diff --git a/CHANGES.current b/CHANGES.current
index b9363f7d8..c81bdebde 100644
--- a/CHANGES.current
+++ b/CHANGES.current
@@ -7,6 +7,41 @@ the issue number to the end of the URL: https://github.com/swig/swig/issues/
 Version 4.0.0 (in progress)
 ===========================
 
+2019-01-16: wsfulton
+            Python static method wrapper changes
+
+            - Static method wrappers were using the 'fastproxy' approach by default.
+              This is inconsistent with instance method wrappers. The fastproxy approach
+              is now turned off by default to be consistent with instance methods.
+              Static method wrappers can now also be controlled using the -fastproxy and
+              -olddefs options.
+
+              Example:
+
+                struct Klass {
+                  static int statmethod(int a = 2);
+                };
+
+              generates by default:
+
+              class Klass(object):
+                  ...
+                  @staticmethod
+                  def statmethod(a=2):
+                      return _example.Klass_statmethod(a)
+
+              instead of the following (which can be restored by using -fastproxy):
+
+                class Klass(object):
+                  ...
+                  statmethod = staticmethod(_example.Klass_statmethod)
+
+
+- Modernise wrappers for static methods to use decorator syntax - @staticmethod.
+
+- Add missing runtime test for static class methods and using the actual class method.
+
+
 2019-01-12: ZackerySpytz
             [OCaml] #1403 #1194 Fix compilation problems for OCaml >= 4.03.0 due to OCaml using
             int64_t instead of int64.
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/callback_runme.py b/Examples/test-suite/python/callback_runme.py
index ef7baad4e..91518fbf2 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/python/callback_runme.py
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/callback_runme.py
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ if foobar(3, _callback.foo) != foo(3):
 if foobar(3, foo) != foo(3):
     raise RuntimeError
 
+if foobar(3, A.bar) != A.bar(3):
+    raise RuntimeError
+
 if foobar(3, A_bar) != A_bar(3):
     raise RuntimeError
 
diff --git a/Source/Modules/python.cxx b/Source/Modules/python.cxx
index 83858d44c..d3d157ddf 100755
--- a/Source/Modules/python.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/python.cxx
@@ -4637,10 +4637,12 @@ public:
     }
 
     if (shadow) {
-      if (!Getattr(n, "feature:python:callback") && have_addtofunc(n)) {
+      bool fast = (fastproxy && !have_addtofunc(n)) || Getattr(n, "feature:callback");
+      if (!fast || olddefs) {
 	int kw = (check_kwargs(n) && !Getattr(n, "sym:overloaded")) ? 1 : 0;
 	String *parms = make_pyParmList(n, false, false, kw);
 	String *callParms = make_pyParmList(n, false, true, kw);
+	Printv(f_shadow, "\n", tab4, "@staticmethod", NIL);
 	Printv(f_shadow, "\n", tab4, "def ", symname, "(", parms, ")", returnTypeAnnotation(n), ":\n", NIL);
 	if (have_docstring(n))
 	  Printv(f_shadow, tab8, docstring(n, AUTODOC_STATICFUNC, tab8), "\n", NIL);
@@ -4649,12 +4651,14 @@ public:
 	if (have_pythonappend(n)) {
 	  Printv(f_shadow, tab8, "val = ", funcCall(Swig_name_member(NSPACE_TODO, class_name, symname), callParms), "\n", NIL);
 	  Printv(f_shadow, indent_pythoncode(pythonappend(n), tab8, Getfile(n), Getline(n), "%pythonappend or %feature(\"pythonappend\")"), "\n", NIL);
-	  Printv(f_shadow, tab8, "return val\n\n", NIL);
+	  Printv(f_shadow, tab8, "return val\n", NIL);
 	} else {
-	  Printv(f_shadow, tab8, "return ", funcCall(Swig_name_member(NSPACE_TODO, class_name, symname), callParms), "\n\n", NIL);
+	  Printv(f_shadow, tab8, "return ", funcCall(Swig_name_member(NSPACE_TODO, class_name, symname), callParms), "\n", NIL);
 	}
-	Printv(f_shadow, tab4, symname, " = staticmethod(", symname, ")\n", NIL);
-      } else {
+      }
+
+      // Below may result in a 2nd definition of the method when -olddefs is used. The Python interpreter will use the second definition as it overwrites the first.
+      if (fast) {
 	Printv(f_shadow, tab4, symname, " = staticmethod(", module, ".", Swig_name_member(NSPACE_TODO, class_name, symname),
 	       ")\n", NIL);
       }