diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_set_runme.rb b/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_set_runme.rb
index 4acd208be..5254a5752 100755
--- a/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_set_runme.rb
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_set_runme.rb
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ s = LanguageSet.new
 s.insert([1,2])
 s.insert(1)
 s.insert("hello")
-s.to_a == [1,'hello',[1,2]]
+s.to_a == [1,[1,2],'hello']  # sort order: s.sort {|a,b| a.hash <=> b.hash}
 
 EOF
 
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_vector_runme.rb b/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_vector_runme.rb
index bf7789973..797448236 100755
--- a/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_vector_runme.rb
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/ruby/li_std_vector_runme.rb
@@ -93,5 +93,8 @@ halve_in_place(dv)
 halved == dv.to_a
 sv = StructVector.new
 sv << Li_std_vector::Struct.new
+sv[0].class == Li_std_vector::Struct
+sv[1] = Li_std_vector::Struct.new
+
 EOF
 
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/rubyclasses.swg b/Lib/ruby/rubyclasses.swg
index 3aa6b7c34..704edf3b7 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/rubyclasses.swg
+++ b/Lib/ruby/rubyclasses.swg
@@ -135,6 +135,13 @@ namespace std {
     static ID  cmp_id;
     static ID hash_id;
 
+
+    static VALUE swig_protect_funcall( VALUE p )
+    {
+      swig::GC_VALUE* args = (swig::GC_VALUE*) p;
+      return rb_funcall(VALUE(args[0]), cmp_id, 1, VALUE(args[1]));
+    }
+
     bool
     operator()( const swig::GC_VALUE& v, const swig::GC_VALUE& w ) const
     { 
@@ -145,7 +152,10 @@ namespace std {
       // First, try to compare using the <=> operator if present
       if ( rb_respond_to( v, cmp_id ) == Qtrue )
 	{
-	  ret = rb_funcall(VALUE(v), cmp_id, 1, VALUE(w));
+	  int status;
+	  swig::GC_VALUE args[] = { v, w };
+	  ret = rb_protect( PROTECTFUNC(swig_protect_funcall), VALUE(args), 
+			    &status );
 	}
 
       bool res;
diff --git a/Lib/ruby/rubycontainer.swg b/Lib/ruby/rubycontainer.swg
index 670f4e69e..b8c4686ea 100644
--- a/Lib/ruby/rubycontainer.swg
+++ b/Lib/ruby/rubycontainer.swg
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ namespace swig
 
 	VALUE r = Qnil;
 	try {
-	  r = swig::from< Sequence >( *(swig::getslice(self, i, j)) );
+	  r = swig::from< const Sequence* >( swig::getslice(self, i, j) );
 	}
 	catch( std::out_of_range )
 	  {
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ namespace swig
 
       VALUE r = Qnil;
       try {
-	r = swig::from< Sequence >( *(swig::getslice(self, i, j)) );
+	r = swig::from< const Sequence* >( swig::getslice(self, i, j) );
       }
       catch( std::out_of_range )
 	{
@@ -792,26 +792,51 @@ namespace swig
       if ( noend ) e -= 1;
       if ( e >= len ) e = len - 1;
 
-      return swig::from< Sequence >( *(swig::getslice(self, s, e+1)) );
+      return swig::from< Sequence* >( swig::getslice(self, s, e+1) );
     }
 
-    VALUE __setitem__(difference_type i, const value_type& x) throw (std::out_of_range) {
-      *(swig::getpos(self,i)) = x;
-      return swig::from< Sequence::value_type >( x );
-    }
+    VALUE __setitem__(difference_type i, const value_type& x)
+      {
+	std::size_t len = $self->size();
+	if ( i < 0 ) i = len - i;
+	else if ( i >= len )
+	  $self->resize( i+1, x );
+	else
+	  *(swig::getpos(self,i)) = x;
+
+	return swig::from< Sequence::value_type >( x );
+      }
 
     VALUE __setitem__(difference_type i, difference_type j, const Sequence& v) 
-      throw (std::out_of_range, std::invalid_argument) {
+      throw (std::invalid_argument) {
 
       if ( j <= 0 ) return Qnil;
       std::size_t len = $self->size();
       if ( i < 0 ) i = len - i;
-      j += i; if ( j >= len ) j = len-1;
+      j += i; 
+      if ( j >= len ) {
+	$self->resize( j+1, *(v.begin()) );
+	j = len-1;
+      }
 
+      VALUE r = Qnil;
+      swig::setslice(self, i, j, v);
+      r = swig::from< const Sequence* >( &v );
+      return r;
+    }
+
+ }
+%enddef
+
+// ..I don't think %swig_sequence_methods_val are really used at all anymore...
+%define %swig_sequence_methods_val(Sequence...)
+  %swig_sequence_methods_common(%arg(Sequence))
+  %extend {
+
+  VALUE __getitem__(difference_type i) {
       VALUE r = Qnil;
       try {
-	swig::setslice(self, i, j, v);
-	r = swig::from< const Sequence* >( &v );
+	r = swig::from< Sequence::value_type >( *(swig::cgetpos(self, i)) );
       }
       catch( std::out_of_range )
 	{
@@ -819,19 +844,13 @@ namespace swig
       return r;
     }
 
- }
-%enddef
-
-%define %swig_sequence_methods_val(Sequence...)
-  %swig_sequence_methods_common(%arg(Sequence))
-  %extend {
-
-    value_type __getitem__(difference_type i) throw (std::out_of_range) {
-      return *(swig::cgetpos(self, i));
-    }
-
-    void __setitem__(difference_type i, value_type x) throw (std::out_of_range) {
-      *(swig::getpos(self,i)) = x;
+    VALUE __setitem__(difference_type i, value_type x) {
+      std::size_t len = $self->size();
+      if ( i < 0 ) i = len - i;
+      else if ( i >= len )
+	$self->resize( i+1, x );
+      else *(swig::getpos(self,i)) = x;
+      return swig::from< Sequence::value_type >( x );
     }
  }
 %enddef