diff --git a/Doc/lib/libgc.tex b/Doc/lib/libgc.tex
index e53e2a8..54ca26c 100644
--- a/Doc/lib/libgc.tex
+++ b/Doc/lib/libgc.tex
@@ -32,9 +32,13 @@
 Returns true if automatic collection is enabled.
 \end{funcdesc}
 
-\begin{funcdesc}{collect}{}
-Run a full collection.  All generations are examined and the
-number of unreachable objects found is returned.
+\begin{funcdesc}{collect}{\optional{generation}}
+With no arguments, run a full collection.  The optional argument
+\var{generation} may be an integer specifying which generation to collect
+(from 0 to 2).  A ValueError is raised if the generation number is invalid.
+The number of unreachable objects found is returned.
+
+\versionchanged[The optional \var{generation} argument was added]{2.5}
 \end{funcdesc}
 
 \begin{funcdesc}{set_debug}{flags}
@@ -76,6 +80,12 @@
 \code{1} before collecting generation \code{2}.
 \end{funcdesc}
 
+\begin{funcdesc}{get_count}{}
+Return the current collection  counts as a tuple of
+\code{(\var{count0}, \var{count1}, \var{count2})}.
+\versionadded{2.5}
+\end{funcdesc}
+
 \begin{funcdesc}{get_threshold}{}
 Return the current collection thresholds as a tuple of
 \code{(\var{threshold0}, \var{threshold1}, \var{threshold2})}.
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_gc.py b/Lib/test/test_gc.py
index fa8659e..ec470c4 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_gc.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_gc.py
@@ -219,6 +219,22 @@
     gc.disable()
     gc.set_threshold(*thresholds)
 
+def test_get_count():
+    gc.collect()
+    expect(gc.get_count(), (0, 0, 0), "get_count()")
+    a = dict()
+    expect(gc.get_count(), (1, 0, 0), "get_count()")
+
+def test_collect_generations():
+    gc.collect()
+    a = dict()
+    gc.collect(0)
+    expect(gc.get_count(), (0, 1, 0), "collect(0)")
+    gc.collect(1)
+    expect(gc.get_count(), (0, 0, 1), "collect(1)")
+    gc.collect(2)
+    expect(gc.get_count(), (0, 0, 0), "collect(1)")
+
 class Ouch:
     n = 0
     def __del__(self):
@@ -571,6 +587,8 @@
     run_test("finalizers (new class)", test_finalizer_newclass)
     run_test("__del__", test_del)
     run_test("__del__ (new class)", test_del_newclass)
+    run_test("get_count()", test_get_count)
+    run_test("collect(n)", test_collect_generations)
     run_test("saveall", test_saveall)
     run_test("trashcan", test_trashcan)
     run_test("boom", test_boom)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index ff30bc5..a56d6ef 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
   This was not portable.  float('0x3') now raises a ValueError.
 
 - Patch #1382163: Expose Subversion revision number to Python.  New C API
-  function Py_GetBuildNumber().  New attribute sys.build_number.  Build number
+  function Py_GetBuildNumber().  New attribute sys.subversion.  Build number
   is now displayed in interactive prompt banner.
 
 - Implementation of PEP 341 - Unification of try/except and try/finally.
@@ -427,6 +427,9 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- The function get_count() has been added to the gc module, and gc.collect()
+  grew an optional 'generation' argument.
+
 - A library msilib to generate Windows Installer files, and a distutils
   command bdist_msi have been added.
 
diff --git a/Modules/gcmodule.c b/Modules/gcmodule.c
index a3655d6..7e3f95a 100644
--- a/Modules/gcmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/gcmodule.c
@@ -925,20 +925,33 @@
 }
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(gc_collect__doc__,
-"collect() -> n\n"
+"collect([generation]) -> n\n"
 "\n"
-"Run a full collection.  The number of unreachable objects is returned.\n");
+"With no arguments, run a full collection.  The optional argument\n"
+"may be an integer specifying which generation to collect.  A ValueError\n"
+"is raised if the generation number is invalid.\n\n"
+"The number of unreachable objects is returned.\n");
 
 static PyObject *
-gc_collect(PyObject *self, PyObject *noargs)
+gc_collect(PyObject *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kws)
 {
+	static char *keywords[] = {"generation", NULL};
+	int genarg = NUM_GENERATIONS - 1;
 	Py_ssize_t n;
 
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kws, "|i", keywords, &genarg))
+		return NULL;
+
+	else if (genarg < 0 || genarg >= NUM_GENERATIONS) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "invalid generation");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	if (collecting)
 		n = 0; /* already collecting, don't do anything */
 	else {
 		collecting = 1;
-		n = collect(NUM_GENERATIONS - 1);
+		n = collect(genarg);
 		collecting = 0;
 	}
 
@@ -1020,6 +1033,20 @@
 			     generations[2].threshold);
 }
 
+PyDoc_STRVAR(gc_get_count__doc__,
+"get_count() -> (count0, count1, count2)\n"
+"\n"
+"Return the current collection counts\n");
+
+static PyObject *
+gc_get_count(PyObject *self, PyObject *noargs)
+{
+	return Py_BuildValue("(iii)",
+			     generations[0].count,
+			     generations[1].count,
+			     generations[2].count);
+}
+
 static int
 referrersvisit(PyObject* obj, PyObject *objs)
 {
@@ -1150,9 +1177,11 @@
 	{"isenabled",	   gc_isenabled,  METH_NOARGS,  gc_isenabled__doc__},
 	{"set_debug",	   gc_set_debug,  METH_VARARGS, gc_set_debug__doc__},
 	{"get_debug",	   gc_get_debug,  METH_NOARGS,  gc_get_debug__doc__},
+	{"get_count",	   gc_get_count,  METH_NOARGS,  gc_get_count__doc__},
 	{"set_threshold",  gc_set_thresh, METH_VARARGS, gc_set_thresh__doc__},
 	{"get_threshold",  gc_get_thresh, METH_NOARGS,  gc_get_thresh__doc__},
-	{"collect",	   gc_collect,	  METH_NOARGS,  gc_collect__doc__},
+	{"collect",	   (PyCFunction)gc_collect,
+         	METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS,           gc_collect__doc__},
 	{"get_objects",    gc_get_objects,METH_NOARGS,  gc_get_objects__doc__},
 	{"get_referrers",  gc_get_referrers, METH_VARARGS,
 		gc_get_referrers__doc__},