diff --git a/include/boost/python/class.hpp b/include/boost/python/class.hpp
index d7a01edd..e03f1838 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/class.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/class.hpp
@@ -195,12 +195,11 @@ class class_ : public objects::class_base
     self& add_property(char const* name, object const& fget);
     self& add_property(char const* name, object const& fget, object const& fset);
 
-    self& setattr(char const* name, object const&);
-
-    template <class T>
-    self& bind(char const* name, T const& x)
+    template <class U>
+    self& setattr(char const* name, U const& x)
     {
-        return this->setattr(name, object(x));
+        this->base::setattr(name, object(x));
+        return *this;
     }
 
     // Pickle support
@@ -293,13 +292,6 @@ inline class_<T,X1,X2,X3>& class_<T,X1,X2,X3>::add_property(char const* name, ob
     return *this;
 }
 
-template <class T, class X1, class X2, class X3>
-inline class_<T,X1,X2,X3>& class_<T,X1,X2,X3>::setattr(char const* name, object const& x)
-{
-    base::setattr(name, x);
-    return *this;
-}
-
 namespace detail
 {
   // This is an mpl BinaryMetaFunction object with a runtime behavior,
diff --git a/include/boost/python/object/iterator.hpp b/include/boost/python/object/iterator.hpp
index 8590d531..c39131c6 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/object/iterator.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/object/iterator.hpp
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ struct default_iterator_call_policies
 template <class NextPolicies, class Iterator>
 struct iterator_range
 {
-    iterator_range(handle<> sequence, Iterator start, Iterator finish);
+    iterator_range(object sequence, Iterator start, Iterator finish);
 
-    handle<> m_sequence; // Keeps the sequence alive while iterating.
+    object m_sequence; // Keeps the sequence alive while iterating.
     Iterator m_start;
     Iterator m_finish;
 };
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ namespace detail
     
       return class_<range_>(name)
           .def("__iter__", identity_function())
-          .bind("next", next_function)
+          .setattr("next", next_function)
           ;
   }
 
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ namespace detail
           // Build and convert the iterator_range<>.
           return cr(
               iterator_range<NextPolicies,Iterator>(
-                  handle<>(python::borrowed(arg0))
+                  object((python::detail::borrowed_reference)arg0)
                   , get_start(x), get_finish(x)));
       }
   };
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ inline object make_iterator_function(
 //
 template <class NextPolicies, class Iterator>
 inline iterator_range<NextPolicies,Iterator>::iterator_range(
-    handle<> sequence, Iterator start, Iterator finish)
+    object sequence, Iterator start, Iterator finish)
     : m_sequence(sequence), m_start(start), m_finish(finish)
 {
 }
diff --git a/src/object/class.cpp b/src/object/class.cpp
index d5d854dd..4306a684 100644
--- a/src/object/class.cpp
+++ b/src/object/class.cpp
@@ -299,8 +299,8 @@ namespace objects
   void class_base::add_property(char const* name, object const& fget)
   {
       object property(
-          python::detail::new_reference(
-              PyObject_CallFunction((PyObject*)&PyProperty_Type, "O", fget.ptr())));
+          (python::detail::new_reference)
+              PyObject_CallFunction((PyObject*)&PyProperty_Type, "O", fget.ptr()));
       
       this->setattr(name, property);
   }
@@ -308,8 +308,8 @@ namespace objects
   void class_base::add_property(char const* name, object const& fget, object const& fset)
   {
       object property(
-          python::detail::new_reference(
-              PyObject_CallFunction((PyObject*)&PyProperty_Type, "OO", fget.ptr(), fset.ptr())));
+          (python::detail::new_reference)
+              PyObject_CallFunction((PyObject*)&PyProperty_Type, "OO", fget.ptr(), fset.ptr()));
       
       this->setattr(name, property);
   }