diff --git a/include/boost/python/indexing/detail/indexing_suite_detail.hpp b/include/boost/python/indexing/detail/indexing_suite_detail.hpp
index 1f7b8235..4f6dbb2c 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/indexing/detail/indexing_suite_detail.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/indexing/detail/indexing_suite_detail.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 # include <boost/python/extract.hpp>
 # include <boost/scoped_ptr.hpp>
 # include <boost/detail/binary_search.hpp>
+# include <boost/get_pointer.hpp>
 # include <vector>
 # include <map>
 
@@ -385,16 +386,17 @@ namespace boost { namespace python { namespace detail {
         Index index;
     };
 
-  }  // namespace detail
+  }}  // namespace python::detail
 
     template <class Container, class Index, class Policies> 
     inline typename Container::value_type* 
-    get_pointer(detail::container_element<Container, Index, Policies> const& p)
+    get_pointer(
+        python::detail::container_element<Container, Index, Policies> const& p)
     {
         // Get the pointer of a container_element smart pointer
         return p.get();
     }
 
-}} // namespace boost::python
+} // namespace boost
 
 #endif // INDEXING_SUITE_DETAIL_JDG20036_HPP
diff --git a/include/boost/python/indexing/indexing_suite.hpp b/include/boost/python/indexing/indexing_suite.hpp
index 014757c2..55c82deb 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/indexing/indexing_suite.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/indexing/indexing_suite.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 # include <boost/python/class.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/register_ptr_to_python.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/indexing/detail/indexing_suite_detail.hpp>
+# include <boost/python/return_internal_reference.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/iterator.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python {
@@ -120,17 +121,17 @@ namespace boost { namespace python {
             // Hook into the class_ generic visitation .def function
             register_ptr_to_python<container_element_t>();
             
-            typedef typename Container::iterator iterator;
-            iterator(Container::*begin_)() = &Container::begin;
-            iterator(Container::*end_)() = &Container::end;
-
             cl
                 .def("__len__", base_size)
                 .def("__setitem__", &base_set_item)
                 .def("__delitem__", &base_delete_item)
                 .def("__getitem__", &base_get_item)
                 .def("__contains__", &base_contains)
-                .def("__iter__", boost::python::range(begin_, end_)) 
+                .def("__iter__", 
+                    iterator<Container, return_internal_reference<> >())
+
+                .def("append", &base_append)
+                .def("extend", &base_extend)
             ;
         }        
         
@@ -398,6 +399,69 @@ namespace boost { namespace python {
                     return false;
             }            
         }
+        
+        static void
+        base_append(Container& container, PyObject* v)
+        {
+            extract<Element&> elem(v);
+            // try if elem is an exact Element
+            if (elem.check())
+            {
+                DerivedPolicies::append(container, elem());
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                //  try to convert elem to Element
+                extract<Element> elem(v);
+                if (elem.check())
+                {
+                    DerivedPolicies::append(container, elem());
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, 
+                        "Attempting to append an invalid type");
+                    throw_error_already_set();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        
+        static void
+        base_extend(Container& container, PyObject* v)
+        {
+            //  v must be a list or some container
+            handle<> l_(borrowed(v));
+            object l(l_);
+
+            std::vector<Element> temp;
+            for (int i = 0; i < l.attr("__len__")(); i++)
+            {
+                object elem(l[i]);
+                extract<Element const&> x(elem);
+                //  try if elem is an exact Element type
+                if (x.check())
+                {
+                    temp.push_back(x());
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    //  try to convert elem to Element type
+                    extract<Element> x(elem);
+                    if (x.check())
+                    {
+                        temp.push_back(x());
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, 
+                            "Invalid list element");
+                        throw_error_already_set();
+                    }
+                }
+            }          
+          
+            DerivedPolicies::extend(container, temp.begin(), temp.end());
+        }
 
         static object 
         get_slice(Container& container, Index from, Index to)
diff --git a/include/boost/python/indexing/vector_indexing_suite.hpp b/include/boost/python/indexing/vector_indexing_suite.hpp
index 4c7e2dff..e2c0d50c 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/indexing/vector_indexing_suite.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/indexing/vector_indexing_suite.hpp
@@ -143,6 +143,19 @@ namespace boost { namespace python {
         { 
             return current - (difference_type(to) - from - len);
         }
+        
+        static void 
+        append(Container& container, element_type const& v)
+        { 
+            container.push_back(v);
+        }
+        
+        template <class Iter>
+        static void 
+        extend(Container& container, Iter first, Iter last)
+        { 
+            container.insert(container.end(), first, last);
+        }
     };
        
 }} // namespace boost::python 
diff --git a/test/vector_indexing_suite.py b/test/vector_indexing_suite.py
index e177aeea..063690e1 100644
--- a/test/vector_indexing_suite.py
+++ b/test/vector_indexing_suite.py
@@ -300,6 +300,31 @@ e
 >>> 12345 in v
 0
 
+#####################################################################
+# Show that iteration allows mutable access to the elements
+#####################################################################
+>>> v[:] = ['a','b','c','d','e'] # reset again
+>>> for x in v:
+...     x.reset()
+>>> print_xvec(v)
+[ reset reset reset reset reset ]
+
+#####################################################################
+# append
+#####################################################################
+>>> v[:] = ['a','b','c','d','e'] # reset again
+>>> v.append('f')
+>>> print_xvec(v)
+[ a b c d e f ]
+
+#####################################################################
+# extend
+#####################################################################
+>>> v[:] = ['a','b','c','d','e'] # reset again
+>>> v.extend(['f','g','h','i','j'])
+>>> print_xvec(v)
+[ a b c d e f g h i j ]
+
 #####################################################################
 # END.... 
 #####################################################################