diff --git a/include/boost/python/object_core.hpp b/include/boost/python/object_core.hpp
index 0342ef2e..5857422f 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/object_core.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/object_core.hpp
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ namespace api
       const_object_objattribute attr(object const&) const;
       object_objattribute attr(object const&);
 
+      // Wrap 'in' operator (aka. __contains__)
+      template <class T>
+      object contains(T const& key) const;
+      
       // item access
       //
       const_object_item operator[](object_cref) const;
@@ -483,6 +487,15 @@ object api::object_operators<U>::operator()(detail::args_proxy const &args,
  
 }  
 
+
+template <typename U>
+template <class T>
+object api::object_operators<U>::contains(T const& key) const
+{
+    return this->attr("__contains__")(object(key));
+}
+
+
 inline object::object()
     : object_base(python::incref(Py_None))
 {}
diff --git a/src/dict.cpp b/src/dict.cpp
index 441b0257..77d840d4 100644
--- a/src/dict.cpp
+++ b/src/dict.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ object dict_base::get(object_cref k, object_cref d) const
 
 bool dict_base::has_key(object_cref k) const
 {
-    return extract<bool>(this->attr("has_key")(k)); 
+    return extract<bool>(this->contains(k)); 
 }
 
 list dict_base::items() const