassSupport nestedClassesSupport() const {
+    return NCS_Full;
   }
 };				/* class JAVA */
 
diff --git a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
index a547e2bd4..3940a3001 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
@@ -3441,8 +3441,8 @@ bool Language::extraDirectorProtectedCPPMethodsRequired() const {
   return true;
 }
 
-bool Language::nestedClassesSupported() const {
-  return false;
+Language::NestedClassSupport Language::nestedClassesSupport() const {
+  return NCS_Unknown;
 }
 /* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Language::is_wrapping_class()
diff --git a/Source/Modules/main.cxx b/Source/Modules/main.cxx
index 786763441..66e2548dc 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/main.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/main.cxx
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ int SwigRuntime = 0;		// 0 = no option, 1 = -runtime, 2 = -noruntime
 
 extern "C" {
   extern String *ModuleName;
+  extern int ignore_nested_classes;
 }
 
 /* usage string split into multiple parts otherwise string is too big for some compilers */
@@ -856,11 +857,6 @@ void SWIG_getoptions(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   }
 }
 
-static void flatten_nested() {
-  Swig_feature_set(Swig_cparse_features(), "", 0, "feature:flatnested", "1", 0);
-}
-
-
 int SWIG_main(int argc, char *argv[], Language *l) {
   char *c;
 
@@ -905,6 +901,9 @@ int SWIG_main(int argc, char *argv[], Language *l) {
   Wrapper_director_mode_set(0);
   Wrapper_director_protected_mode_set(1);
 
+  // Inform the parser if the nested classes should be ignored unless explicitly told otherwise via feature:flatnested
+  ignore_nested_classes = l->nestedClassesSupport() == Language::NCS_Unknown ? 1 : 0;
+
   // Create Library search directories
 
   // Check for SWIG_LIB environment variable
@@ -1158,10 +1157,6 @@ int SWIG_main(int argc, char *argv[], Language *l) {
       fflush(stdout);
     }
 
-    // add "ignore" directive if nested classes are not supported
-    if (!lang->nestedClassesSupported())
-      flatten_nested();
-
     Node *top = Swig_cparse(cpps);
 
     if (dump_top & STAGE1) {
diff --git a/Source/Modules/nested.cxx b/Source/Modules/nested.cxx
index 37248608c..3b45e9f90 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/nested.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/nested.cxx
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ void Swig_nested_name_unnamed_c_structs(Node *n) {
 
 static void remove_outer_class_reference(Node *n) {
   for (Node *c = firstChild(n); c; c = nextSibling(c)) {
-    if (GetFlag(c, "feature:flatnested")) {
+    if (GetFlag(c, "feature:flatnested") || Language::instance()->nestedClassesSupport() == Language::NCS_None) {
       Delattr(c, "nested:outer");
       remove_outer_class_reference(c);
     }
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ void Swig_nested_process_classes(Node *n) {
   while (c) {
     Node *next = nextSibling(c);
     if (!Getattr(c, "templatetype")) {
-      if (GetFlag(c, "nested") && GetFlag(c, "feature:flatnested")) {
+      if (GetFlag(c, "nested") && (GetFlag(c, "feature:flatnested") || Language::instance()->nestedClassesSupport() == Language::NCS_None)) {
 	removeNode(c);
 	if (!checkAttribute(c, "access", "public"))
 	  SetFlag(c, "feature:ignore");
diff --git a/Source/Modules/swigmod.h b/Source/Modules/swigmod.h
index 7ebcfeee1..2929993b3 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/swigmod.h
+++ b/Source/Modules/swigmod.h
@@ -298,13 +298,19 @@ protected:
   virtual bool extraDirectorProtectedCPPMethodsRequired() const;
 
 public:
-  /* Does target language support nested classes? Default is 'false'. If 'false' is returned, then
-    %rename("$ignore", %$isnested) statement will be issued at the top, and the nested classes
-    will be ignored. Note that even if the target language does not support the notion of class
-    nesting, the language module may nevertheless return true from this function, and use
-    %feature "flatnested" to move nested classes to the global scope, instead of ignoring them.
+  enum NestedClassSupport {
+    NCS_None, // Target language does not have an equivalent to nested classes
+    NCS_Full, // Target language does have an equivalent to nested classes and is fully implemented
+    NCS_Unknown // Target language may or may not have an equivalent to nested classes. If it does, it has not been implemented yet.
+  };
+  /* Does target language support nested classes? Default is NCS_Unknown. 
+    If NCS_Unknown is returned, then the nested classes will be ignored unless 
+    %feature "flatnested" is applied to them, in which case they will appear in global space.
+    If the target language does not support the notion of class
+    nesting, the language module should return NCS_None from this function, and 
+    the nested classes will be moved to the global scope (like implicit global %feature "flatnested").
   */
-  virtual bool nestedClassesSupported() const;
+  virtual NestedClassSupport nestedClassesSupport() const;
 
 protected:
   /* Identifies if a protected members that are generated when the allprotected option is used.
diff --git a/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx b/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx
index e918c0770..49f95090d 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/typepass.cxx
@@ -504,7 +504,8 @@ class TypePass:private Dispatcher {
     SwigType_attach_symtab(Getattr(n, "symtab"));
 
     /* Inherit type definitions into the class */
-    if (name && !(GetFlag(n, "nested") && GetFlag(n, "feature:flatnested") && !checkAttribute(n, "access", "public"))) {
+    if (name && !(GetFlag(n, "nested") && !checkAttribute(n, "access", "public") && 
+      (GetFlag(n, "feature:flatnested") || Language::instance()->nestedClassesSupport() == Language::NCS_None))) {
       cplus_inherit_types(n, 0, nname ? nname : (fname ? fname : name));
     }