diff --git a/include/boost/iostreams/filter/bzip2.hpp b/include/boost/iostreams/filter/bzip2.hpp
index 19804eb..caefbe4 100755
--- a/include/boost/iostreams/filter/bzip2.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/iostreams/filter/bzip2.hpp
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 
 // See http://www.boost.org/libs/iostreams for documentation.
 
+// Note: custom allocators are not supported on VC6, since that compiler
+// had trouble finding the function zlib_base::do_init.
+
 #ifndef BOOST_IOSTREAMS_BZIP2_HPP_INCLUDED
 #define BOOST_IOSTREAMS_BZIP2_HPP_INCLUDED
 
@@ -18,8 +21,9 @@
 #include <boost/detail/workaround.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/constants.hpp>   // buffer size.
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/auto_link.hpp>
-#include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/dyn_link.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/bzip2.hpp>
+#include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/dyn_link.hpp>
+#include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/wide_streams.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/ios.hpp>  // failure, streamsize.
 #include <boost/iostreams/filter/symmetric_filter_adapter.hpp>               
 #include <boost/iostreams/pipable.hpp>       
@@ -104,7 +108,7 @@ struct bzip2_params {
 // Description: Subclass of std::ios_base::failure thrown to indicate
 //     bzip2 errors other than out-of-memory conditions.
 //
-class BOOST_IOSTREAMS_DECL bzip2_error : public detail::failure {
+class BOOST_IOSTREAMS_DECL bzip2_error : public BOOST_IOSTREAMS_FAILURE {
 public:
     explicit bzip2_error(int error);
     int error() const { return error_; }
@@ -134,8 +138,8 @@ public:
     BOOST_STATIC_CONSTANT(bool, custom = 
         (!is_same<std::allocator<char>, Base>::value));
     typedef typename bzip2_allocator_traits<Alloc>::type allocator_type;
-    static void* alloc(void* self, int items, int size);
-    static void free(void* self, void* address);
+    static void* allocate(void* self, int items, int size);
+    static void deallocate(void* self, void* address);
 };
 
 class BOOST_IOSTREAMS_DECL bzip2_base  { 
@@ -152,8 +156,10 @@ protected:
         {
             bool custom = bzip2_allocator<Alloc>::custom;
             do_init( compress,
-                     custom ? bzip2_allocator<Alloc>::alloc : 0,
-                     custom ? bzip2_allocator<Alloc>::free : 0,
+                     #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+                         custom ? bzip2_allocator<Alloc>::allocate : 0,
+                         custom ? bzip2_allocator<Alloc>::deallocate : 0,
+                     #endif
                      custom ? &alloc : 0 );
         }
     void before( const char*& src_begin, const char* src_end,
@@ -163,8 +169,12 @@ protected:
     int decompress();
     void end(bool compress);
 private:
-    void do_init( bool compress, bzip2::alloc_func, 
-                  bzip2::free_func, void* derived );
+    void do_init( bool compress, 
+                  #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+                      bzip2::alloc_func, 
+                      bzip2::free_func, 
+                  #endif
+                  void* derived );
     bzip2_params  params_;
     void*         stream_; // Actual type: bz_stream*.
     bool          ready_;
@@ -271,7 +281,7 @@ typedef basic_bzip2_decompressor<> bzip2_decompressor;
 namespace detail {
 
 template<typename Alloc, typename Base>
-void* bzip2_allocator<Alloc, Base>::alloc(void* self, int items, int size)
+void* bzip2_allocator<Alloc, Base>::allocate(void* self, int items, int size)
 { 
     size_type len = items * size;
     char* ptr = 
@@ -286,7 +296,7 @@ void* bzip2_allocator<Alloc, Base>::alloc(void* self, int items, int size)
 }
 
 template<typename Alloc, typename Base>
-void bzip2_allocator<Alloc, Base>::free(void* self, void* address)
+void bzip2_allocator<Alloc, Base>::deallocate(void* self, void* address)
 { 
     char* ptr = reinterpret_cast<char*>(address) - sizeof(size_type);
     size_type len = *reinterpret_cast<size_type*>(ptr) + sizeof(size_type);
diff --git a/include/boost/iostreams/filter/gzip.hpp b/include/boost/iostreams/filter/gzip.hpp
index af3013f..f3813de 100755
--- a/include/boost/iostreams/filter/gzip.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/iostreams/filter/gzip.hpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/char_traits.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/ios.hpp> // failure.
 #include <boost/iostreams/operations.hpp>
+#include <boost/iostreams/device/back_inserter.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/filter/zlib.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/pipable.hpp>      
 #include <boost/iostreams/streambuf_facade.hpp>      
@@ -142,13 +143,13 @@ struct gzip_params : zlib_params {
 // Description: Subclass of std::ios_base::failure thrown to indicate
 //     zlib errors other than out-of-memory conditions.
 //
-class gzip_error : public detail::failure {
+class gzip_error : public BOOST_IOSTREAMS_FAILURE {
 public:
     explicit gzip_error(int error)
-        : detail::failure("gzip error"),
+        : BOOST_IOSTREAMS_FAILURE("gzip error"),
           error_(error), zlib_error_code_(zlib::okay) { }
     explicit gzip_error(const zlib_error& e)
-        : detail::failure("gzip error"),
+        : BOOST_IOSTREAMS_FAILURE("gzip error"),
           error_(gzip::zlib_error), zlib_error_code_(e.error())
         { }
     int error() const { return error_; }
@@ -246,8 +247,9 @@ private:
 
