diff --git a/doc/v2/reference.html b/doc/v2/reference.html
index 5c3a9366..61dca9c6 100644
--- a/doc/v2/reference.html
+++ b/doc/v2/reference.html
@@ -1094,6 +1094,16 @@
           </dd>
         </dl>
       </dd>
+
+      <dt><a href="ssize_t.html">ssize_t.hpp</a></dt>
+
+      <dd>
+        <dl class="index">
+          <dt><a href="ssize_t.html#typedefs">Typedefs</a></dt>
+
+          <dt><a href="ssize_t.html#constants">Constants</a></dt>
+        </dl>
+      </dd>
     </dl>
 
     <h2><a name="topics">Topics</a></h2>
diff --git a/include/boost/python/converter/builtin_converters.hpp b/include/boost/python/converter/builtin_converters.hpp
index 3ae45c37..dddb154c 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/converter/builtin_converters.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/converter/builtin_converters.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 # include <boost/python/detail/prefix.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/detail/none.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/handle.hpp>
+# include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 # include <boost/implicit_cast.hpp>
 # include <string>
 # include <complex>
@@ -115,9 +116,9 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(unsigned BOOST_PYTHON_LONG_LONG, ::PyLong_FromUn
 
 BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(char, converter::do_return_to_python(x))
 BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(char const*, converter::do_return_to_python(x))
-BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(std::string, ::PyString_FromStringAndSize(x.data(),implicit_cast<int>(x.size())))
+BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(std::string, ::PyString_FromStringAndSize(x.data(),implicit_cast<ssize_t>(x.size())))
 #if defined(Py_USING_UNICODE) && !defined(BOOST_NO_STD_WSTRING)
-BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(std::wstring, ::PyUnicode_FromWideChar(x.data(),implicit_cast<int>(x.size())))
+BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(std::wstring, ::PyUnicode_FromWideChar(x.data(),implicit_cast<ssize_t>(x.size())))
 # endif 
 BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(float, ::PyFloat_FromDouble(x))
 BOOST_PYTHON_TO_PYTHON_BY_VALUE(double, ::PyFloat_FromDouble(x))
diff --git a/include/boost/python/list.hpp b/include/boost/python/list.hpp
index 793cd08a..0f6d1e8e 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/list.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/list.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 # include <boost/python/object.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/converter/pytype_object_mgr_traits.hpp>
+# include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python { 
 
@@ -24,11 +25,11 @@ namespace detail
     
       long index(object_cref value) const; // return index of first occurrence of value
 
-      void insert(int index, object_cref); // insert object before index
+      void insert(ssize_t index, object_cref); // insert object before index
       void insert(object const& index, object_cref);
 
       object pop(); // remove and return item at index (default last)
-      object pop(long index);
+      object pop(ssize_t index);
       object pop(object const& index);
 
       void remove(object_cref value); // remove first occurrence of value
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ class list : public detail::list_base
     }
     
     template <class T>
-    void insert(int index, T const& x) // insert object before index
+    void insert(ssize_t index, T const& x) // insert object before index
     {
         base::insert(index, object(x));
     }
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ class list : public detail::list_base
     }
 
     object pop() { return base::pop(); }
-    object pop(long index) { return base::pop(index); }
+    object pop(ssize_t index) { return base::pop(index); }
     
     template <class T>
     object pop(T const& index)
diff --git a/include/boost/python/object.hpp b/include/boost/python/object.hpp
index 677ffb42..9adec90f 100755
--- a/include/boost/python/object.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/object.hpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #ifndef OBJECT_DWA2002612_HPP
 # define OBJECT_DWA2002612_HPP
 
-# include <boost/python/detail/prefix.hpp>
+# include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/object_core.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/object_attributes.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/object_items.hpp>
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 
 namespace boost { namespace python {
 
-    inline long len(object const& obj)
+    inline ssize_t len(object const& obj)
     {
-        long result = PyObject_Length(obj.ptr());
+        ssize_t result = PyObject_Length(obj.ptr());
         if (PyErr_Occurred()) throw_error_already_set();
         return result;
     }
diff --git a/src/list.cpp b/src/list.cpp
index 79f758a9..b8f31fb8 100644
--- a/src/list.cpp
+++ b/src/list.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
 // http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 #include <boost/python/list.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python { namespace detail {
 
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ long list_base::index(object_cref value) const
     return result;
 }
 
-void list_base::insert(int index, object_cref item)
+void list_base::insert(ssize_t index, object_cref item)
 {
     if (PyList_CheckExact(this->ptr()))
     {
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ object list_base::pop()
     return this->attr("pop")();
 }
 
