Install C version of heapq.nsmallest().
diff --git a/Doc/lib/libheapq.tex b/Doc/lib/libheapq.tex
index 4585058..5a140ab 100644
--- a/Doc/lib/libheapq.tex
+++ b/Doc/lib/libheapq.tex
@@ -97,11 +97,6 @@
 \versionadded{2.4}              
 \end{funcdesc}
 
-Though the above functions appear symmetrical, they each have different
-speed and space requirements.  In particular, \function{nsmallest()}
-operates on a full copy of the dataset.  In contrast, \function{nlargest()}
-only requires storage space for \var{n} elements.
-
 Both functions perform best for smaller values of \var{n}.  For larger
 values, it is more efficient to use the \function{sorted()} function.  Also,
 when \code{n==1}, it is more efficient to use the builtin \function{min()}
diff --git a/Lib/heapq.py b/Lib/heapq.py
index 65f4155..09f996a 100644
--- a/Lib/heapq.py
+++ b/Lib/heapq.py
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@
 
 # If available, use C implementation
 try:
-    from _heapq import heappush, heappop, heapify, heapreplace
+    from _heapq import heappush, heappop, heapify, heapreplace, nlargest, nsmallest
 except ImportError:
     pass
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_heapq.py b/Lib/test/test_heapq.py
index 1cdaabe..b6fec9f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_heapq.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_heapq.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import random
 import unittest
 from test import test_support
+import sys
 
 
 def heapiter(heap):
@@ -91,16 +92,28 @@
 
     def test_nsmallest(self):
         data = [random.randrange(2000) for i in range(1000)]
-        self.assertEqual(nsmallest(data, 400), sorted(data)[:400])
-        self.assertEqual(nsmallest(data, 50), sorted(data)[:50])
+        for i in (0, 1, 2, 10, 100, 400, 999, 1000, 1100):
+            self.assertEqual(nsmallest(data, i), sorted(data)[:i])
 
     def test_largest(self):
         data = [random.randrange(2000) for i in range(1000)]
-        self.assertEqual(nlargest(data, 400), sorted(data, reverse=True)[:400])
+        for i in (0, 1, 2, 10, 100, 400, 999, 1000, 1100):
+            self.assertEqual(nlargest(data, i), sorted(data, reverse=True)[:i])
 
-def test_main():
-    test_support.run_unittest(TestHeap)
+def test_main(verbose=None):
+    test_classes = [TestHeap]
+    test_support.run_unittest(*test_classes)
+
+    # verify reference counting
+    if verbose and hasattr(sys, "gettotalrefcount"):
+        import gc
+        counts = [None] * 5
+        for i in xrange(len(counts)):
+            test_support.run_unittest(*test_classes)
+            gc.collect()
+            counts[i] = sys.gettotalrefcount()
+        print counts
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    test_main()
+    test_main(verbose=True)
 
diff --git a/Modules/_heapqmodule.c b/Modules/_heapqmodule.c
index 8fe742f..61ee413 100644
--- a/Modules/_heapqmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_heapqmodule.c
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@
 static PyObject *
 nlargest(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
-	PyObject *heap=NULL, *elem, *rv, *iterable, *sol, *it, *oldelem;
+	PyObject *heap=NULL, *elem, *iterable, *sol, *it, *oldelem;
 	int i, n;
 
 	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "Oi:nlargest", &iterable, &n))
@@ -246,10 +246,9 @@
 	if (PyList_GET_SIZE(heap) == 0)
 		goto sortit;
 
-	rv = heapify(self, heap);
-	if (rv == NULL)
-		goto fail;
-	Py_DECREF(rv);
+	for (i=n/2-1 ; i>=0 ; i--)
+		if(_siftup((PyListObject *)heap, i) == -1)
+			goto fail;
 
 	sol = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, 0);
 	while (1) {
@@ -290,6 +289,162 @@
 \n\
 Equivalent to:  sorted(iterable, reverse=True)[:n]\n");
 