     void prepare_footer()
         {
-            write_long(this->crc(), footer_);
-            write_long(this->total_in(), footer_);
+            boost::iostreams::back_insert_device<std::string> out(footer_);
+            write_long(this->crc(), out);
+            write_long(this->total_in(), out);
             flags_ |= f_body_done;
             offset_ = 0;
         }
@@ -270,13 +272,13 @@ private:
             return amt;
         }
 
-    static void write_long(long n, std::string& str)
-        {
-            str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & n);
-            str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & (n >> 8));
-            str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & (n >> 16));
-            str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & (n >> 24));
-        }
+    //static void write_long(long n, std::string& str)
+    //    {
+    //        str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & n);
+    //        str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & (n >> 8));
+    //        str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & (n >> 16));
+    //        str += static_cast<char>(0xFF & (n >> 24));
+    //    }
 
     template<typename Sink>
     static void write_long(long n, Sink& next)
diff --git a/include/boost/iostreams/filter/zlib.hpp b/include/boost/iostreams/filter/zlib.hpp
index 50a4770..c6b684f 100755
--- a/include/boost/iostreams/filter/zlib.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/iostreams/filter/zlib.hpp
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 
 // See http://www.boost.org/libs/iostreams for documentation.
 
+// Note: custom allocators are not supported on VC6, since that compiler
+// had trouble finding the function zlib_base::do_init.
+
 #ifndef BOOST_IOSTREAMS_ZLIB_HPP_INCLUDED
 #define BOOST_IOSTREAMS_ZLIB_HPP_INCLUDED
 
@@ -16,9 +19,11 @@
 #include <memory>            // allocator, bad_alloc.
 #include <new>          
 #include <boost/config.hpp>  // MSVC, STATIC_CONSTANT, DEDUCED_TYPENAME, DINKUM.
+#include <boost/detail/workaround.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/constants.hpp>   // buffer size.
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/auto_link.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/dyn_link.hpp>
+#include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/wide_streams.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/config/zlib.hpp>
 #include <boost/iostreams/detail/ios.hpp>  // failure, streamsize.
 #include <boost/iostreams/filter/symmetric_filter_adapter.hpp>                
@@ -125,7 +130,7 @@ struct zlib_params {
 // Description: Subclass of std::ios::failure thrown to indicate
 //     zlib errors other than out-of-memory conditions.
 //
-class BOOST_IOSTREAMS_DECL zlib_error : public detail::failure {
+class BOOST_IOSTREAMS_DECL zlib_error : public BOOST_IOSTREAMS_FAILURE {
 public:
     explicit zlib_error(int error);
     int error() const { return error_; }
@@ -155,8 +160,8 @@ public:
     BOOST_STATIC_CONSTANT(bool, custom = 
         (!is_same<std::allocator<char>, Base>::value));
     typedef typename zlib_allocator_traits<Alloc>::type allocator_type;
-    static void* alloc(void* self, zlib::uint items, zlib::uint size);
-    static void free(void* self, void* address);
+    static void* allocate(void* self, zlib::uint items, zlib::uint size);
+    static void deallocate(void* self, void* address);
 };
 
 class BOOST_IOSTREAMS_DECL zlib_base { 
@@ -169,13 +174,15 @@ protected:
     template<typename Alloc> 
     void init( const zlib_params& p, 
                bool compress,
-               zlib_allocator<Alloc>& alloc )
+               zlib_allocator<Alloc>& zalloc )
         {
             bool custom = zlib_allocator<Alloc>::custom;
             do_init( p, compress,
-                     custom ? zlib_allocator<Alloc>::alloc : 0,
-                     custom ? zlib_allocator<Alloc>::free : 0,
-                     &alloc );
+                     #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+                         custom ? zlib_allocator<Alloc>::allocate : 0,
+                         custom ? zlib_allocator<Alloc>::deallocate : 0,
+                     #endif
+                     &zalloc );
         }
     void before( const char*& src_begin, const char* src_end,
                  char*& dest_begin, char* dest_end );
@@ -189,8 +196,12 @@ public:
     int total_in() const { return total_in_; }
     int total_out() const { return total_out_; }
 private:
-    void do_init( const zlib_params& p, bool compress, zlib::alloc_func, 
-                  zlib::free_func, void* derived );
+    void do_init( const zlib_params& p, bool compress, 
+                  #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+                      zlib::alloc_func, 
+                      zlib::free_func, 
+                  #endif
+                  void* derived );
     void*        stream_;         // Actual type: z_stream*.
     bool         calculate_crc_;
     zlib::ulong  crc_;
@@ -290,7 +301,7 @@ typedef basic_zlib_decompressor<> zlib_decompressor;
 namespace detail {
 
