diff --git a/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp b/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp
index 1a03093..0630ec8 100644
--- a/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp
@@ -533,6 +533,11 @@ class function<BOOST_FUNCTION_PARTIAL_SPEC, Allocator>
                                   BOOST_FUNCTION_COMMA Allocator> base_type;
   typedef function self_type;
 
+  struct clear_type {};
+
+  class holder;
+  friend class holder;
+
 public:
   typedef typename base_type::allocator_type allocator_type;
 
@@ -543,26 +548,44 @@ public:
 
   function(const self_type& f) : base_type(static_cast<const base_type&>(f)){}
 
-  template<typename Functor>
-  self_type& operator=(Functor BOOST_FUNCTION_TARGET_FIX(const &) f)
+  self_type& operator=(self_type& f)
   {
     self_type(f).swap(*this);
     return *this;
   }
 
-  self_type& operator=(const base_type& f)
-  {
-    self_type(f).swap(*this);
-    return *this;
-  }
+  inline self_type& operator=(holder h);
 
-  self_type& operator=(const self_type& f)
+  self_type& operator=(clear_type*)
   {
-    self_type(f).swap(*this);
+    this->clear();
     return *this;
   }
 };
 
+template<typename R BOOST_FUNCTION_COMMA
+         BOOST_FUNCTION_TEMPLATE_PARMS,
+         typename Allocator>
+class function<BOOST_FUNCTION_PARTIAL_SPEC, Allocator>::holder
+{
+public:
+  template<typename F> holder(F f) : func(f) {}
+  holder(const base_type& f) : func(f) {}
+  holder(const self_type& f) : func(f) {}
+
+  self_type func;
+};
+
+template<typename R BOOST_FUNCTION_COMMA
+         BOOST_FUNCTION_TEMPLATE_PARMS,
+         typename Allocator>
+function<BOOST_FUNCTION_PARTIAL_SPEC, Allocator>&
+function<BOOST_FUNCTION_PARTIAL_SPEC, Allocator>::operator=(holder h)
+{
+  h.func.swap(*this);
+  return *this;
+}
+
 #undef BOOST_FUNCTION_PARTIAL_SPEC
 #endif // have partial specialization
 
diff --git a/test/function_test.cpp b/test/function_test.cpp
index 50a072f..01cb5b0 100644
--- a/test/function_test.cpp
+++ b/test/function_test.cpp
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ test_zero_args()
   func_void_type v1;
   BOOST_TEST(v1.empty());
 
-  // Assignment to an empty function 
+  // Assignment to an empty function
   v1 = five;
-  BOOST_TEST(!v1.empty());
+  BOOST_TEST(v1 != 0);
 
   // Invocation of a function
   global_int = 0;
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ test_zero_args()
 
   // clear() method
   v1.clear();
-  BOOST_TEST(v1.empty());
+  BOOST_TEST(v1 == 0);
 
   // Assignment to an empty function
   v1 = three;
@@ -97,13 +97,13 @@ test_zero_args()
   v1();
   BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);
 
-  // clear()
-  v1.clear();
-  BOOST_TEST(v1.empty());
+  // clear
+  v1 = 0;
+  BOOST_TEST(0 == v1);
 
   // Assignment to an empty function from a free function
   v1 = BOOST_FUNCTION_TARGET_FIX(&) write_five;
-  BOOST_TEST(!v1.empty());
+  BOOST_TEST(0 != v1);
 
   // Invocation
   global_int = 0;
@@ -210,8 +210,8 @@ test_zero_args()
 
   // Assignment to a function from an empty function
   v2 = v1;
-  BOOST_TEST(v2.empty()); 
-  
+  BOOST_TEST(v2.empty());
+
   // Assignment to a function from a function with a functor
   v1 = three;
   v2 = v1;
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ test_zero_args()
   global_int = 0;
   v3();
   BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);
-  
+
   // clear() method
   v3.clear();
   BOOST_TEST(!v3? true : false);
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ test_zero_args()
   global_int = 0;
   v4();
   BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);
-  
+
   // clear() method
   v4.clear();
   BOOST_TEST(v4.empty());
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ test_zero_args()
   global_int = 0;
   v5();
   BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);
-  
+
   // clear() method
   v5.clear();
   BOOST_TEST(v5.empty());
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ test_zero_args()
   // Invocation
   global_int = 0;
   v5();
-  BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);  
+  BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);
 
   // Construction of a function from a function
   func_void_type v6(&write_five);
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ test_zero_args()
   // Invocation
   global_int = 0;
   v6();
-  BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);  
+  BOOST_TEST(global_int == 5);
 
   // Const vs. non-const
   write_const_1_nonconst_2 one_or_two;
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ test_zero_args()
   global_int = 0;
   v7();
   BOOST_TEST(global_int == 2);
-  
+
   global_int = 0;
   v8();
   BOOST_TEST(global_int == 2);
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ static void
 test_two_args()
 {
   function<string (const string&, const string&)> cat(&string_cat);
-  BOOST_TEST(cat("str", "ing") == "string");  
+  BOOST_TEST(cat("str", "ing") == "string");
 
   function<int (short, short)> sum(&sum_ints);
   BOOST_TEST(sum(2, 3) == 5);
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ static void
 test_member_functions()
 {
   boost::function<int (X*)> f1(&X::twice);
-  
+
   X one(1);
   X five(5);
 
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ struct counting_allocator : public allocator<T>
     typedef counting_allocator<U> other;
   };
 
-  
+
   T* allocate(size_t n)
   {
     alloc_count++;
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ static void test_allocator()
   fv.clear();
   BOOST_TEST(alloc_count == 1);
   BOOST_TEST(dealloc_count == 1);
-  
+
   alloc_count = 0;
   dealloc_count = 0;
   fv = &do_nothing;
diff --git a/test/function_test_fail1.cpp b/test/function_test_fail1.cpp
index 3f85e26..b09caeb 100644
--- a/test/function_test_fail1.cpp
+++ b/test/function_test_fail1.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ using namespace boost;
 int
 test_main(int, char*[])
 {
-  function<int> f1;
-  function<int> f2;
+  function0<int> f1;
+  function0<int> f2;
 
   if (f1 == f2) {
   }
diff --git a/test/function_test_fail2.cpp b/test/function_test_fail2.cpp
index 620ba38..3fd4087 100644
--- a/test/function_test_fail2.cpp
+++ b/test/function_test_fail2.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ static int bad_fn(float f) { return static_cast<int>(f); }
 int
 test_main(int, char*[])
 {
-  function<int> f1;
+  function0<int> f1;
   f1 = bad_fn;
 
   BOOST_CRITICAL_ERROR("This should not have compiled.");