diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_string.i b/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_string.i
index 9c32a47f1..3f4f6a7ca 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_string.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/li_std_string.i
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 %module li_std_string
+
+%naturalvar;
+
+
 %include <std_basic_string.i>
 %include <std_string.i>
 
+
 %inline %{
 
 struct A : std::string 
diff --git a/Lib/std/std_basic_string.i b/Lib/std/std_basic_string.i
index 2dc3cdb4b..7b0898a3e 100644
--- a/Lib/std/std_basic_string.i
+++ b/Lib/std/std_basic_string.i
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
 #include <string>
 %}
 
+namespace std
+{
+  %naturalvar basic_string;
+}
+
 
 namespace std {
 
diff --git a/Lib/std/std_string.i b/Lib/std/std_string.i
index a3a3ae4f4..35fcdd16c 100644
--- a/Lib/std/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/std/std_string.i
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 namespace std
 {
   %std_comp_methods(basic_string<char>);
+  %naturalvar string;
   typedef basic_string<char> string;
 }
 
diff --git a/Lib/std/std_wstring.i b/Lib/std/std_wstring.i
index ff06aa8bf..e54d21200 100644
--- a/Lib/std/std_wstring.i
+++ b/Lib/std/std_wstring.i
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 namespace std
 {
   %std_comp_methods(basic_string<wchar_t>);
+  %naturalvar wstring;
   typedef basic_string<wchar_t> wstring;
 }
 
diff --git a/Lib/typemaps/std_string.swg b/Lib/typemaps/std_string.swg
index ec44d39c5..691bf2ccf 100644
--- a/Lib/typemaps/std_string.swg
+++ b/Lib/typemaps/std_string.swg
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 //
 // String
 //
+
+
 #ifndef SWIG_STD_BASIC_STRING
 #define SWIG_STD_STRING
 
@@ -12,6 +14,7 @@
   
 namespace std
 {
+  %naturalvar string;
   class string;
 }
 
diff --git a/Lib/typemaps/std_wstring.swg b/Lib/typemaps/std_wstring.swg
index 6dcf59976..670685fca 100644
--- a/Lib/typemaps/std_wstring.swg
+++ b/Lib/typemaps/std_wstring.swg
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 namespace std
 {
+  %naturalvar wstring;
   class wstring;
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
index 0aa72ffac..5c6a7062a 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/lang.cxx
@@ -386,14 +386,12 @@ int use_naturalvar_mode(Node *n) {
     /* look for feature in the class */
     SwigType *ty = Getattr(n,"type");
     if (SwigType_isclass(ty)) {
-      SwigType *rty = SwigType_typedef_resolve_all(ty);
-      SwigType *qty = SwigType_typedef_qualified(rty);
-      Node *cn = classhash ? Getattr(classhash,qty) : 0;
-      if (cn) {
-	nvar = GetFlag(cn,"feature:naturalvar");
-      }
-      Delete(rty);
-      Delete(qty);
+      Node *m = Copy(n);
+      SwigType *tys = SwigType_strip_qualifiers(ty);
+      Swig_features_get(Swig_cparse_features(), 0, tys, 0, m);
+      nvar = GetFlag(m,"feature:naturalvar");      
+      Delete(tys);
+      Delete(m);
     }
   }
   return nvar ? CWRAP_NATURAL_VAR : 0;