 template<typename Alloc, typename Base>
-void* zlib_allocator<Alloc, Base>::alloc
+void* zlib_allocator<Alloc, Base>::allocate
     (void* self, zlib::uint items, zlib::uint size)
 { 
     size_type len = items * size;
@@ -306,7 +317,7 @@ void* zlib_allocator<Alloc, Base>::alloc
 }
 
 template<typename Alloc, typename Base>
-void zlib_allocator<Alloc, Base>::free(void* self, void* address)
+void zlib_allocator<Alloc, Base>::deallocate(void* self, void* address)
 { 
     char* ptr = reinterpret_cast<char*>(address) - sizeof(size_type);
     size_type len = *reinterpret_cast<size_type*>(ptr) + sizeof(size_type);
diff --git a/src/bzip2.cpp b/src/bzip2.cpp
index ee1be32..72e3da1 100755
--- a/src/bzip2.cpp
+++ b/src/bzip2.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,13 @@ const int run                  = BZ_RUN;
 //------------------Implementation of bzip2_error-----------------------------//
                     
 bzip2_error::bzip2_error(int error) 
-    : detail::failure("bzip2 error"), error_(error) { }
+#ifndef BOOST_IOSTREAMS_NO_STREAM_TEMPLATES
+        : std::ios_base::failure 
+    #else
+        : detail::failure 
+    #endif
+          ("bzip2 error"), error_(error) 
+    { }
 
 void bzip2_error::check(int error)
 {
@@ -110,12 +116,22 @@ int bzip2_base::decompress()
     return BZ2_bzDecompress(static_cast<bz_stream*>(stream_));
 }
 
-void bzip2_base::do_init( bool compress, bzip2::alloc_func alloc, 
-                          bzip2::free_func free, void* derived )
+void bzip2_base::do_init
+    ( bool compress, 
+      #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+          bzip2::alloc_func alloc, 
+          bzip2::free_func free, 
+      #endif
+      void* derived )
 {
     bz_stream* s = static_cast<bz_stream*>(stream_);
-    s->bzalloc = alloc;
-    s->bzfree = free;
+    #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+        s->bzalloc = alloc;
+        s->bzfree = free;
+    #else
+        s->bzalloc = 0;
+        s->bzfree = 0;
+    #endif
     s->opaque = derived;
     bzip2_error::check( 
         compress ?
diff --git a/src/zlib.cpp b/src/zlib.cpp
index 01490ea..53852e5 100755
--- a/src/zlib.cpp
+++ b/src/zlib.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ const int buf_error            = Z_BUF_ERROR;
 //------------------Implementation of zlib_error------------------------------//
                     
 zlib_error::zlib_error(int error) 
-    : detail::failure("zlib error"), error_(error) { }
+    : BOOST_IOSTREAMS_FAILURE("zlib error"), error_(error) 
+    { }
 
 void zlib_error::check(int error)
 {
@@ -132,14 +133,22 @@ void zlib_base::reset(bool compress)
     zlib_error::check(compress ? deflateReset(s) : inflateReset(s));
 }
 
-void zlib_base::do_init( const zlib_params& p, bool compress, 
-                         zlib::alloc_func alloc, zlib::free_func free, 
-                         void* derived )
+void zlib_base::do_init
+    ( const zlib_params& p, bool compress, 
+      #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+          zlib::alloc_func alloc, zlib::free_func free, 
+      #endif
+      void* derived )
 {
     calculate_crc_ = p.calculate_crc;
     z_stream* s = static_cast<z_stream*>(stream_);
-    s->zalloc = alloc;
-    s->zfree = free;
+    #if !BOOST_WORKAROUND(BOOST_MSVC, < 1300)
+        s->zalloc = alloc;
+        s->zfree = free;
+    #else
+        s->zalloc = 0;
+        s->zfree = 0;
+    #endif
     s->opaque = derived;
     int window_bits = p.noheader? -p.window_bits : p.window_bits;
     zlib_error::check(