diff --git a/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp b/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp
index 6b38376..bbf6280 100644
--- a/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/system/detail/error_condition.hpp
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #include <boost/system/detail/error_category.hpp>
 #include <boost/system/detail/generic_category.hpp>
 #include <boost/system/detail/enable_if.hpp>
+#include <boost/system/detail/is_same.hpp>
+#include <boost/system/detail/errc.hpp>
 #include <boost/system/is_error_condition_enum.hpp>
 #include <boost/system/detail/config.hpp>
 #include <boost/config.hpp>
@@ -27,6 +29,17 @@ namespace system
 
 // error_conditions are portable, error_codes are system or library specific
 
+namespace detail
+{
+
+struct generic_value_tag
+{
+    int value;
+    BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR explicit generic_value_tag( int v ): value( v ) {}
+};
+
+} // namespace detail
+
 class error_condition
 {
 private:
@@ -39,7 +52,7 @@ public:
     // constructors:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR error_condition() BOOST_NOEXCEPT:
-        val_( 0 ), cat_( &generic_category() )
+        val_( 0 ), cat_( 0 )
     {
     }
 
@@ -48,12 +61,25 @@ public:
     {
     }
 
+    BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR explicit error_condition( boost::system::detail::generic_value_tag vt ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT:
+        val_( vt.value ), cat_( 0 )
+    {
+    }
+
     template<class ErrorConditionEnum> BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR error_condition( ErrorConditionEnum e,
-        typename detail::enable_if<is_error_condition_enum<ErrorConditionEnum>::value>::type* = 0) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
+      typename detail::enable_if<
+        is_error_condition_enum<ErrorConditionEnum>::value && !boost::system::detail::is_same<ErrorConditionEnum, errc::errc_t>::value
+      >::type* = 0) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
         *this = make_error_condition( e );
     }
 
+    template<class ErrorConditionEnum> BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR error_condition( ErrorConditionEnum e,
+      typename detail::enable_if<boost::system::detail::is_same<ErrorConditionEnum, errc::errc_t>::value>::type* = 0) BOOST_NOEXCEPT:
+        val_( e ), cat_( 0 )
+    {
+    }
+
     // modifiers:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR void assign( int val, const error_category & cat ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
@@ -66,14 +92,14 @@ public:
         BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR typename detail::enable_if<is_error_condition_enum<ErrorConditionEnum>::value, error_condition>::type &
         operator=( ErrorConditionEnum val ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
-        *this = make_error_condition( val );
+        *this = error_condition( val );
         return *this;
     }
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR void clear() BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
         val_ = 0;
-        cat_ = &generic_category();
+        cat_ = 0;
     }
 
     // observers:
@@ -85,29 +111,50 @@ public:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR const error_category & category() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
-        return *cat_;
+        return cat_? *cat_: generic_category();
     }
 
     std::string message() const
     {
-        return cat_->message( value() );
+        if( cat_ )
+        {
+            return cat_->message( value() );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return generic_category().message( value() );
+        }
     }
 
-    BOOST_SYSTEM_DEPRECATED("this function is slated for removal") char const * message( char * buffer, std::size_t len ) const BOOST_NOEXCEPT
+    char const * message( char * buffer, std::size_t len ) const BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
-        return cat_->message( value(), buffer, len );
+        if( cat_ )
+        {
+            return cat_->message( value(), buffer, len );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return generic_category().message( value(), buffer, len );
+        }
     }
 
-    BOOST_SYSTEM_DEPRECATED("this function is slated for removal") BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR bool failed() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT
+    BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR bool failed() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
-        return detail::failed_impl( val_, *cat_ );
+        if( cat_ )
+        {
+            return detail::failed_impl( val_, *cat_ );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return val_ != 0;
+        }
     }
 
 #if !defined(BOOST_NO_CXX11_EXPLICIT_CONVERSION_OPERATORS)
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR explicit operator bool() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT  // true if error
     {
-        return val_ != 0;
+        return failed();
     }
 
 #else
@@ -117,12 +164,12 @@ public:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR operator unspecified_bool_type() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT  // true if error
     {
-        return val_ != 0? unspecified_bool_true: 0;
+        return failed()? unspecified_bool_true: 0;
     }
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR bool operator!() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT  // true if no error
     {
-        return val_ == 0;
+        return !failed();
     }
 
 #endif
@@ -133,12 +180,19 @@ public:
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR inline friend bool operator==( const error_condition & lhs, const error_condition & rhs ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
-        return lhs.val_ == rhs.val_ && *lhs.cat_ == *rhs.cat_;
+        return lhs.val_ == rhs.val_ && lhs.category() == rhs.category();
     }
 
     BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR inline friend bool operator<( const error_condition & lhs, const error_condition & rhs ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
     {
-        return *lhs.cat_ < *rhs.cat_ || ( *lhs.cat_ == *rhs.cat_ && lhs.val_ < rhs.val_ );
+        error_category const& lcat = lhs.category();
+        error_category const& rcat = rhs.category();
+        return lcat < rcat || ( lcat == rcat && lhs.val_ < rhs.val_ );
+    }
+
+    BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR inline friend bool operator!=( const error_condition & lhs, const error_condition & rhs ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
+    {
+        return !( lhs == rhs );
     }
 
 #if defined(BOOST_SYSTEM_HAS_SYSTEM_ERROR)
@@ -151,11 +205,6 @@ public:
 #endif
 };
 
-BOOST_SYSTEM_CONSTEXPR inline bool operator!=( const error_condition & lhs, const error_condition & rhs ) BOOST_NOEXCEPT
-{
-    return !( lhs == rhs );
-}
-
 } // namespace system
 
 } // namespace boost
diff --git a/include/boost/system/detail/is_same.hpp b/include/boost/system/detail/is_same.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc466f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/boost/system/detail/is_same.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#ifndef BOOST_SYSTEM_DETAIL_IS_SAME_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define BOOST_SYSTEM_DETAIL_IS_SAME_HPP_INCLUDED
+
+// Copyright 2021 Peter Dimov
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0
+// http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt
+
+namespace boost
+{
+
+namespace system
+{
+
+namespace detail
+{
+
+template<class T1, class T2> struct is_same
+{
+    enum _vt { value = 0 };
+};
+
+template<class T> struct is_same<T, T>
+{
+    enum _vt { value = 1 };
+};
+
+} // namespace detail
+
+} // namespace system
+
+} // namespace boost
+
+#endif // #ifndef BOOST_SYSTEM_DETAIL_IS_SAME_HPP_INCLUDED