diff --git a/include/boost/function/function_base.hpp b/include/boost/function/function_base.hpp
index 5784bb9..e4d0433 100644
--- a/include/boost/function/function_base.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/function/function_base.hpp
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ namespace boost { namespace python { namespace objects {
 #  define BOOST_FUNCTION_NO_FUNCTION_TYPE_SYNTAX
 #endif
 
+#define BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL(Functor,Type)              \
+  typename ::boost::enable_if_c<(::boost::type_traits::ice_not<          \
+                        (::boost::is_integral<Functor>::value)>::value), \
+                       Type>::type
+
+
 #if !defined(BOOST_FUNCTION_NO_FUNCTION_TYPE_SYNTAX)
 namespace boost {
 
@@ -432,6 +438,29 @@ public:
       }
     }
 
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3
+  // GCC 3.3 and newer cannot copy with the global operator==, due to
+  // problems with instantiation of function return types before it
+  // has been verified that the argument types match up.
+  template<typename Functor>
+    BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL(Functor, bool)
+    operator==(Functor g) const
+    {
+      if (const Functor* fp = target<Functor>())
+	return function_equal(*fp, g);
+      else return false;
+    }
+
+  template<typename Functor>
+    BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL(Functor, bool)
+    operator!=(Functor g) const
+    {
+      if (const Functor* fp = target<Functor>())
+	return !function_equal(*fp, g);
+      else return true;
+    }
+#endif
+
 public: // should be protected, but GCC 2.95.3 will fail to allow access
   detail::function::any_pointer (*manager)(
     detail::function::any_pointer,
@@ -524,12 +553,10 @@ template<typename Functor>
   }
 #else
 
-#define BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL(Functor,Type)              \
-  typename ::boost::enable_if_c<(::boost::type_traits::ice_not<          \
-                        (::boost::is_integral<Functor>::value)>::value), \
-                       Type>::type
-
-// Comparisons between boost::function objects and arbitrary function objects
+#  if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+// Comparisons between boost::function objects and arbitrary function
+// objects. GCC 3.3 and before has an obnoxious bug that prevents this
+// from working.
 template<typename Functor>
   BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL(Functor, bool)
   operator==(const function_base& f, Functor g)
@@ -565,6 +592,7 @@ template<typename Functor>
       return !function_equal(g, *fp);
     else return true;
   }
+#  endif
 
 template<typename Functor>
   BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL(Functor, bool)
@@ -601,7 +629,7 @@ template<typename Functor>
       return g.get_pointer() != fp;
     else return true;
   }
-#undef BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL
+
 #endif // Compiler supporting SFINAE
 
 namespace detail {
@@ -626,6 +654,7 @@ namespace detail {
 } // end namespace detail
 } // end namespace boost
 
+#undef BOOST_FUNCTION_ENABLE_IF_NOT_INTEGRAL
 #undef BOOST_FUNCTION_COMPARE_TYPE_ID
 
 #endif // BOOST_FUNCTION_BASE_HEADER
diff --git a/test/contains_test.cpp b/test/contains_test.cpp
index 02f0ece..0153339 100644
--- a/test/contains_test.cpp
+++ b/test/contains_test.cpp
@@ -56,18 +56,24 @@ static void equal_test()
 
   f = &forty_two;
   BOOST_TEST(f == &forty_two);
-  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two == f);
   BOOST_TEST(f != ReturnInt(17));
+#if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two == f);
   BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(17) != f);
+#endif
+
   BOOST_TEST(f.contains(&forty_two));
 
   f = ReturnInt(17);
   BOOST_TEST(f != &forty_two);
-  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two != f);
   BOOST_TEST(f == ReturnInt(17));
-  BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(17) == f);
   BOOST_TEST(f != ReturnInt(16));
+#if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two != f);
+  BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(17) == f);
   BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(16) != f);
+#endif
+
   BOOST_TEST(f.contains(ReturnInt(17)));
 
 #if !defined(BOOST_FUNCTION_NO_FUNCTION_TYPE_SYNTAX)
@@ -75,17 +81,21 @@ static void equal_test()
 
   g = &forty_two;
   BOOST_TEST(g == &forty_two);
-  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two == g);
   BOOST_TEST(g != ReturnInt(17));
+#  if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two == g);
   BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(17) != g);
+#  endif
 
   g = ReturnInt(17);
   BOOST_TEST(g != &forty_two);
-  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two != g);
   BOOST_TEST(g == ReturnInt(17));
-  BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(17) == g);
   BOOST_TEST(g != ReturnInt(16));
+#  if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+  BOOST_TEST(&forty_two != g);
+  BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(17) == g);
   BOOST_TEST(ReturnInt(16) != g);
+#  endif
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -99,22 +109,26 @@ static void ref_equal_test()
     BOOST_TEST(f == boost::ref(ri));
     BOOST_TEST(f == ri);
     BOOST_TEST(boost::ref(ri) == f);
-    BOOST_TEST(ri == f);
     BOOST_TEST(!(f != boost::ref(ri)));
     BOOST_TEST(!(f != ri));
     BOOST_TEST(!(boost::ref(ri) != f));
+#if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+    BOOST_TEST(ri == f);
     BOOST_TEST(!(ri != f));
+#endif
 
     // Values equal, references inequal
     ReturnInt ri2(17);
     BOOST_TEST(f == ri2);
     BOOST_TEST(f != boost::ref(ri2));
-    BOOST_TEST(ri2 == f);
     BOOST_TEST(boost::ref(ri2) != f);
     BOOST_TEST(!(f != ri2));
     BOOST_TEST(!(f == boost::ref(ri2)));
-    BOOST_TEST(!(ri2 != f));
     BOOST_TEST(!(boost::ref(ri2) == f));
+#if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+    BOOST_TEST(ri2 == f);
+    BOOST_TEST(!(ri2 != f));
+#endif 
   }
 
 #if !defined(BOOST_FUNCTION_NO_FUNCTION_TYPE_SYNTAX)
@@ -126,22 +140,26 @@ static void ref_equal_test()
     BOOST_TEST(f == boost::ref(ri));
     BOOST_TEST(f == ri);
     BOOST_TEST(boost::ref(ri) == f);
-    BOOST_TEST(ri == f);
     BOOST_TEST(!(f != boost::ref(ri)));
     BOOST_TEST(!(f != ri));
     BOOST_TEST(!(boost::ref(ri) != f));
+#  if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+    BOOST_TEST(ri == f);
     BOOST_TEST(!(ri != f));
+#  endif
 
     // Values equal, references inequal
     ReturnInt ri2(17);
     BOOST_TEST(f == ri2);
     BOOST_TEST(f != boost::ref(ri2));
-    BOOST_TEST(ri2 == f);
     BOOST_TEST(boost::ref(ri2) != f);
     BOOST_TEST(!(f != ri2));
     BOOST_TEST(!(f == boost::ref(ri2)));
-    BOOST_TEST(!(ri2 != f));
     BOOST_TEST(!(boost::ref(ri2) == f));
+#  if !(defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 3)
+    BOOST_TEST(ri2 == f);
+    BOOST_TEST(!(ri2 != f));
+#  endif
   }
 #endif
 }