diff --git a/test/keywords.cpp b/test/keywords.cpp
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..36205656
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/keywords.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+// Copyright David Abrahams 2002. Permission to copy, use,
+// modify, sell and distribute this software is granted provided this
+// copyright notice appears in all copies. This software is provided
+// "as is" without express or implied warranty, and with no claim as
+// to its suitability for any purpose.
+#include <boost/python.hpp>
+#include <string>
+
+struct Foo
+{
+    Foo(
+        int a = 0
+        , double b = 0
+        , const std::string &n = std::string()
+        ) : 
+    a_(a)
+        , b_(b)
+        , n_(n)
+    {}
+
+    void set(int a=0, double b=0, const std::string &n=std::string()) 
+    {
+        a_ = a; 
+        b_ = b;
+        n_ = n;
+    }
+
+    int geta() const { return a_; }
+
+    double getb() const { return b_; }
+
+    std::string getn() const { return n_; }
+
+private:
+    int a_;
+    double b_;
+    std::string n_;
+};
+
+struct Bar
+{
+    Bar(
+        int a = 0
+        , double b = 0
+        , const std::string &n = std::string()
+        ) : 
+    a_(a)
+        , b_(b)
+        , n_(n)
+    {}
+
+    void set(int a=0, double b=0, const std::string &n=std::string()) 
+    {
+        a_ = a; 
+        b_ = b;
+        n_ = n;
+    }
+
+    int geta() const { return a_; }
+
+    double getb() const { return b_; }
+
+    std::string getn() const { return n_; }
+
+private:
+    int a_;
+    double b_;
+    std::string n_;
+};
+
+BOOST_PYTHON_MEMBER_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(bar_set, Bar::set, 0,3)
+
+using namespace boost::python;
+#if BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC__, == 2)
+using boost::python::arg;
+#endif 
+BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(keywords)
+{
+   class_<Foo>("Foo" , init<
+                          int
+                        , double
+                        , const std::string &
+                      >(
+                        (  arg("a") = 0
+                          , arg("b") = 0.0
+                          , arg("n") = std::string()
+                        )
+                       ))
+
+      .def("set", &Foo::set, (arg("a") = 0, arg("b") = 0.0, arg("n") = std::string()) )
+      .def("a", &Foo::geta)
+      .def("b", &Foo::getb)
+      .def("n", &Foo::getn)
+      ;
+
+   class_<Bar>("Bar" , init<optional<
+                          int
+                        , double
+                        , const std::string &
+                        >
+                      >()
+                       )
+
+      .def("set", &Bar::set, bar_set())
+      .def("a", &Bar::geta)
+      .def("b", &Bar::getb)
+      .def("n", &Bar::getn)
+      ;
+
+}
+
+
+
+#include "module_tail.cpp"
diff --git a/test/keywords_test.py b/test/keywords_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a41be1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/keywords_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+'''
+>>> from keywords import *
+>>> f = Foo()
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 0.0, '')
+>>> f = Foo(1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '')
+>>> f = Foo(1,1.0)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '')
+>>> f = Foo(1,1.0,"1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '1')
+>>> f = Foo(a=1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '')
+>>> f = Foo(b=1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 1.0, '')
+>>> f = Foo(n="1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 0.0, '1')
+>>> f = Foo(1,n="1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '1')
+>>> f.set()
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 0.0, '')
+>>> f.set(1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '')
+>>> f.set(1,1.0)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '')
+>>> f.set(1,1.0,"1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '1')
+>>> f.set(a=1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '')
+>>> f.set(b=1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 1.0, '')
+>>> f.set(n="1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 0.0, '1')
+>>> f.set(1,n="1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '1')
+
+# lets see how badly we've broken the 'regular' functions
+>>> f = Bar()
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 0.0, '')
+>>> f = Bar(1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '')
+>>> f = Bar(1,1.0)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '')
+>>> f = Bar(1,1.0,"1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '1')
+>>> f.set()
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(0, 0.0, '')
+>>> f.set(1)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 0.0, '')
+>>> f.set(1,1.0)
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '')
+>>> f.set(1,1.0,"1")
+>>> f.a(), f.b(), f.n()
+(1, 1.0, '1')
+'''
+
+
+
+
+def run(args = None):
+    import sys
+    import doctest
+
+    if args is not None:
+        sys.argv = args
+    return doctest.testmod(sys.modules.get(__name__))
+    
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    print "running..."
+    import sys
+    sys.exit(run()[0])
+