diff --git a/Modules/termios.c b/Modules/termios.c
index 1d5e20b..d192bfc 100644
--- a/Modules/termios.c
+++ b/Modules/termios.c
@@ -5,39 +5,61 @@
 #define PyInit_termios inittermios
 
 #include <termios.h>
-/* XXX Some systems need this to get all the symbols, while
-       this breaks for others.
+#include <termio.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
-*/
-
-static char termios__doc__[] = "\
-This module provides an interface to the Posix calls for tty I/O control.\n\
-For a complete description of these calls, see the Posix or Unix manual\n\
-pages. It is only available for those Unix versions that support Posix\n\
-termios style tty I/O control (and then only if configured at installation\n\
-time).\n\
-\n\
-All functions in this module take a file descriptor fd as their first\n\
-argument. This must be an integer file descriptor, such as returned by\n\
-sys.stdin.fileno().";
-
 
 #ifdef __BEOS__
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 
-#define BAD "bad termios argument"
+static char termios__doc__[] = "\
+This module provides an interface to the Posix calls for tty I/O control.\n\
+For a complete description of these calls, see the Posix or Unix manual\n\
+pages. It is only available for those Unix versions that support Posix\n\
+termios style tty I/O control.\n\
+\n\
+All functions in this module take a file descriptor fd as their first\n\
+argument. This can be an integer file descriptor, such as returned by\n\
+sys.stdin.fileno(), or a file object, such as sys.stdin itself.";
 
 static PyObject *TermiosError;
 
-/* termios = tcgetattr(fd)
-   termios is
-   [iflag, oflag, cflag, lflag, ispeed, ospeed, [cc[0], ..., cc[NCCS]]] 
+static char* fname;
 
-   Return the attributes of the terminal device.  */
+static int fdconv(PyObject* obj, void* p)
+{
+	int fd;
+
+	fd = PyObject_AsFileDescriptor(obj);
+	if (fd == -1) {
+		if (PyInt_Check(obj)) {
+			fd = PyInt_AS_LONG(obj);
+		}
+		else {
+			char* tname;
+
+			if (PyInstance_Check(obj)) {
+				tname = PyString_AS_STRING(
+		((PyInstanceObject*)obj)->in_class->cl_name);
+			}
+			else {
+				tname = obj->ob_type->tp_name;
+			}
+
+			PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
+		"%s, arg 1: can't extract file descriptor from \"%.500s\"",
+				     fname, tname);
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	*(int*)p = fd;
+	return 1;
+}
 
 static char termios_tcgetattr__doc__[] = "\
 tcgetattr(fd) -> list_of_attrs\n\
+\n\
 Get the tty attributes for file descriptor fd, as follows:\n\
 [iflag, oflag, cflag, lflag, ispeed, ospeed, cc] where cc is a list\n\
 of the tty special characters (each a string of length 1, except the items\n\
@@ -57,7 +79,10 @@
 	int i;
 	char ch;
 
-	if (!PyArg_Parse(args, "i", &fd))
+	fname = "tcgetattr";
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&:tcgetattr", 
+			      fdconv, (void*)&fd))
 		return NULL;
 
 	if (tcgetattr(fd, &mode) == -1)
@@ -111,11 +136,9 @@
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-/* tcsetattr(fd, when, termios)
-   Set the attributes of the terminal device.  */
-
 static char termios_tcsetattr__doc__[] = "\
 tcsetattr(fd, when, attributes) -> None\n\
+\n\
 Set the tty attributes for file descriptor fd.\n\
 The attributes to be set are taken from the attributes argument, which\n\
 is a list like the one returned by tcgetattr(). The when argument\n\
@@ -133,10 +156,14 @@
 	PyObject *term, *cc, *v;
 	int i;
 
-	if (!PyArg_Parse(args, "(iiO)", &fd, &when, &term))
+	fname = "tcsetattr";
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&iO:tcsetattr", 
+			      fdconv, &fd, &when, &term))
 		return NULL;
 	if (!PyList_Check(term) || PyList_Size(term) != 7) {
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, BAD);
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, 
+			     "tcsetattr, arg 3: must be 7 element list");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -154,7 +181,9 @@
 		return NULL;
 
 	if (!PyList_Check(cc) || PyList_Size(cc) != NCCS) {
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, BAD);
+		PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError, 
+			"tcsetattr: attributes[6] must be %d element list",
+			     NCCS);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -166,7 +195,8 @@
 		else if (PyInt_Check(v))
 			mode.c_cc[i] = (cc_t) PyInt_AsLong(v);
 		else {
-			PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, BAD);
+			PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, 
+     "tcsetattr: elements of attributes must be characters or integers");
 			return NULL;
 		}
 	}
@@ -182,21 +212,22 @@
 	return Py_None;
 }
 
