diff --git a/doc/Attic/history.html b/doc/Attic/history.html
index 1ef70c79..c29459d6 100644
--- a/doc/Attic/history.html
+++ b/doc/Attic/history.html
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@
          that regex iteration allows lookbehind to look back before the current search 
          range (into the last match).
          <LI>
-            Fixed strange bug with non-greedy repeats inside forward lookahead assertions.</LI></UL>
+         Fixed strange bug with non-greedy repeats inside forward lookahead assertions.
+         <LI>
+            Enabled negated character classes inside character sets.</LI></UL>
       <P>Boost 1.33.0.</P>
       <UL>
          <LI>
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@
          <HR>
       <P></P>
       <p>Revised&nbsp; 
-         <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B, %Y" startspan -->
+         <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B, %Y" startspan --> 
          28 June 2004&nbsp; 
          <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" endspan i-checksum="39359" --></p>
       <p><i>© Copyright John Maddock&nbsp;1998- 
diff --git a/doc/history.html b/doc/history.html
index 1ef70c79..c29459d6 100644
--- a/doc/history.html
+++ b/doc/history.html
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@
          that regex iteration allows lookbehind to look back before the current search 
          range (into the last match).
          <LI>
-            Fixed strange bug with non-greedy repeats inside forward lookahead assertions.</LI></UL>
+         Fixed strange bug with non-greedy repeats inside forward lookahead assertions.
+         <LI>
+            Enabled negated character classes inside character sets.</LI></UL>
       <P>Boost 1.33.0.</P>
       <UL>
          <LI>
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@
          <HR>
       <P></P>
       <p>Revised&nbsp; 
-         <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B, %Y" startspan -->
+         <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B, %Y" startspan --> 
          28 June 2004&nbsp; 
          <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" endspan i-checksum="39359" --></p>
       <p><i>© Copyright John Maddock&nbsp;1998- 
diff --git a/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_creator.hpp b/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_creator.hpp
index 20602ebf..373c79f1 100644
--- a/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_creator.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_creator.hpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ public:
       m_negate = false;
       m_has_digraphs = false;
       m_classes = 0;
+      m_negated_classes = 0;
       m_empty = true;
    }
 
@@ -92,6 +93,11 @@ public:
       m_classes |= m;
       m_empty = false;
    }
+   void add_negated_class(mask_type m)
+   {
+      m_negated_classes |= m;
+      m_empty = false;
+   }
    void add_equivalent(const digraph_type& s)
    {
       m_equivalents.insert(m_equivalents.end(), s);
@@ -148,18 +154,23 @@ public:
    {
       return m_classes;
    }
+   mask_type negated_classes()const
+   {
+      return m_negated_classes;
+   }
    bool empty()const
    {
       return m_empty;
    }
 private:
-   std::vector<digraph_type> m_singles;        // a list of single characters to match
-   std::vector<digraph_type> m_ranges;         // a list of end points of our ranges
-   bool                      m_negate;         // true if the set is to be negated
-   bool                      m_has_digraphs;   // true if we have digraphs present
-   mask_type                 m_classes;        // character classes to match
-   bool                      m_empty;          // whether we've added anything yet
-   std::vector<digraph_type> m_equivalents;    // a list of equivalence classes
+   std::vector<digraph_type> m_singles;         // a list of single characters to match
+   std::vector<digraph_type> m_ranges;          // a list of end points of our ranges
+   bool                      m_negate;          // true if the set is to be negated
+   bool                      m_has_digraphs;    // true if we have digraphs present
+   mask_type                 m_classes;         // character classes to match
+   mask_type                 m_negated_classes; // negated character classes to match
+   bool                      m_empty;           // whether we've added anything yet
+   std::vector<digraph_type> m_equivalents;     // a list of equivalence classes
 };
    
 template <class charT, class traits>
@@ -350,11 +361,14 @@ re_syntax_base* basic_regex_creator<charT, traits>::append_set(
    result->cranges = static_cast<unsigned int>(::boost::re_detail::distance(char_set.ranges_begin(), char_set.ranges_end())) / 2;
    result->cequivalents = static_cast<unsigned int>(::boost::re_detail::distance(char_set.equivalents_begin(), char_set.equivalents_end()));
    result->cclasses = char_set.classes();
+   result->cnclasses = char_set.negated_classes();
    if(flags() & regbase::icase)
    {
       // adjust classes as needed:
       if(((result->cclasses & m_lower_mask) == m_lower_mask) || ((result->cclasses & m_upper_mask) == m_upper_mask))
          result->cclasses |= m_alpha_mask;
+      if(((result->cnclasses & m_lower_mask) == m_lower_mask) || ((result->cnclasses & m_upper_mask) == m_upper_mask))
+         result->cnclasses |= m_alpha_mask;
    }
 