-object list_base::pop(long index)
+object list_base::pop(ssize_t index)
 {
     return this->pop(object(index));
 }
diff --git a/src/object/class.cpp b/src/object/class.cpp
index efc492c6..58234bbb 100644
--- a/src/object/class.cpp
+++ b/src/object/class.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <boost/python/self.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/dict.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/str.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 #include <functional>
 #include <vector>
 #include <cstddef>
@@ -506,13 +507,14 @@ namespace objects
       // were declared, we'll use our class_type() as the single base
       // class.
       std::size_t const num_bases = (std::max)(num_types - 1, static_cast<std::size_t>(1));
-      handle<> bases(PyTuple_New(num_bases));
+      assert(num_bases <= ssize_t_max);
+      handle<> bases(PyTuple_New(static_cast<ssize_t>(num_bases)));
 
       for (std::size_t i = 1; i <= num_bases; ++i)
       {
           type_handle c = (i >= num_types) ? class_type() : get_class(types[i]);
           // PyTuple_SET_ITEM steals this reference
-          PyTuple_SET_ITEM(bases.get(), i - 1, upcast<PyObject>(c.release()));
+          PyTuple_SET_ITEM(bases.get(), static_cast<ssize_t>(i - 1), upcast<PyObject>(c.release()));
       }
 
       // Call the class metatype to create a new class
diff --git a/src/object/function.cpp b/src/object/function.cpp
index 653343b9..1f094f42 100644
--- a/src/object/function.cpp
+++ b/src/object/function.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <boost/python/extract.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/tuple.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/list.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/python/detail/signature.hpp>
 #include <boost/mpl/vector/vector10.hpp>
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ function::function(
             = max_arity > num_keywords ? max_arity - num_keywords : 0;
 
 
-        unsigned tuple_size = num_keywords ? max_arity : 0;
+        ssize_t tuple_size = num_keywords ? max_arity : 0;
         m_arg_names = object(handle<>(PyTuple_New(tuple_size)));
 
         if (num_keywords != 0)
@@ -158,7 +159,9 @@ PyObject* function::call(PyObject* args, PyObject* keywords) const
                     else
                     {
                         // build a new arg tuple, will adjust its size later
-                        inner_args = handle<>(PyTuple_New(max_arity));
+                        assert(max_arity <= ssize_t_max);
+                        inner_args = handle<>(
+                            PyTuple_New(static_cast<ssize_t>(max_arity)));
 
                         // Fill in the positional arguments
                         for (std::size_t i = 0; i < n_unnamed_actual; ++i)
@@ -293,7 +296,7 @@ void function::argument_error(PyObject* args, PyObject* /*keywords*/) const
         % make_tuple(this->m_namespace, this->m_name);
     
     list actual_args;
-    for (int i = 0; i < PyTuple_Size(args); ++i)
+    for (ssize_t i = 0; i < PyTuple_Size(args); ++i)
     {
         char const* name = PyTuple_GetItem(args, i)->ob_type->tp_name;
         actual_args.append(str(name));
diff --git a/src/object_protocol.cpp b/src/object_protocol.cpp
index c23b8bb3..8606fa2b 100755
--- a/src/object_protocol.cpp
+++ b/src/object_protocol.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <boost/python/object_protocol.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/errors.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/object.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python { namespace api {
 
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ namespace // slicing code copied directly out of the Python implementation
       PySequenceMethods *sq = tp->tp_as_sequence;
 
       if (sq && sq->sq_slice && ISINT(v) && ISINT(w)) {
-          int ilow = 0, ihigh = INT_MAX;
+          ssize_t ilow = 0, ihigh = ssize_t_max;
           if (!_PyEval_SliceIndex(v, &ilow))
               return NULL;
           if (!_PyEval_SliceIndex(w, &ihigh))
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ namespace // slicing code copied directly out of the Python implementation
       PySequenceMethods *sq = tp->tp_as_sequence;
 
       if (sq && sq->sq_slice && ISINT(v) && ISINT(w)) {
-          int ilow = 0, ihigh = INT_MAX;
+          ssize_t ilow = 0, ihigh = ssize_t_max;
           if (!_PyEval_SliceIndex(v, &ilow))
               return -1;
           if (!_PyEval_SliceIndex(w, &ihigh))
diff --git a/src/str.cpp b/src/str.cpp
index c452a285..5216cf54 100644
--- a/src/str.cpp
+++ b/src/str.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 #include <boost/python/str.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/extract.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/ssize_t.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python { namespace detail {
 
@@ -21,10 +22,25 @@ str_base::str_base(const char* s)
   : object(detail::new_reference(::PyString_FromString(s)))
 {}
 
+namespace {
+
+    ssize_t str_size_as_py_ssize_t(std::size_t n)
+    {
+      if (n > ssize_t_max)
+      {
+          throw std::range_error("str size > ssize_t_max");
+      }
+      return static_cast<ssize_t>(n);
+    }
+
+} // namespace <anonymous>
+
 str_base::str_base(char const* start, char const* finish)
     : object(
         detail::new_reference(
-            ::PyString_FromStringAndSize(start, finish - start)
+            ::PyString_FromStringAndSize(
+                start, str_size_as_py_ssize_t(finish - start)
+            )
         )
     )
 {}
@@ -32,7 +48,9 @@ str_base::str_base(char const* start, char const* finish)
 str_base::str_base(char const* start, std::size_t length) // new str
     : object(
         detail::new_reference(
-            ::PyString_FromStringAndSize(start, length)
+            ::PyString_FromStringAndSize(
+                start, str_size_as_py_ssize_t(length)
+            )
         )
     )
 {}