diff --git a/include/boost/shared_ptr.hpp b/include/boost/shared_ptr.hpp
index 76ecdbb..bcc6b9d 100644
--- a/include/boost/shared_ptr.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/shared_ptr.hpp
@@ -225,6 +225,17 @@ template<typename T, typename U> inline bool operator!=(shared_ptr<T> const & a,
     return a.get() != b.get();
 }
 
+#if __GNUC__ == 2 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 96
+
+// Resolve the ambiguity between our op!= and the one in rel_ops
+
+template<typename T> inline bool operator!=(shared_ptr<T> const & a, shared_ptr<T> const & b)
+{
+    return a.get() != b.get();
+}
+
+#endif
+
 template<typename T> inline bool operator<(shared_ptr<T> const & a, shared_ptr<T> const & b)
 {
     return std::less<T*>()(a.get(), b.get());
diff --git a/include/boost/weak_ptr.hpp b/include/boost/weak_ptr.hpp
index 2b7120e..fae6c4d 100644
--- a/include/boost/weak_ptr.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/weak_ptr.hpp
@@ -164,6 +164,17 @@ template<class T, class U> inline bool operator!=(weak_ptr<T> const & a, weak_pt
     return a.get() != b.get();
 }
 
+#if __GNUC__ == 2 && __GNUC_MINOR__ <= 96
+
+// Resolve the ambiguity between our op!= and the one in rel_ops
+
+template<typename T> inline bool operator!=(weak_ptr<T> const & a, weak_ptr<T> const & b)
+{
+    return a.get() != b.get();
+}
+
+#endif
+
 template<class T> inline bool operator<(weak_ptr<T> const & a, weak_ptr<T> const & b)
 {
     return a.less(b);
diff --git a/shared_ptr_test.cpp b/shared_ptr_test.cpp
index dc1282a..0ad4323 100644
--- a/shared_ptr_test.cpp
+++ b/shared_ptr_test.cpp
@@ -108,22 +108,10 @@ template<class T> void test_is_Y(T const & p)
     BOOST_TEST((*p).id() == 2);
 }
 
-// std::rel_ops::operator!= breaks x != y when defined in the global namespace
-
-#if defined(__STL_BEGIN_RELOPS_NAMESPACE) && !defined(__STL_USE_NAMESPACE_FOR_RELOPS)
-#  define BOOST_BROKEN_INEQUALITY
-#endif
-
 template<class T> void test_eq(T const & a, T const & b)
 {
     BOOST_TEST(a == b);
-
-#ifndef BOOST_BROKEN_INEQUALITY
-
     BOOST_TEST(!(a != b));
-
-#endif
-
     BOOST_TEST(!(a < b));
     BOOST_TEST(!(b < a));
 }
@@ -131,13 +119,7 @@ template<class T> void test_eq(T const & a, T const & b)
 template<class T> void test_ne(T const & a, T const & b)
 {
     BOOST_TEST(!(a == b));
-
-#ifndef BOOST_BROKEN_INEQUALITY
-
     BOOST_TEST(a != b);
-
-#endif
-
     BOOST_TEST(a < b || b < a);
     BOOST_TEST(!(a < b && b < a));
 }
@@ -145,25 +127,13 @@ template<class T> void test_ne(T const & a, T const & b)
 template<class T, class U> void test_eq2(T const & a, U const & b)
 {
     BOOST_TEST(a == b);
-
-#ifndef BOOST_BROKEN_INEQUALITY
-
     BOOST_TEST(!(a != b));
-
-#endif
-
 }
 
 template<class T, class U> void test_ne2(T const & a, U const & b)
 {
     BOOST_TEST(!(a == b));
-
-#ifndef BOOST_BROKEN_INEQUALITY
-
     BOOST_TEST(a != b);
-
-#endif
-
 }
 
 int test_main(int, char * [])