diff --git a/boxedcpp/boxed_value.hpp b/boxedcpp/boxed_value.hpp
index 4ecbcd2..a15f093 100644
--- a/boxedcpp/boxed_value.hpp
+++ b/boxedcpp/boxed_value.hpp
@@ -206,6 +206,16 @@ struct Cast_Helper<Result &>
   }
 };
 
+template<typename Result>
+struct Cast_Helper<typename boost::shared_ptr<Result> >
+{
+  typename boost::shared_ptr<Result> operator()(Boxed_Value ob)
+  {
+    return boost::any_cast<boost::shared_ptr<Result> >(ob.get());
+  }
+};
+
+
 template<>
 struct Cast_Helper<Boxed_Value>
 {
diff --git a/boxedcpp/boxedcpp.hpp b/boxedcpp/boxedcpp.hpp
index e742ff8..7f95529 100644
--- a/boxedcpp/boxedcpp.hpp
+++ b/boxedcpp/boxedcpp.hpp
@@ -116,12 +116,26 @@ class BoxedCPP_System
       return std::vector<Type_Name_Map::value_type>(m_types.begin(), m_types.end());
     }
 
-    std::vector<Function_Map::value_type> get_function(const std::string &t_name) const
+    std::vector<std::pair<std::string, Function_Map::mapped_type> > 
+      get_function(const std::string &t_name) const
     {
+      std::vector<std::pair<std::string, Function_Map::mapped_type> > funcs;
+
+      try {
+        funcs.insert(funcs.end(), 
+            Function_Map::value_type(
+              t_name, 
+              Cast_Helper<Function_Map::mapped_type>()(get_object(t_name)))
+            );
+      } catch (const std::bad_cast &) {
+      } catch (const std::range_error &) {
+      }
+
       std::pair<Function_Map::const_iterator, Function_Map::const_iterator> range
         = m_functions.equal_range(t_name);
 
-      return std::vector<Function_Map::value_type>(range.first, range.second);
+      funcs.insert(funcs.end(), range.first, range.second);
+      return funcs;
     }
 
     std::vector<Function_Map::value_type> get_functions() const
diff --git a/boxedcpp/proxy_functions.hpp b/boxedcpp/proxy_functions.hpp
index 0dc56fa..0645a5d 100644
--- a/boxedcpp/proxy_functions.hpp
+++ b/boxedcpp/proxy_functions.hpp
@@ -178,10 +178,10 @@ class Proxy_Function_Impl : public Proxy_Function
     Func m_f;
 };
 
-Boxed_Value dispatch(const std::vector<std::pair<const std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Proxy_Function> > > &funcs,
+Boxed_Value dispatch(const std::vector<std::pair<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Proxy_Function> > > &funcs,
   const std::vector<Boxed_Value> &plist)
 {
-  for (std::vector<std::pair<const std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Proxy_Function> > >::const_iterator itr = funcs.begin();
+  for (std::vector<std::pair<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Proxy_Function> > >::const_iterator itr = funcs.begin();
        itr != funcs.end();
        ++itr)
   {