diff --git a/include/boost/python/numeric.hpp b/include/boost/python/numeric.hpp
index 66fde676..ab4db8c3 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/numeric.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/numeric.hpp
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ namespace aux
   {
       static bool check(PyObject* obj);
       static detail::new_non_null_reference adopt(PyObject* obj);
+      static PyTypeObject const* get_pytype() ;
   };
 } // namespace aux
 
diff --git a/src/numeric.cpp b/src/numeric.cpp
index 35c469c5..c8890bb8 100644
--- a/src/numeric.cpp
+++ b/src/numeric.cpp
@@ -114,6 +114,12 @@ namespace aux
           pytype_check(downcast<PyTypeObject>(array_type.get()), obj));
   }
 
+  PyTypeObject const* array_object_manager_traits::get_pytype()
+  {
+      load(false);
+      if(!array_type) return 0;
+      return handle<PyTypeObject>(array_type).get();
+  }
 
 # define BOOST_PYTHON_AS_OBJECT(z, n, _) object(x##n)
 # define BOOST_PP_LOCAL_MACRO(n)                                        \
diff --git a/test/numpy.cpp b/test/numpy.cpp
index 962a6a8c..e5da7c9b 100644
--- a/test/numpy.cpp
+++ b/test/numpy.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ using namespace boost::python;
 #endif 
 
 // See if we can invoke array() from C++
-object new_array()
+numeric::array new_array()
 {
     return numeric::array(
         make_tuple(