diff --git a/Doc/lib/libfuncs.tex b/Doc/lib/libfuncs.tex
index a9f3a65..7d64f93 100644
--- a/Doc/lib/libfuncs.tex
+++ b/Doc/lib/libfuncs.tex
@@ -880,6 +880,14 @@
   when passed to \function{eval()}.
 \end{funcdesc}
 
+\begin{funcdesc}{reversed}{seq}
+  Return a reverse iterator.  \var{seq} must be an object which
+  supports the sequence protocol (the __len__() method and the
+  \method{__getitem__()} method with integer arguments starting at
+  \code{0}).
+  \versionadded{2.4}
+\end{funcdesc}
+
 \begin{funcdesc}{round}{x\optional{, n}}
   Return the floating point value \var{x} rounded to \var{n} digits
   after the decimal point.  If \var{n} is omitted, it defaults to zero.
diff --git a/Include/enumobject.h b/Include/enumobject.h
index 053fb72..c14dbfc 100644
--- a/Include/enumobject.h
+++ b/Include/enumobject.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #endif
 
 PyAPI_DATA(PyTypeObject) PyEnum_Type;
+PyAPI_DATA(PyTypeObject) PyReversed_Type;
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/Lib/heapq.py b/Lib/heapq.py
index 2c30b12..2223a97 100644
--- a/Lib/heapq.py
+++ b/Lib/heapq.py
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@
     # or i < (n-1)/2.  If n is even = 2*j, this is (2*j-1)/2 = j-1/2 so
     # j-1 is the largest, which is n//2 - 1.  If n is odd = 2*j+1, this is
     # (2*j+1-1)/2 = j so j-1 is the largest, and that's again n//2-1.
-    for i in xrange(n//2 - 1, -1, -1):
+    for i in reversed(xrange(n//2)):
         _siftup(x, i)
 
 # 'heap' is a heap at all indices >= startpos, except possibly for pos.  pos
diff --git a/Lib/mhlib.py b/Lib/mhlib.py
index 5520f82..899939a 100644
--- a/Lib/mhlib.py
+++ b/Lib/mhlib.py
@@ -975,8 +975,7 @@
     print seqs
     f.putsequences(seqs)
     do('f.getsequences()')
-    testfolders.reverse()
-    for t in testfolders: do('mh.deletefolder(%s)' % `t`)
+    for t in reversed(testfolders): do('mh.deletefolder(%s)' % `t`)
     do('mh.getcontext()')
     context = mh.getcontext()
     f = mh.openfolder(context)
diff --git a/Lib/platform.py b/Lib/platform.py
index 31c47b4..389e50c 100755
--- a/Lib/platform.py
+++ b/Lib/platform.py
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
     if os.path.isdir('/usr/lib/setup'):
         # Check for slackware verson tag file (thanks to Greg Andruk)
         verfiles = os.listdir('/usr/lib/setup')
-        for n in range(len(verfiles)-1, -1, -1):
+        for n in reversed(xrange(len(verfiles))):
             if verfiles[n][:14] != 'slack-version-':
                 del verfiles[n]
         if verfiles:
diff --git a/Lib/random.py b/Lib/random.py
index 16b667a..1f279bb 100644
--- a/Lib/random.py
+++ b/Lib/random.py
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@
 
         if random is None:
             random = self.random
-        for i in xrange(len(x)-1, 0, -1):
+        for i in reversed(xrange(1, len(x))):
             # pick an element in x[:i+1] with which to exchange x[i]
             j = int(random() * (i+1))
             x[i], x[j] = x[j], x[i]
diff --git a/Lib/rfc822.py b/Lib/rfc822.py
index 4f69b22..9a52a90 100644
--- a/Lib/rfc822.py
+++ b/Lib/rfc822.py
@@ -421,8 +421,7 @@
                 hit = 0
             if hit:
                 list.append(i)
-        list.reverse()
-        for i in list:
+        for i in reversed(list):
             del self.headers[i]
 
     def setdefault(self, name, default=""):
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_enumerate.py b/Lib/test/test_enumerate.py
index 88e24e8..b073606 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_enumerate.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_enumerate.py
@@ -124,9 +124,27 @@
     seq = range(10,20000,2)
     res = zip(range(20000), seq)
 
