diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/extend_variable.i b/Examples/test-suite/extend_variable.i
index a58031399..0d24e6d33 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/extend_variable.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/extend_variable.i
@@ -33,3 +33,19 @@ double ExtendMe_ExtendVar_get(ExtendMe *thisptr) {
   return value;
 }
 %}
+
+
+%{
+  class Foo 
+  {
+  };
+%}
+
+
+class Foo {
+  public:
+    %extend {
+        static const int Bar = 42;
+    }
+}; 
+  
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/extend_variable_runme.py b/Examples/test-suite/python/extend_variable_runme.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a6628cac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/extend_variable_runme.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+from extend_variable import *
+
+if Foo.Bar != 42:
+    raise RuntimeError
diff --git a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
index 92ba9b579..5c2289dcf 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
@@ -1371,14 +1371,33 @@ Language::staticmembervariableHandler(Node *n)
               static const int x = 3;
           };
 
-	  Some discussion of this in section 9.4 of the C++ draft standard. */
+	  Some discussion of this in section 9.4 of the C++ draft standard.
+
+      Also, we have to manage the case:
+
+          class Foo {
+          public:
+              %extend {
+                  static const int x = 3;
+              }
+          };
+
+      in which there's no actual Foo::x variable to refer to. In this case,
+      the best we can do is to wrap the given value verbatim.
+ */
 
 
     String *name    = Getattr(n,"name");
     String *cname   = NewStringf("%s::%s", classname,name);
-    String* value   = SwigType_namestr(cname);
-    Setattr(n, "value", value);
-    
+    if (Getattr(n,"feature:extend")) {
+        /* the variable is a synthesized one.
+           There's nothing we can do; we just keep the given value */
+    } else {
+        /* we refer to the value as Foo::x */
+        String* value   = SwigType_namestr(cname);
+        Setattr(n, "value", value);
+    }
+
     SwigType *t1    = SwigType_typedef_resolve_all(Getattr(n,"type"));
     SwigType *t2    = SwigType_strip_qualifiers(t1);
     Setattr(n, "type", t2);