diff --git a/include/boost/graph/detail/bitset.hpp b/include/boost/graph/detail/bitset.hpp
index eebadcee..588ae656 100644
--- a/include/boost/graph/detail/bitset.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/graph/detail/bitset.hpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <string>
 #include <boost/pending/ct_if.hpp>
+#include <boost/graph/detail/bitset_adaptor.hpp>
 
 // This provides versions of std::bitset with both static and dynamic size.
 
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@ namespace boost {
     //=========================================================================
     template <class WordTraits, class SizeType, class Derived>
     class bitset_base
+      : public bitset_adaptor< SizeType, 
+                               bitset_base<WordTraits, SizeType, Derived> >
     {
       //    private:
     public:
@@ -314,6 +317,12 @@ namespace boost {
         return static_cast<Derived&>(*this);
       }
 
+      // this wasn't working, why?
+      int compare_3way(const Derived& x) const {
+        return std::lexicographical_compare_3way
+          (data(), data() + num_words(), x.data(), x.data() + x.num_words());
+      }
+
       // less-than compare
       bool operator<(const Derived& x) const {
         return std::lexicographical_compare
@@ -380,6 +389,14 @@ namespace boost {
       return result;
     }
 
+    template <class W, class S, class D>
+    inline int compare_3way(const bitset_base<W,S,D>& x,
+			    const bitset_base<W,S,D>& y) {
+      return std::lexicographical_compare_3way
+	(x.data(), x.data() + x.num_words(), 
+	 y.data(), y.data() + y.num_words());
+    }
+
 
