diff --git a/Jamfile b/Jamfile
index 81789b85..fea5e97a 100644
--- a/Jamfile
+++ b/Jamfile
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ dll bpl
   src/object/life_support.cpp
   src/errors.cpp
   src/module.cpp
-  src/objects2.cpp
   src/converter/builtin_converters.cpp
   src/converter/arg_to_python_base.cpp
   src/object/iterator.cpp
diff --git a/include/boost/python/str.hpp b/include/boost/python/str.hpp
index 53d7f321..72161c7b 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/str.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/str.hpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class str : public object
     BOOST_PYTHON_DECL long count(object_cref sub, object_cref start) const;
     
     template<class T1, class T2>
-    str count(T1 const& sub,T2 const& start) const
+    long count(T1 const& sub,T2 const& start) const
     {
         return this->count(object(sub), object(start));
     }
@@ -48,41 +48,41 @@ class str : public object
     BOOST_PYTHON_DECL long count(object_cref sub, object_cref start, object_cref end) const;
 
     template<class T1, class T2, class T3>
-    str count(T1 const& sub,T2 const& start, T3 const& end) const
+    long count(T1 const& sub,T2 const& start, T3 const& end) const
     {
         return this->count(object(sub), object(start));
     }
 
-    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str decode() const;
-    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str decode(object_cref encoding) const;
+    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object decode() const;
+    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object decode(object_cref encoding) const;
 
     template<class T>
-    str decode(T const& encoding) const
+    object decode(T const& encoding) const
     {
         return this->decode(object(encoding));
     }
 
-    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str decode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const;
+    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object decode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const;
 
     template<class T1, class T2>
-    str decode(T1 const& encoding, T2 const& errors) const
+    object decode(T1 const& encoding, T2 const& errors) const
     {
         return this->decode(object(encoding),object(errors));
     }
 
-    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str encode() const;
-    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str encode(object_cref encoding) const;
+    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object encode() const;
+    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object encode(object_cref encoding) const;
 
     template <class T>
-    str encode(T const& encoding) const
+    object encode(T const& encoding) const
     {
         return this->encode(object(encoding));
     }
 
-    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str encode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const;
+    BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object encode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const;
 
     template <class T1, class T2>
-    str encode(T1 const& encoding, T2 const& errors) const
+    object encode(T1 const& encoding, T2 const& errors) const
     {
         return this->encode(object(encoding),object(errors));
     }
diff --git a/src/str.cpp b/src/str.cpp
index dd8ce0a7..fc045d9f 100644
--- a/src/str.cpp
+++ b/src/str.cpp
@@ -59,34 +59,34 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_DECL long str::count(object_cref sub, object_cref start, object_cre
     return extract<long>(this->attr("count")(sub,start,end));
 }
 
-BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str str::decode() const
+BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object str::decode() const
 {
-    return assume_str(this->attr("decode")());
+    return this->attr("decode")();
 }
 
-BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str str::decode(object_cref encoding) const
+BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object str::decode(object_cref encoding) const
 {
-    return assume_str(this->attr("decode")(encoding));
+    return this->attr("decode")(encoding);
 }
 
-BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str str::decode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const
+BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object str::decode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const
 {
-    return assume_str(this->attr("decode")(encoding,errors));
+    return this->attr("decode")(encoding,errors);
 }
 
-BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str str::encode() const
+BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object str::encode() const
 {
-    return assume_str(this->attr("encode")());
+    return this->attr("encode")();
 }
 
-BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str str::encode(object_cref encoding) const
+BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object str::encode(object_cref encoding) const
 {
-    return assume_str(this->attr("encode")(encoding));
+    return this->attr("encode")(encoding);
 }
 
-BOOST_PYTHON_DECL str str::encode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const
+BOOST_PYTHON_DECL object str::encode(object_cref encoding, object_cref errors) const
 {
-    return assume_str(this->attr("encode")(encoding,errors));
+    return this->attr("encode")(encoding,errors);
 }
 
 BOOST_PYTHON_DECL bool str::endswith(object_cref suffix) const