diff --git a/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/cpp_enum.i b/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/cpp_enum.i
index 72ee6e6a2..205c25c44 100644
--- a/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/cpp_enum.i
+++ b/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/cpp_enum.i
@@ -35,4 +35,6 @@ struct StructWithEnums {
    }
  };
 
+ enum {Hi, Hello } hi;
+
 %}
diff --git a/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/cpp_enum_runme.py b/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/cpp_enum_runme.py
index 347d9237e..0054ae281 100644
--- a/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/cpp_enum_runme.py
+++ b/SWIG/Examples/test-suite/python/cpp_enum_runme.py
@@ -16,3 +16,8 @@ f.hola = f.Hello
 if f.hola != f.Hello:
   print f.hola
   raise RuntimeError
+
+cpp_enum.cvar.hi = cpp_enum.Hello
+if cpp_enum.cvar.hi != cpp_enum.Hello:
+  print cpp_enum.cvar.hi
+  raise RuntimeError
diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/pyenum.swg b/SWIG/Lib/python/pyenum.swg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f90366e23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/pyenum.swg
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Enums 
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+%apply int { enum SWIGTYPE };
+
+%typemap(varin,fragment=SWIG_AsVal_frag(int)) enum SWIGTYPE
+{
+  if (sizeof(int) != sizeof($1)) {
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "enum variable '$name' can not be set");
+    return 1;
+  }  
+  if (!SWIG_AsVal(int)($input, (int*)(void*)&($1))) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+}
+
+
+/* this doesn't work now, you need to redefined it for each enum. */
+%apply const int& { const enum SWIGTYPE& };
+
+
diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/python.swg b/SWIG/Lib/python/python.swg
index 93e1ea7d5..0ab994252 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/python/python.swg
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/python.swg
@@ -41,14 +41,7 @@
 %include "pyptrtypes.swg"
 %include "pyprimtypes.swg"
 %include "pymisctypes.swg"
-
-/* ------------------------------------------------------------
- *  Enums 
- * ------------------------------------------------------------ */
-%apply int { enum SWIGTYPE };
-/* this doesn't work now, you need to redefined it for each enum. */
-%apply const int& { const enum SWIGTYPE& };
-
+%include "pyenum.swg"
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------
  *  Overloaded operator support