-/* tcsendbreak(fd, duration)
-   Generate a break condition.  */
-
 static char termios_tcsendbreak__doc__[] = "\
 tcsendbreak(fd, duration) -> None\n\
+\n\
 Send a break on file descriptor fd.\n\
-A zero duration sends a break for 0.25-0.5 seconds; a nonzero duration \n\
-has a system dependent meaning. ";
+A zero duration sends a break for 0.25-0.5 seconds; a nonzero duration\n\
+has a system dependent meaning.";
 
 static PyObject *
 termios_tcsendbreak(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
 	int fd, duration;
 
-	if (!PyArg_Parse(args, "(ii)", &fd, &duration))
+	fname = "tcsendbreak";
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&i:tcsendbreak", 
+			      fdconv, &fd, &duration))
 		return NULL;
 	if (tcsendbreak(fd, duration) == -1)
 		return PyErr_SetFromErrno(TermiosError);
@@ -205,20 +236,20 @@
 	return Py_None;
 }
 
-/* tcdrain(fd) 
-   Wait until all queued output to the terminal has been 
-   transmitted.  */
-
 static char termios_tcdrain__doc__[] = "\
 tcdrain(fd) -> None\n\
-Wait until all output written to file descriptor fd has been transmitted. ";
+\n\
+Wait until all output written to file descriptor fd has been transmitted.";
 
 static PyObject *
 termios_tcdrain(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
 	int fd;
 
-	if (!PyArg_Parse(args, "i", &fd))
+	fname = "tcdrain";
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&:tcdrain", 
+			      fdconv, &fd))
 		return NULL;
 	if (tcdrain(fd) == -1)
 		return PyErr_SetFromErrno(TermiosError);
@@ -227,12 +258,9 @@
 	return Py_None;
 }
 
-/* tcflush(fd, queue) 
-   Clear the input and/or output queues associated with 
-   the terminal.  */
-
 static char termios_tcflush__doc__[] = "\
 tcflush(fd, queue) -> None\n\
+\n\
 Discard queued data on file descriptor fd.\n\
 The queue selector specifies which queue: termios.TCIFLUSH for the input\n\
 queue, termios.TCOFLUSH for the output queue, or termios.TCIOFLUSH for\n\
@@ -243,7 +271,10 @@
 {
 	int fd, queue;
 
-	if (!PyArg_Parse(args, "(ii)", &fd, &queue))
+	fname = "tcflush";
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&i:tcflush", 
+			      fdconv, &fd, &queue))
 		return NULL;
 	if (tcflush(fd, queue) == -1)
 		return PyErr_SetFromErrno(TermiosError);
@@ -252,12 +283,9 @@
 	return Py_None;
 }
 
-/* tcflow(fd, action) 
-   Perform operations relating to XON/XOFF flow control on 
-   the terminal.  */
-
 static char termios_tcflow__doc__[] = "\
 tcflow(fd, action) -> None\n\
+\n\
 Suspend or resume input or output on file descriptor fd.\n\
 The action argument can be termios.TCOOFF to suspend output,\n\
 termios.TCOON to restart output, termios.TCIOFF to suspend input,\n\
@@ -268,7 +296,10 @@
 {
 	int fd, action;
 
-	if (!PyArg_Parse(args, "(ii)", &fd, &action))
+	fname = "tcflow";
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O&i:tcflow", 
+			      fdconv, &fd, &action))
 		return NULL;
 	if (tcflow(fd, action) == -1)
 		return PyErr_SetFromErrno(TermiosError);
@@ -280,17 +311,17 @@
 static PyMethodDef termios_methods[] =
 {
 	{"tcgetattr", termios_tcgetattr, 
-	 METH_OLDARGS, termios_tcgetattr__doc__},
+	 METH_VARARGS, termios_tcgetattr__doc__},
 	{"tcsetattr", termios_tcsetattr, 
-	 METH_OLDARGS, termios_tcsetattr__doc__},
+	 METH_VARARGS, termios_tcsetattr__doc__},
 	{"tcsendbreak", termios_tcsendbreak, 
-	 METH_OLDARGS, termios_tcsendbreak__doc__},
+	 METH_VARARGS, termios_tcsendbreak__doc__},
 	{"tcdrain", termios_tcdrain, 
-	 METH_OLDARGS, termios_tcdrain__doc__},
+	 METH_VARARGS, termios_tcdrain__doc__},
 	{"tcflush", termios_tcflush, 
-	 METH_OLDARGS, termios_tcflush__doc__},
+	 METH_VARARGS, termios_tcflush__doc__},
 	{"tcflow", termios_tcflow, 
-	 METH_OLDARGS, termios_tcflow__doc__},
+	 METH_VARARGS, termios_tcflow__doc__},
 	{NULL, NULL}
 };