    result->isnot = char_set.is_negated();
@@ -596,6 +610,24 @@ re_syntax_base* basic_regex_creator<charT, traits>::append_set(
       }
    }
    //
+   // and now the negated classes:
+   //
+   m = char_set.negated_classes();
+   if(flags() & regbase::icase)
+   {
+      // adjust m as needed:
+      if(((m & m_lower_mask) == m_lower_mask) || ((m & m_upper_mask) == m_upper_mask))
+         m |= m_alpha_mask;
+   }
+   if(m != 0)
+   {
+      for(unsigned i = 0; i < (1u << CHAR_BIT); ++i)
+      {
+         if(0 == this->m_traits.isctype(static_cast<charT>(i), m))
+            result->_map[i] = true;
+      }
+   }
+   //
    // now process the equivalence classes:
    //
    first = char_set.equivalents_begin();
diff --git a/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_parser.hpp b/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_parser.hpp
index f17a440e..61be3ccf 100644
--- a/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_parser.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/regex/v4/basic_regex_parser.hpp
@@ -1013,12 +1013,13 @@ bool basic_regex_parser<charT, traits>::parse_set()
             else if(this->m_traits.escape_syntax_type(*m_position)
                == regex_constants::escape_type_not_class)
             {
-               // negated character classes aren't supported:
+               // negated character class:
                char_class_type m = this->m_traits.lookup_classname(m_position, m_position+1);
                if(m != 0)
                {
-                  fail(regex_constants::error_escape, m_position - m_base);
-                  return false;
+                  char_set.add_negated_class(m);
+                  ++m_position;
+                  break;
                }
             }
             // not a character class, just a regular escape:
@@ -1094,6 +1095,15 @@ bool basic_regex_parser<charT, traits>::parse_inner_set(basic_char_set<charT, tr
          fail(regex_constants::error_brack, m_position - m_base);
          return false;
       }
+      //
+      // check for negated class:
+      //
+      bool negated = false;
+      if(this->m_traits.syntax_type(*name_first) == regex_constants::syntax_caret)
+      {
+         ++name_first;
+         negated = true;
+      }
       typedef typename traits::char_class_type mask_type;
       mask_type m = this->m_traits.lookup_classname(name_first, name_last);
       if(m == 0)
@@ -1125,7 +1135,10 @@ bool basic_regex_parser<charT, traits>::parse_inner_set(basic_char_set<charT, tr
          fail(regex_constants::error_ctype, name_first - m_base);
          return false;
       }
-      char_set.add_class(m);
+      if(negated == false)
+         char_set.add_class(m);
+      else
+         char_set.add_negated_class(m);
       ++m_position;
       break;
    }
diff --git a/include/boost/regex/v4/perl_matcher.hpp b/include/boost/regex/v4/perl_matcher.hpp
index f8009273..39d7f37c 100644
--- a/include/boost/regex/v4/perl_matcher.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/regex/v4/perl_matcher.hpp
@@ -226,6 +226,8 @@ iterator BOOST_REGEX_CALL re_is_set_member(iterator next,
    }
    if(traits_inst.isctype(col, set_->cclasses) == true)
       return set_->isnot ? next : ++next;
+   if((set_->cnclasses != 0) && (traits_inst.isctype(col, set_->cnclasses) == false))
+      return set_->isnot ? next : ++next;
    return set_->isnot ? ++next : next;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/boost/regex/v4/states.hpp b/include/boost/regex/v4/states.hpp
index 99bfa23e..551ed669 100644
--- a/include/boost/regex/v4/states.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/regex/v4/states.hpp
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ struct re_set_long : public re_syntax_base
 {
    unsigned int            csingles, cranges, cequivalents;
    mask_type               cclasses;
+   mask_type               cnclasses;
    bool                    isnot;
    bool                    singleton;
 };
diff --git a/test/regress/test_sets.cpp b/test/regress/test_sets.cpp
index 5d692092..7f23c105 100644
--- a/test/regress/test_sets.cpp
+++ b/test/regress/test_sets.cpp
@@ -241,20 +241,29 @@ void test_sets2()
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\l+", perl, "ABabcAB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\l]+", perl, "ABabcAB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_INVALID_REGEX("[\\l-a]", perl);
-   TEST_INVALID_REGEX("[\\L]", perl);
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\L]+", perl, "abABCab", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[[:^lower:]]+", perl, "abABCab", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\L+", perl, "abABCab", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\u+", perl, "abABCab", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\u]+", perl, "abABCab", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
-   TEST_INVALID_REGEX("[\\U]", perl);
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\U]+", perl, "ABabcAB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[[:^upper:]]+", perl, "ABabcAB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\U+", perl, "ABabcAB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\d+", perl, "AB012AB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\d]+", perl, "AB012AB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
-   TEST_INVALID_REGEX("[\\D]", perl);
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\D]+", perl, "01abc01", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[[:^digit:]]+", perl, "01abc01", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\D+", perl, "01abc01", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\s+", perl, "AB   AB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\s]+", perl, "AB   AB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
-   TEST_INVALID_REGEX("[\\S]", perl);
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\S]+", perl, "  abc  ", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[[:^space:]]+", perl, "  abc  ", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
    TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\S+", perl, "  abc  ", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\s+", perl, "AB   AB", match_default, make_array(2, 5, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\w]+", perl, "AB_   AB", match_default, make_array(0, 3, -2, 6, 8, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[\\W]+", perl, "AB_   AB", match_default, make_array(3, 6, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("[[:^word:]]+", perl, "AB_   AB", match_default, make_array(3, 6, -2, -2));
+   TEST_REGEX_SEARCH("\\W+", perl, "AB_   AB", match_default, make_array(3, 6, -2, -2));
    test_sets2c();
 }