+class TestReversed(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_simple(self):
+        class A:
+            def __getitem__(self, i):
+                if i < 5:
+                    return str(i)
+                raise StopIteration
+            def __len__(self):
+                return 5
+        for data in 'abc', range(5), tuple(enumerate('abc')), A(), xrange(1,17,5):
+            self.assertEqual(list(data)[::-1], list(reversed(data)))
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, reversed, {})
+
+    def test_xrange_optimization(self):
+        x = xrange(1)
+        self.assertEqual(type(reversed(x)), type(iter(x)))
 
 def test_main(verbose=None):
-    testclasses = (EnumerateTestCase, SubclassTestCase, TestEmpty, TestBig)
+    testclasses = (EnumerateTestCase, SubclassTestCase, TestEmpty, TestBig,
+                   TestReversed)
     test_support.run_unittest(*testclasses)
 
     # verify reference counting
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index c47ed15..838cfc8 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 Core and builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Added a reversed() builtin function that returns a reverse iterator
+  over a sequence.
+
 - CObjects are now mutable (on the C level) through PyCObject_SetVoidPtr.
 
 - list.sort() now supports three keyword arguments:  cmp, key, and reverse.
diff --git a/Objects/enumobject.c b/Objects/enumobject.c
index 17a6282..998e381 100644
--- a/Objects/enumobject.c
+++ b/Objects/enumobject.c
@@ -155,3 +155,128 @@
 	enum_new,                       /* tp_new */
 	PyObject_GC_Del,                /* tp_free */
 };
+
+/* Reversed Object ***************************************************************/
+
+typedef struct {
+	PyObject_HEAD
+	long      index;
+	PyObject* seq;
+} reversedobject;
+
+static PyObject *
+reversed_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
+{
+	long n;
+	PyObject *seq;
+	reversedobject *ro;
+
+	if (!PyArg_UnpackTuple(args, "reversed", 1, 1, &seq))
+		return NULL;
+
+	/* Special case optimization for xrange */
+	if (PyRange_Check(seq))
+		return PyObject_CallMethod(seq, "__reversed__", NULL);
+
+	if (!PySequence_Check(seq)) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
+				"argument to reversed() must be a sequence");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	n = PySequence_Size(seq);
+	if (n == -1)
+		return NULL;
+
+	ro = (reversedobject *)type->tp_alloc(type, 0);
+	if (ro == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	ro->index = n-1;
+	Py_INCREF(seq);
+	ro->seq = seq;
+	return (PyObject *)ro;
+}
+
+static void
+reversed_dealloc(reversedobject *ro)
+{
+	PyObject_GC_UnTrack(ro);
+	Py_XDECREF(ro->seq);
+	ro->ob_type->tp_free(ro);
+}
+
+static int
+reversed_traverse(reversedobject *ro, visitproc visit, void *arg)
+{
+	if (ro->seq)
+		return visit((PyObject *)(ro->seq), arg);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+reversed_next(reversedobject *ro)
+{
+	PyObject *item;
+
+	if (ro->index < 0)
+		return NULL;
+
+	assert(PySequence_Check(ro->seq));
+	item = PySequence_GetItem(ro->seq, ro->index);
+	if (item == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	ro->index--;
+	return item;
+}
+
+PyDoc_STRVAR(reversed_doc,
+"reverse(sequence) -> reverse iterator over values of the sequence\n"
+"\n"
+"Return a reverse iterator");
+
+PyTypeObject PyReversed_Type = {
+	PyObject_HEAD_INIT(&PyType_Type)
+	0,                              /* ob_size */
+	"reversed",                     /* tp_name */
+	sizeof(reversedobject),         /* tp_basicsize */
+	0,                              /* tp_itemsize */
+	/* methods */
+	(destructor)reversed_dealloc,   /* tp_dealloc */
+	0,                              /* tp_print */
+	0,                              /* tp_getattr */
+	0,                              /* tp_setattr */
+	0,                              /* tp_compare */
+	0,                              /* tp_repr */
+	0,                              /* tp_as_number */
+	0,                              /* tp_as_sequence */
+	0,                              /* tp_as_mapping */
+	0,                              /* tp_hash */
+	0,                              /* tp_call */
+	0,                              /* tp_str */
+	PyObject_GenericGetAttr,        /* tp_getattro */
+	0,                              /* tp_setattro */
+	0,                              /* tp_as_buffer */
+	Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT | Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC |
+		Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE,    /* tp_flags */
+	reversed_doc,                   /* tp_doc */
+	(traverseproc)reversed_traverse,/* tp_traverse */
+	0,                              /* tp_clear */
+	0,                              /* tp_richcompare */
+	0,                              /* tp_weaklistoffset */
+	PyObject_SelfIter,		/* tp_iter */
+	(iternextfunc)reversed_next,    /* tp_iternext */
+	0,                              /* tp_methods */
+	0,                              /* tp_members */
+	0,                              /* tp_getset */
+	0,                              /* tp_base */
+	0,                              /* tp_dict */
+	0,                              /* tp_descr_get */
+	0,                              /* tp_descr_set */
+	0,                              /* tp_dictoffset */
+	0,                              /* tp_init */
+	PyType_GenericAlloc,            /* tp_alloc */
+	reversed_new,                   /* tp_new */
+	PyObject_GC_Del,                /* tp_free */
+};
diff --git a/Objects/rangeobject.c b/Objects/rangeobject.c
index 299f4a6..1f56728 100644
--- a/Objects/rangeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/rangeobject.c
@@ -171,6 +171,15 @@
 };
 
