diff --git a/Smarty.addons.php b/Smarty.addons.php
index 3d91233c..8fc6a3c8 100644
--- a/Smarty.addons.php
+++ b/Smarty.addons.php
@@ -201,6 +201,30 @@ function smarty_mod_default($string, $default="")
         return $string;
 }
 
+/*======================================================================*\
+    Function: smarty_func_assign
+    Purpose:  assign a value to a template variable
+\*======================================================================*/
+function smarty_func_assign($vars,&$smarty_obj)
+{
+	extract($vars);
+	$smarty_obj->assign($var,$val);
+	$smarty_obj->_extract = true;
+	return true;
+}
+
+/*======================================================================*\
+    Function: smarty_func_unassign
+    Purpose:  unassign a template variable
+\*======================================================================*/
+function smarty_func_unassign($vars,&$smarty_obj)
+{
+	extract($vars);
+	$smarty_obj->clear_assign($var);
+	$smarty_obj->_extract = true;
+	return true;
+}
+
 /*============================================*\
   Custom tag functions
 \*============================================*/
diff --git a/Smarty.class.php b/Smarty.class.php
index 59523ba9..8381e71a 100644
--- a/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/Smarty.class.php
@@ -120,7 +120,9 @@ class Smarty
                                     'html_select_time'  => 'smarty_func_html_select_time',
                                     'math'              => 'smarty_func_math',
                                     'fetch'             => 'smarty_func_fetch',
-									'counter'			=> 'smarty_func_counter'
+									'counter'			=> 'smarty_func_counter',
+									'assign'			=> 'smarty_func_assign',
+									'unassign'			=> 'smarty_func_unassign'
                                  );
     
     var $custom_mods     =  array(  'lower'             => 'strtolower',
@@ -159,9 +161,9 @@ class Smarty
     var $_sections              =   array();    // keeps track of sections
     var $_conf_obj              =   null;       // configuration object
     var $_smarty_md5            =   'f8d698aea36fcbead2b9d5359ffca76f'; // md5 checksum of the string 'Smarty'    
-    var $_version               =   '1.4.2';  // Smarty version number                     
-    
-
+    var $_version               =   '1.4.2';  // Smarty version number    
+	var $_extract				=	false; 	// flag for custom functions
+	
 /*======================================================================*\
     Function: Smarty
     Purpose:  Constructor
diff --git a/Smarty_Compiler.class.php b/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
index ce7c3470..6e89bbf9 100644
--- a/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
+++ b/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
             $arg_list[] = "'$arg_name' => $arg_value";
         }
 
-        return "<?php $function(array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."), \$this); ?>";
+        return "<?php $function(array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."), \$this); if(\$this->_extract) { extract(\$this->_tpl_vars); \$this->_extract=false; } ?>";
     }
 
 
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index 59523ba9..8381e71a 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -120,7 +120,9 @@ class Smarty
                                     'html_select_time'  => 'smarty_func_html_select_time',
                                     'math'              => 'smarty_func_math',
                                     'fetch'             => 'smarty_func_fetch',
-									'counter'			=> 'smarty_func_counter'
+									'counter'			=> 'smarty_func_counter',
+									'assign'			=> 'smarty_func_assign',
+									'unassign'			=> 'smarty_func_unassign'
                                  );
     
     var $custom_mods     =  array(  'lower'             => 'strtolower',
@@ -159,9 +161,9 @@ class Smarty
     var $_sections              =   array();    // keeps track of sections
     var $_conf_obj              =   null;       // configuration object
     var $_smarty_md5            =   'f8d698aea36fcbead2b9d5359ffca76f'; // md5 checksum of the string 'Smarty'    
-    var $_version               =   '1.4.2';  // Smarty version number                     
-    
-
+    var $_version               =   '1.4.2';  // Smarty version number    
+	var $_extract				=	false; 	// flag for custom functions
+	
 /*======================================================================*\
     Function: Smarty
     Purpose:  Constructor
diff --git a/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php b/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
index ce7c3470..6e89bbf9 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty_Compiler.class.php
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ class Smarty_Compiler extends Smarty {
             $arg_list[] = "'$arg_name' => $arg_value";
         }
 
-        return "<?php $function(array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."), \$this); ?>";
+        return "<?php $function(array(".implode(',', (array)$arg_list)."), \$this); if(\$this->_extract) { extract(\$this->_tpl_vars); \$this->_extract=false; } ?>";
     }