diff --git a/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp b/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp
index bbf6280..62e310f 100644
--- a/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class error_condition
 private:
 
     int val_;
+    bool failed_;
     error_category const * cat_;
 
 public:
@@ -52,12 +53,12 @@ public:
     // constructors:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR error_condition() BOOST_NOEXCEPT:
-        val_( 0 ), cat_( 0 )
+        val_( 0 ), failed_( false ), cat_( 0 )
     {
     }
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR error_condition( int val, const error_category & cat ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT:
-        val_( val ), cat_( &cat )
+        val_( val ), failed_( detail::failed_impl( val, cat ) ), cat_( &cat )
     {
     }
 
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ public:
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR void assign( int val, const error_category & cat ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
         val_ = val;
+        failed_ = detail::failed_impl( val, cat );
         cat_ = &cat;
     }
 
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ public:
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR void clear() BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
         val_ = 0;
+        failed_ = false;
         cat_ = 0;
     }
 
@@ -140,21 +143,14 @@ public:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR bool failed() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
-        if( cat_ )
-        {
-            return detail::failed_impl( val_, *cat_ );
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            return val_ != 0;
-        }
+        return failed_;
     }
 
 #if !defined(BOOST_NO_CXX11_EXPLICIT_CONVERSION_OPERATORS)
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR explicit operator bool() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT  // true if error
     {
-        return failed();
+        return failed_;
     }
 
 #else
@@ -164,12 +160,12 @@ public:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR operator unspecified_bool_type() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT  // true if error
     {
-        return failed()? unspecified_bool_true: 0;
+        return failed_? unspecified_bool_true: 0;
     }
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR bool operator!() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT  // true if no error
     {
-        return !failed();
+        return !failed_;
     }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/test/failed_test.cpp b/test/failed_test.cpp
index 9f00b34..118d35f 100644
--- a/test/failed_test.cpp
+++ b/test/failed_test.cpp
@@ -120,30 +120,18 @@ template<class Ec> void test()
         ec.assign( 0, generic_category() );
         TEST_NOT_FAILED( ec );
     }
-}
 
-template<class Ec> void test2()
-{
-    Ec ec( 0, http_category() );
-    TEST_FAILED( ec );
+    {
+        Ec ec( 0, http_category() );
+        TEST_FAILED( ec );
 
-    ec.assign( 200, http_category() );
-    TEST_NOT_FAILED( ec );
+        ec.assign( 200, http_category() );
+        TEST_NOT_FAILED( ec );
 
-    ec = Ec( 404, http_category() );
-    TEST_FAILED( ec );
-}
+        ec = Ec( 404, http_category() );
+        TEST_FAILED( ec );
+    }
 
-template<class Ec> void test3()
-{
-    Ec ec( 0, http_category() );
-    BOOST_TEST( ec.failed() );
-
-    ec.assign( 200, http_category() );
-    BOOST_TEST( !ec.failed() );
-
-    ec = Ec( 404, http_category() );
-    BOOST_TEST( ec.failed() );
 }
 
 int main()
@@ -159,9 +147,7 @@ int main()
     BOOST_TEST( http_category().failed( 404 ) );
 
     test<error_code>();
-    test2<error_code>();
     test<error_condition>();
-    test3<error_condition>();
 
     {
         error_condition ec( errc::success );