diff --git a/doc/v2/object.html b/doc/v2/object.html
index 1f47a075..40798e8e 100644
--- a/doc/v2/object.html
+++ b/doc/v2/object.html
@@ -183,11 +183,16 @@
           <dt><a href="#binary-spec">binary operations</a></dt>
 
           <dt><a href="#assignment-spec">assignment operations</a></dt>
+
         </dl>
 
         <dl class="page-index">
           <dt><a href="#object_operators-spec">operators</a></dt>
         </dl>
+
+        <dl class="page-index">
+          <dt><a href="#len-spec">len()</a></dt>
+        </dl>
       </dd>
 
       <dt><a href="#examples">Example</a></dt>
@@ -918,16 +923,36 @@ object sum_items(object seq)
       result += seq[i];
    return result;
 }
+</pre>
+
+<h4><a name="len-spec">len()</a></h4>
+<pre>
+inline long len(object const&amp; obj);
+</pre>
+
+    <dl class="function-semantics">
+      <dt><b>Effects:</b> PyObject_Length(obj.ptr()) </dt>
+      <dt><b>Returns:</b> len() of object.</dt>
+    </dl>
+
+    <h2><a name="examples"></a>Example</h2>
+    Python code: 
+<pre>
+len(obj)
+</pre>
+    C++ version: 
+<pre>
+len(obj);
 </pre>
 
     <p>Revised 
     <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B, %Y" startspan -->
-  13 November, 2002
+  12 January, 2006
   <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" endspan i-checksum="39359" -->
     </p>
 
     <p><i>&copy; Copyright <a href=
-    "../../../../people/dave_abrahams.htm">Dave Abrahams</a> 2002.</i></p>
+    "../../../../people/dave_abrahams.htm">Dave Abrahams</a> 2006.</i></p>
   </body>
 </html>
 
diff --git a/include/boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp b/include/boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp
index 61276a9f..5975a13b 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp
@@ -2,17 +2,14 @@
 // Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See
 // accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
 // http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+// DEPRECATED HEADER (2006 Jan 12)
+// Provided only for backward compatibility.
+// The boost::python::len() function is now defined in object.hpp.
+
 #ifndef BOOST_PYTHON_API_PLACE_HOLDER_HPP
 #define BOOST_PYTHON_API_PLACE_HOLDER_HPP
 
-namespace boost { namespace python {
-
-    inline long len(object const& obj)
-    {
-        long result = PyObject_Length(obj.ptr());
-        if (PyErr_Occurred()) throw_error_already_set();
-        return result;
-    }
-}} // namespace boost::python
+#include <boost/python/object.hpp>
 
 #endif // BOOST_PYTHON_API_PLACE_HOLDER_HPP
diff --git a/include/boost/python/object.hpp b/include/boost/python/object.hpp
index f6ee4661..677ffb42 100755
--- a/include/boost/python/object.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/object.hpp
@@ -13,4 +13,15 @@
 # include <boost/python/object_operators.hpp>
 # include <boost/python/converter/arg_to_python.hpp>
 
+namespace boost { namespace python {
+
+    inline long len(object const& obj)
+    {
+        long result = PyObject_Length(obj.ptr());
+        if (PyErr_Occurred()) throw_error_already_set();
+        return result;
+    }
+
+}} // namespace boost::python
+
 #endif // OBJECT_DWA2002612_HPP
diff --git a/src/object/enum.cpp b/src/object/enum.cpp
index e319bd08..e0438ee1 100644
--- a/src/object/enum.cpp
+++ b/src/object/enum.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <boost/python/str.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/extract.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/object_protocol.hpp>
-#include <boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp>
 #include <structmember.h>
 #include <cstdio>
 
diff --git a/src/object/function.cpp b/src/object/function.cpp
index 429fcbb1..653343b9 100644
--- a/src/object/function.cpp
+++ b/src/object/function.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #include <boost/python/tuple.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/list.hpp>
 
-#include <boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/detail/signature.hpp>
 #include <boost/mpl/vector/vector10.hpp>
 
diff --git a/src/object/pickle_support.cpp b/src/object/pickle_support.cpp
index 4664eefd..897ee633 100644
--- a/src/object/pickle_support.cpp
+++ b/src/object/pickle_support.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 #include <boost/python/tuple.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/list.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/dict.hpp>
-#include <boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python {
 
diff --git a/test/pickle2.cpp b/test/pickle2.cpp
index ab4ad9c3..eb50cca3 100644
--- a/test/pickle2.cpp
+++ b/test/pickle2.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include <boost/python/class.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/tuple.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/extract.hpp>
-#include <boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp>
 
 namespace { // Avoid cluttering the global namespace.
 
diff --git a/test/pickle3.cpp b/test/pickle3.cpp
index 95956733..cffcb9c0 100644
--- a/test/pickle3.cpp
+++ b/test/pickle3.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 #include <boost/python/tuple.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/dict.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/extract.hpp>
-#include <boost/python/detail/api_placeholder.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/back_reference.hpp>
 
 namespace { // Avoid cluttering the global namespace.