diff --git a/test/shared_ptr.cpp b/test/shared_ptr.cpp
index d254a9d2..2d0f0ec7 100644
--- a/test/shared_ptr.cpp
+++ b/test/shared_ptr.cpp
@@ -49,15 +49,36 @@ struct functions
     {
         return look(get());
     }
-    
-    static void expose()
+
+    template <class C>
+    static void expose(C const& c)
     {
         def("look", &look);
         def("store", &store);
-        def("modify", &modify); 
-        def("look_store", &look_store); 
-        def("identity", &identity); 
-        def("null", &null); 
+        def("modify", &modify);
+        def("identity", &identity);
+        def("null", &null);
+            
+        const_cast<C&>(c)
+            .def("look", &look)
+            .staticmethod("look")
+            .def("store", &store)
+            .staticmethod("store")
+            .def("modify", &modify)
+            .staticmethod("modify")
+            .def("look_store", &look_store)
+            .staticmethod("look_store")
+            .def("identity", &identity)
+            .staticmethod("identity")
+            .def("null", &null)
+            .staticmethod("null")
+            .def("get", &get)
+            .staticmethod("get")
+            .def("count", &T::count)
+            .staticmethod("count")
+            .def("release", &release_store)
+            .staticmethod("release")
+            ;
     }
 
     static shared_ptr<T> identity(shared_ptr<T> x) { return x; }
@@ -93,14 +114,16 @@ struct YY : Y
     YY(int n) : Y(n) {}
 };
 
+struct YYY : Y
+{
+    YYY(int n) : Y(n) {}
+};
+
 shared_ptr<Y> factory(int n)
 {
     return shared_ptr<Y>(n < 42 ? new Y(n) : new YY(n));
 }
 
-static int stored_v() { return functions<Z>::get()->v(); }
-static shared_ptr<Z> stored_z() { return functions<Z>::get(); }
-
 // regressions from Nicodemus
     struct A
     {
@@ -147,41 +170,30 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(shared_ptr_ext)
     >();
         
     def("New", &New);
-    
-    class_<X, boost::noncopyable>("X", init<int>())
-        .def("value", &X::value)
-        ;
 
     def("factory", factory);
     
-    functions<X>::expose();
-    def("x_count", &X::count);
-    def("x_release", &functions<X>::release_store);
-    def("x_look_store", &functions<X>::look_store);
+    functions<X>::expose(
+        class_<X, boost::noncopyable>("X", init<int>())
+             .def("value", &X::value)
+        );
     
-    class_<Y, boost::shared_ptr<Y> >("Y", init<int>())
-        .def("value", &Y::value)
-        ;
+    functions<Y>::expose(
+        class_<Y, boost::shared_ptr<Y> >("Y", init<int>())
+            .def("value", &Y::value)
+        );
     
     class_<YY, bases<Y>, boost::noncopyable>("YY", init<int>())
         ;
 
-    functions<Y>::expose();
-    def("y_count", &Y::count);
-    def("y_release", &functions<Y>::release_store);
-    def("y_look_store", &functions<Y>::look_store);
-
-    class_<Z, ZWrap>("Z", init<int>())
-        .def("value", &Z::value)
-        .def("v", &Z::v, &ZWrap::default_v)
+    class_<YYY, shared_ptr<YYY>, bases<Y> >("YYY", init<int>())
         ;
-    
-    functions<Z>::expose();
-    def("z_count", &Z::count);
-    def("z_release", &functions<Z>::release_store);
-    def("z_look_store", &functions<Z>::look_store);
-    def("stored_z", &stored_z);
-    def("stored_v", &stored_v);
+
+    functions<Z>::expose(
+        class_<Z, ZWrap>("Z", init<int>())
+            .def("value", &Z::value)
+            .def("v", &Z::v, &ZWrap::default_v)
+        );
 }
 
 #include "module_tail.cpp"
diff --git a/test/shared_ptr.py b/test/shared_ptr.py
index b87b86b5..8bfd03f5 100644
--- a/test/shared_ptr.py
+++ b/test/shared_ptr.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 '''
 >>> from shared_ptr_ext import *
 
+   Test that shared_ptr<Derived> can be converted to shared_ptr<Base>
+ 
+>>> Y.store(YYY(42))
+
 >>> x = X(17)
 >>> null_x = null(x)
 >>> null_x # should be None
@@ -36,15 +40,15 @@
 -1
 >>> store(p)
 >>> del p
->>> stored_v()
+>>> Z.get().v()
 -12
->>> z_count()
+>>> Z.count()
 1
->>> z_look_store()
+>>> Z.look_store()
 12
->>> z_release()
+>>> Z.release()
 bye
->>> z_count()
+>>> Z.count()
 0
 
 >>> z = Z(13)
@@ -56,18 +60,18 @@ bye
 ... except TypeError: pass
 ... else: 'print expected a TypeError'
 
->>> stored_z() # should be None
+>>> Z.get() # should be None
 >>> store(z)
->>> assert stored_z() is z  # show that deleter introspection works
+>>> assert Z.get() is z  # show that deleter introspection works
 >>> del z
->>> stored_v()
+>>> Z.get().value()
 13
->>> z_count()
+>>> Z.count()
 1
->>> z_look_store()
+>>> Z.look_store()
 13
->>> z_release()
->>> z_count()
+>>> Z.release()
+>>> Z.count()
 0
 
 >>> x = X(17)
@@ -82,12 +86,12 @@ bye
 -1
 >>> store(x)
 >>> del x
->>> x_count()
+>>> X.count()
 1
->>> x_look_store()
+>>> X.look_store()
 17
->>> x_release()
->>> x_count()
+>>> X.release()
+>>> X.count()
 0
 
 
@@ -98,12 +102,12 @@ bye
 >>> look(y)
 -1
 >>> store(Y(23))
->>> y_count()
+>>> Y.count()
 1
->>> y_look_store()
+>>> Y.look_store()
 23
->>> y_release()
->>> y_count()
+>>> Y.release()
+>>> Y.count()
 0
 '''