diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/node/convert.h b/include/yaml-cpp/node/convert.h
index 146067b..1010d7e 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/node/convert.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/node/convert.h
@@ -223,6 +223,38 @@ namespace YAML
 		}
 	};
     
+	// std::pair
+	template<typename T, typename U>
+	struct convert<std::pair<T, U> > {
+		static Node encode(const std::pair<T, U>& rhs) {
+			Node node(NodeType::Sequence);
+            node.push_back(rhs.first);
+            node.push_back(rhs.second);
+			return node;
+		}
+		
+		static bool decode(const Node& node, std::pair<T, U>& rhs) {
+			if(!node.IsSequence())
+				return false;
+            if (node.size() != 2)
+                return false;
+
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ < 4
+//workaround for GCC 3:
+				rhs.first = node[0].template as<T>();
+#else
+				rhs.first = node[0].as<T>();
+#endif
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__ < 4
+//workaround for GCC 3:
+				rhs.second = node[1].template as<U>();
+#else
+				rhs.second = node[1].as<U>();
+#endif
+			return true;
+		}
+	};
+
     // binary
     template<>
 	struct convert<Binary> {
diff --git a/test/new-api/nodetests.cpp b/test/new-api/nodetests.cpp
index 394a04a..455709a 100644
--- a/test/new-api/nodetests.cpp
+++ b/test/new-api/nodetests.cpp
@@ -168,7 +168,19 @@ namespace Test
 			return true;
 		}
 		
-		TEST SimpleAlias()
+		TEST StdPair()
+		{
+			std::pair<int, std::string> p;
+            p.first = 5;
+            p.second = "five";
+			
+			YAML::Node node;
+			node["pair"] = p;
+			YAML_ASSERT((node["pair"].as<std::pair<int, std::string> >() == p));
+			return true;
+		}
+
+        TEST SimpleAlias()
 		{
 			YAML::Node node;
 			node["foo"] = "value";
@@ -463,8 +475,9 @@ namespace Test
 		TEST ret;
 		try {
 			ret = test();
-		} catch(...) {
+		} catch(const std::exception& e) {
 			ret.ok = false;
+            ret.error = e.what();
 		}
 		if(ret.ok) {
 			passed++;
@@ -492,6 +505,7 @@ namespace Test
 		RunNodeTest(&Node::StdVector, "std::vector", passed, total);
 		RunNodeTest(&Node::StdList, "std::list", passed, total);
 		RunNodeTest(&Node::StdMap, "std::map", passed, total);
+		RunNodeTest(&Node::StdPair, "std::pair", passed, total);
 		RunNodeTest(&Node::SimpleAlias, "simple alias", passed, total);
 		RunNodeTest(&Node::AliasAsKey, "alias as key", passed, total);
 		RunNodeTest(&Node::SelfReferenceSequence, "self reference sequence", passed, total);