     template <class W, class S, class D>
     std::istream&
@@ -468,7 +485,7 @@ namespace boost {
         (const basic_string<CharT,Traits,Alloc>& s,
          std::size_t pos = 0,
          std::size_t n = size_t(basic_string<CharT,Traits,Alloc>::npos),
-	 const Allocator& alloc = Allocator())
+         const Allocator& alloc = Allocator())
         : m_data(alloc.allocate((n + word_size - 1) / word_size)), 
           m_size(n), m_num_words((n + word_size - 1) / word_size),
           m_alloc(alloc)
@@ -480,8 +497,8 @@ namespace boost {
       template <typename InputIterator>
       explicit dyn_size_bitset
         (InputIterator first, InputIterator last,
-	 size_type n,  // size of the set's "universe"
-	 const Allocator& alloc = Allocator())
+         size_type n,  // size of the set's "universe"
+         const Allocator& alloc = Allocator())
         : m_data(alloc.allocate((n + word_size - 1) / word_size)), 
           m_size(N), m_num_words((n + word_size - 1) / word_size),
           m_alloc(alloc)
diff --git a/include/boost/graph/detail/bitset_adaptor.hpp b/include/boost/graph/detail/bitset_adaptor.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84cba947
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/boost/graph/detail/bitset_adaptor.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#ifndef BOOST_BITSET_ADAPTOR_HPP
+#define BOOST_BITSET_ADAPTOR_HPP
+
+    template <class T, class Derived>
+    struct bitset_adaptor {
+      Derived& derived() { return static_cast<Derived&>(*this); }
+      const Derived& derived() const { 
+        return static_cast<const Derived&>(*this); 
+      }
+    };
+
+    template <class T, class D, class V>
+    bool set_contains(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& s, const V& x) {
+      return s.derived().test(x);
+    }
+    
+    template <class T, class D>
+    bool set_equal(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x,
+                   const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& y) {
+      return x.derived() == y.derived();
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D>
+    int set_lex_order(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x,
+                      const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& y) {
+      return compare_3way(x.derived(), y.derived());
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D>
+    void set_clear(bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x) {
+      x.derived().reset();
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D>
+    bool set_empty(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x) {
+      return x.derived().none();
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D, class V>
+    void set_insert(bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x, const V& a) {
+      x.derived().set(a);
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D, class V>
+    void set_remove(bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x, const V& a) {
+      x.derived().set(a, false);
+    }
+    
+    template <class T, class D>    
+    void set_intersect(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x,
+                       const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& y,
+                       bitset_adaptor<T,D>& z)
+    {
+      z.derived() = x.derived() & y.derived();
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D>    
+    void set_union(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x,
+                   const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& y,
+                   bitset_adaptor<T,D>& z)
+    {
+      z.derived() = x.derived() | y.derived();
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D>    
+    void set_difference(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x,
+                        const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& y,
+                        bitset_adaptor<T,D>& z)
+    {
+      z.derived() = x.derived() - y.derived();
+    }
+
+    template <class T, class D>    
+    void set_compliment(const bitset_adaptor<T,D>& x,
+                        bitset_adaptor<T,D>& z)
+    {
+      z.derived() = x.derived();
+      z.derived().flip();
+    }
+    
+#endif // BOOST_BITSET_ADAPTOR_HPP
diff --git a/include/boost/graph/detail/set_adaptor.hpp b/include/boost/graph/detail/set_adaptor.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f6d2491b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/boost/graph/detail/set_adaptor.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#ifndef BOOST_SET_ADAPTOR_HPP
+#define BOOST_SET_ADAPTOR_HPP
+
+#include <set>
+
+    template <class K, class C, class A, class T>
+    bool set_contains(const std::set<K,C,A>& s, const T& x) {
+      return s.find(x) != s.end();
+    }
+    
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    bool set_equal(const std::set<K,C,A>& x,
+                   const std::set<K,C,A>& y)
+    {
+      return x == y;
+    }
+
+    // Not the same as lexicographical_compare_3way applied to std::set.
+    // this is equivalent semantically to bitset::operator<()
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    int set_lex_order(const std::set<K,C,A>& x,
+                      const std::set<K,C,A>& y)
+    {
+      typename std::set<K,C,A>::iterator
+	xi = x.begin(), yi = y.begin(), xend = x.end(), yend = y.end();
+      for (; xi != xend && yi != yend; ++xi, ++yi) {
+	if (*xi < *yi)
+	  return 1;
+	else if (*yi < *xi)
+	  return -1;
+      }
+      if (xi == xend)
+	return (yi == yend) ? 0 : -1;
+      else
+	return 1;
+    }
+
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    void set_clear(std::set<K,C,A>& x) {
+      x.clear();
+    }
+
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    bool set_empty(const std::set<K,C,A>& x) {
+      return x.empty();
+    }
+
+    template <class K, class C, class A, class T>
+    void set_insert(std::set<K,C,A>& x, const T& a) {
+      x.insert(a);
+    }
+
+    template <class K, class C, class A, class T>
+    void set_remove(std::set<K,C,A>& x, const T& a) {
+      x.remove(a);
+    }
+    
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    void set_intersect(const std::set<K,C,A>& x,
+                       const std::set<K,C,A>& y,
+                       std::set<K,C,A>& z)
+    {
+      z.clear();
+      std::set_intersection(x.begin(), x.end(),
+			    y.begin(), y.end(),
+			    std::inserter(z));
+    }
+
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    void set_union(const std::set<K,C,A>& x,
+                   const std::set<K,C,A>& y,
+                   std::set<K,C,A>& z)
+    {
+      z.clear();
+      std::set_union(x.begin(), x.end(),
+		     y.begin(), y.end(),
+		     std::inserter(z));
+    }
+
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    void set_difference(const std::set<K,C,A>& x,
+                        const std::set<K,C,A>& y,
+                        std::set<K,C,A>& z)
+    {
+      z.clear();
+      std::set_difference(x.begin(), x.end(),
+			  y.begin(), y.end(),
+			  std::inserter(z));
+    }
+
+    // Shit, can't implement this without knowing the size of the
+    // universe.
+    template <class K, class C, class A>
+    void set_compliment(const std::set<K,C,A>& x,
+                        std::set<K,C,A>& z)
+    {
+      z.clear();
+      
+    }
+    
+    
+
+#endif // BOOST_SET_ADAPTOR_HPP