diff --git a/Lib/python/std_multimap.i b/Lib/python/std_multimap.i
index 3209fb0f8..21c84b009 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_multimap.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_multimap.i
@@ -68,7 +68,17 @@
 
 %define %swig_multimap_methods(Type...) 
   %swig_map_common(Type);
+
+#if defined(SWIGPYTHON_BUILTIN)
+  %feature("python:slot", "mp_ass_subscript", functype="objobjargproc") __setitem__;
+#endif
+
   %extend {
+    // This will be called through the mp_ass_subscript slot to delete an entry.
+    void __setitem__(const key_type& key) {
+      self->erase(key);
+    }
+
     void __setitem__(const key_type& key, const mapped_type& x) throw (std::out_of_range) {
       self->insert(Type::value_type(key,x));
     }
diff --git a/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i b/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i
index 6bd34077b..53f6aa283 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_unordered_map.i
@@ -226,7 +226,17 @@
 
 %define %swig_unordered_map_methods(Map...)
   %swig_unordered_map_common(Map)
+
+#if defined(SWIGPYTHON_BUILTIN)
+  %feature("python:slot", "mp_ass_subscript", functype="objobjargproc") __setitem__;
+#endif
+
   %extend {
+    // This will be called through the mp_ass_subscript slot to delete an entry.
+    void __setitem__(const key_type& key) {
+      self->erase(key);
+    }
+
     void __setitem__(const key_type& key, const mapped_type& x) throw (std::out_of_range) {
       (*self)[key] = x;
     }
diff --git a/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i b/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i
index 312b29e61..4dbc2a4dd 100644
--- a/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i
+++ b/Lib/python/std_unordered_multimap.i
@@ -75,7 +75,17 @@
 
 %define %swig_unordered_multimap_methods(Type...) 
   %swig_unordered_map_common(Type);
+
+#if defined(SWIGPYTHON_BUILTIN)
+  %feature("python:slot", "mp_ass_subscript", functype="objobjargproc") __setitem__;
+#endif
+
   %extend {
+    // This will be called through the mp_ass_subscript slot to delete an entry.
+    void __setitem__(const key_type& key) {
+      self->erase(key);
+    }
+
     void __setitem__(const key_type& key, const mapped_type& x) throw (std::out_of_range) {
       self->insert(Type::value_type(key,x));
     }