diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/java/virtual_poly_runme.java b/Examples/test-suite/java/virtual_poly_runme.java
index 12ca4a2e3..81e2f398a 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/java/virtual_poly_runme.java
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/java/virtual_poly_runme.java
@@ -37,5 +37,25 @@ public class virtual_poly_runme {
     virtual_poly.incr(ic);
     if ( (i.get() + 1) != ic.get() )
       throw new RuntimeException("incr test failed");
+
+    //
+    // Checking a pure user downcast
+    //
+    NNumber n1 = d.copy();
+    NNumber n2 = d.nnumber();
+    NDouble dn1 = NDouble.narrow(n1);
+    NDouble dn2 = NDouble.narrow(n2);
+
+    if ( (dn1.get()) != dn2.get() )
+      throw new RuntimeException("copy/narrow test failed");
+
+    //
+    // Checking the ref polymorphic case
+    //
+    NNumber nr = d.ref_this();
+    NDouble dr1 = NDouble.narrow(nr);
+    NDouble dr2 = (NDouble)d.ref_this();
+    if ( dr1.get() != dr2.get() )
+      throw new RuntimeException("copy/narrow test failed");
   }
 }
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/virtual_poly_runme.py b/Examples/test-suite/python/virtual_poly_runme.py
index d2b8de65e..7e202f9cf 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/python/virtual_poly_runme.py
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/virtual_poly_runme.py
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ if (i.get() + 1) != ic.get():
   raise RuntimeError
 
 
+dr = d.ref_this()
+if d.get() != dr.get():
+  raise RuntimeError
+
 
 #
 # 'narrowing' also works
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/virtual_poly.i b/Examples/test-suite/virtual_poly.i
index 1ccb6816e..baf5a532b 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/virtual_poly.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/virtual_poly.i
@@ -16,12 +16,18 @@
   {
     virtual ~NNumber() {};
     virtual NNumber* copy() const = 0;
+    virtual NNumber& ref_this() 
+    {
+      return *this;
+    }
+    
     
     NNumber* nnumber() 
     {
       return this;
     }
     
+
   };
   
   /* 
@@ -57,8 +63,14 @@
       return new NInt(val);
     }
 
+    virtual NInt& ref_this() 
+    {
+      return *this;
+    }
+
     /* See below */
     static NInt* narrow(NNumber* nn);
+
     
   private:
     int val;
@@ -85,6 +97,11 @@
       return new NDouble(val);
     }
 
+    virtual NDouble& ref_this() 
+    {
+      return *this;
+    }
+
     /* See below */
     static NDouble* narrow(NNumber* nn);