+static int
+_siftdownmax(PyListObject *heap, int startpos, int pos)
+{
+	PyObject *newitem, *parent;
+	int cmp, parentpos;
+
+	assert(PyList_Check(heap));
+	if (pos >= PyList_GET_SIZE(heap)) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_IndexError, "index out of range");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	newitem = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, pos);
+	Py_INCREF(newitem);
+	/* Follow the path to the root, moving parents down until finding
+	   a place newitem fits. */
+	while (pos > startpos){
+		parentpos = (pos - 1) >> 1;
+		parent = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, parentpos);
+		cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(newitem, parent, Py_LE);
+		if (cmp == -1)
+			return -1;
+		if (cmp == 1)
+			break;
+		Py_INCREF(parent);
+		Py_DECREF(PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, pos));
+		PyList_SET_ITEM(heap, pos, parent);
+		pos = parentpos;
+	}
+	Py_DECREF(PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, pos));
+	PyList_SET_ITEM(heap, pos, newitem);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+_siftupmax(PyListObject *heap, int pos)
+{
+	int startpos, endpos, childpos, rightpos;
+	int cmp;
+	PyObject *newitem, *tmp;
+
+	assert(PyList_Check(heap));
+	endpos = PyList_GET_SIZE(heap);
+	startpos = pos;
+	if (pos >= endpos) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_IndexError, "index out of range");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	newitem = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, pos);
+	Py_INCREF(newitem);
+
+	/* Bubble up the smaller child until hitting a leaf. */
+	childpos = 2*pos + 1;    /* leftmost child position  */
+	while (childpos < endpos) {
+		/* Set childpos to index of smaller child.   */
+		rightpos = childpos + 1;
+		if (rightpos < endpos) {
+			cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(
+				PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, childpos),
+				PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, rightpos),
+				Py_LE);
+			if (cmp == -1)
+				return -1;
+			if (cmp == 1)
+				childpos = rightpos;
+		}
+		/* Move the smaller child up. */
+		tmp = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, childpos);
+		Py_INCREF(tmp);
+		Py_DECREF(PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, pos));
+		PyList_SET_ITEM(heap, pos, tmp);
+		pos = childpos;
+		childpos = 2*pos + 1;
+	}
+
+	/* The leaf at pos is empty now.  Put newitem there, and and bubble
+	   it up to its final resting place (by sifting its parents down). */
+	Py_DECREF(PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, pos));
+	PyList_SET_ITEM(heap, pos, newitem);
+	return _siftdownmax(heap, startpos, pos);
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+nsmallest(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+{
+	PyObject *heap=NULL, *elem, *iterable, *los, *it, *oldelem;
+	int i, n;
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "Oi:nsmallest", &iterable, &n))
+		return NULL;
+
+	it = PyObject_GetIter(iterable);
+	if (it == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	heap = PyList_New(0);
+	if (it == NULL)
+		goto fail;
+
+	for (i=0 ; i<n ; i++ ){
+		elem = PyIter_Next(it);
+		if (elem == NULL)
+			goto sortit;
+		if (PyList_Append(heap, elem) == -1) {
+			Py_DECREF(elem);
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		Py_DECREF(elem);
+	}
+	n = PyList_GET_SIZE(heap);
+	if (n == 0)
+		goto sortit;
+
+	for (i=n/2-1 ; i>=0 ; i--)
+		if(_siftupmax((PyListObject *)heap, i) == -1)
+			goto fail;
+
+	los = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, 0);
+	while (1) {
+		elem = PyIter_Next(it);
+		if (elem == NULL) {
+			if (PyErr_Occurred())
+				goto fail;
+			else
+				goto sortit;
+		}
+		if (PyObject_RichCompareBool(los, elem, Py_LE)) {
+			Py_DECREF(elem);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		oldelem = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, 0);
+		PyList_SET_ITEM(heap, 0, elem);
+		Py_DECREF(oldelem);
+		if (_siftupmax((PyListObject *)heap, 0) == -1)
+			goto fail;
+		los = PyList_GET_ITEM(heap, 0);
+	}
+
+sortit:
+	Py_DECREF(it);
+	if (PyList_Sort(heap) == -1)
+		goto fail;
+	return heap;
+
+fail:
+	Py_DECREF(it);
+	Py_XDECREF(heap);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+PyDoc_STRVAR(nsmallest_doc,
+"Find the n smallest elements in a dataset.\n\
+\n\
+Equivalent to:  sorted(iterable)[:n]\n");
+
 static PyMethodDef heapq_methods[] = {
 	{"heappush",	(PyCFunction)heappush,		
 		METH_VARARGS,	heappush_doc},
@@ -301,6 +456,8 @@
 		METH_O,		heapify_doc},
 	{"nlargest",	(PyCFunction)nlargest,
 		METH_VARARGS,	nlargest_doc},
+	{"nsmallest",	(PyCFunction)nsmallest,
+		METH_VARARGS,	nsmallest_doc},
 	{NULL,		NULL}		/* sentinel */
 };