diff --git a/boost/python/numpy/dtype.hpp b/boost/python/numpy/dtype.hpp
index 53c61f34..cb1666b5 100644
--- a/boost/python/numpy/dtype.hpp
+++ b/boost/python/numpy/dtype.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 #include <boost/python.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/numpy/numpy_object_mgr_traits.hpp>
 
+#include <boost/mpl/for_each.hpp>
+#include <boost/type_traits/add_pointer.hpp>
+
 namespace boost { namespace python {
 namespace numpy {
 
@@ -43,8 +46,57 @@ public:
 
     BOOST_PYTHON_FORWARD_OBJECT_CONSTRUCTORS(dtype, object);
 
+    template <typename Sequence, typename Function>
+    void invoke_matching_template(Function f);
+
 };
 
+namespace detail {
+
+struct add_pointer_meta {
+
+    template <typename T>
+    struct apply {
+        typedef typename boost::add_pointer<T>::type type;
+    };
+
+};
+
+struct dtype_template_match_found {};
+
+template <typename Function>
+struct dtype_template_invoker {
+    
+    template <typename T>
+    void operator()(T * x) const {
+        if (dtype::get_builtin<T>() == m_dtype) {
+            m_func.template apply<T>();
+            throw dtype_template_match_found();
+        }
+    }
+
+    dtype_template_invoker(dtype const & dtype_, Function func) :
+        m_dtype(dtype_), m_func(func) {}
+
+private:
+    dtype const & m_dtype;
+    Function m_func;
+};
+
+} // namespace boost::python::numpy::detail
+
+template <typename Sequence, typename Function>
+void dtype::invoke_matching_template(Function f) {
+    detail::dtype_template_invoker<Function> invoker(*this, f);
+    try {
+        boost::mpl::for_each< Sequence, detail::add_pointer_meta >(invoker);
+    } catch (detail::dtype_template_match_found &) {
+        return;
+    }
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "numpy.dtype not found in template list.");
+    throw_error_already_set();
+}
+
 } // namespace boost::python::numpy
 
 namespace converter {
diff --git a/libs/python/numpy/test/SConscript b/libs/python/numpy/test/SConscript
index 7dc0d24b..6e7d8d27 100644
--- a/libs/python/numpy/test/SConscript
+++ b/libs/python/numpy/test/SConscript
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 Import("bp_numpy_env")
 
-ufunc_mod = bp_numpy_env.SharedLibrary("ufunc_mod", "ufunc_mod.cpp", SHLIBPREFIX="", 
-                                       LIBS="boost_python_numpy")
-ufunc_test = bp_numpy_env.PythonUnitTest("ufunc.py", ufunc_mod)
+test = []
+
+for name in ("ufunc", "templates"):
+    mod = bp_numpy_env.SharedLibrary("%s_mod" % name, "%s_mod.cpp" % name, SHLIBPREFIX="", 
+                                     LIBS="boost_python_numpy")
+    test.extend(
+        bp_numpy_env.PythonUnitTest("%s.py" % name, mod)
+        )
 
-test = ufunc_test
 Return("test")
diff --git a/libs/python/numpy/test/templates.py b/libs/python/numpy/test/templates.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c2967c1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/python/numpy/test/templates.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import templates_mod
+import unittest
+import numpy
+
+class TestTemplates(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def testTemplates(self):
+        for dtype in (numpy.int16, numpy.int32, numpy.float32, numpy.complex128):
+            a1 = numpy.zeros((12,), dtype=dtype)
+            a2 = numpy.arange(12, dtype=dtype)
+            templates_mod.fill(a1)
+            self.assert_((a1 == a2).all())
+        a1 = numpy.zeros((12,), dtype=numpy.float64)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, templates_mod.fill, a1)
+
+if __name__=="__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/libs/python/numpy/test/templates_mod.cpp b/libs/python/numpy/test/templates_mod.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..63e69f4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/python/numpy/test/templates_mod.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#include <boost/python/numpy/numpy.hpp>
+#include <boost/mpl/vector.hpp>
+
+namespace bp = boost::python;
+
+struct ArrayFiller {
+
+    typedef boost::mpl::vector< short, int, float, std::complex<double> > Sequence;
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void apply() const {
+        char * p = argument.get_data();
+        int stride = argument.strides(0);
+        int size = argument.shape(0);
+        for (int n = 0; n != size; ++n, p += stride) {
+            *reinterpret_cast<T*>(p) = static_cast<T>(n);
+        }
+    }
+
+    bp::numpy::ndarray argument;
+
+    explicit ArrayFiller(bp::numpy::ndarray const & arg) : argument(arg) {}
+
+};
+
+void fill(bp::numpy::ndarray const & arg) {
+    ArrayFiller filler(arg);
+    arg.get_dtype().invoke_matching_template< ArrayFiller::Sequence >(filler);
+}
+
+BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(templates_mod) {
+    bp::numpy::initialize();
+    bp::def("fill", &fill);
+}