 static PyObject * range_iter(PyObject *seq);
+static PyObject * range_reverse(PyObject *seq);
+
+PyDoc_STRVAR(reverse_doc,
+"Returns a reverse iterator.");
+
+static PyMethodDef range_methods[] = {
+	{"__reversed__",	(PyCFunction)range_reverse, METH_NOARGS, reverse_doc},
+ 	{NULL,		NULL}		/* sentinel */
+};
 
 PyTypeObject PyRange_Type = {
 	PyObject_HEAD_INIT(&PyType_Type)
@@ -201,7 +210,7 @@
 	0,				/* tp_weaklistoffset */
 	(getiterfunc)range_iter,	/* tp_iter */
 	0,				/* tp_iternext */
-	0,				/* tp_methods */	
+	range_methods,			/* tp_methods */	
 	0,				/* tp_members */
 	0,				/* tp_getset */
 	0,				/* tp_base */
@@ -246,6 +255,32 @@
 }
 
 static PyObject *
+range_reverse(PyObject *seq)
+{
+	rangeiterobject *it;
+	long start, step, len;
+
+	if (!PyRange_Check(seq)) {
+		PyErr_BadInternalCall();
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	it = PyObject_New(rangeiterobject, &Pyrangeiter_Type);
+	if (it == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	start = ((rangeobject *)seq)->start;
+	step = ((rangeobject *)seq)->step;
+	len = ((rangeobject *)seq)->len;
+
+	it->index = 0;
+	it->start = start + (len-1) * step;
+	it->step = -step;
+	it->len = len;
+
+	return (PyObject *)it;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
 rangeiter_next(rangeiterobject *r)
 {
 	if (r->index < r->len) 
diff --git a/Python/bltinmodule.c b/Python/bltinmodule.c
index 0309f1de..35283fc 100644
--- a/Python/bltinmodule.c
+++ b/Python/bltinmodule.c
@@ -2121,6 +2121,7 @@
 	SETBUILTIN("list",		&PyList_Type);
 	SETBUILTIN("long",		&PyLong_Type);
 	SETBUILTIN("object",		&PyBaseObject_Type);
+	SETBUILTIN("reversed",		&PyReversed_Type);
 	SETBUILTIN("slice",		&PySlice_Type);
 	SETBUILTIN("staticmethod",	&PyStaticMethod_Type);
 	SETBUILTIN("str",		&PyString_Type);