diff --git a/Lib/test/support.py b/Lib/test/support.py
index a23c99b..5f8b1ba 100644
--- a/Lib/test/support.py
+++ b/Lib/test/support.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
            "is_resource_enabled", "requires", "find_unused_port", "bind_port",
            "fcmp", "is_jython", "TESTFN", "HOST", "FUZZ", "findfile", "verify",
            "vereq", "sortdict", "check_syntax_error", "open_urlresource",
-           "catch_warning", "CleanImport", "EnvironmentVarGuard",
+           "check_warnings", "CleanImport", "EnvironmentVarGuard",
            "TransientResource", "captured_output", "captured_stdout",
            "TransientResource", "transient_internet", "run_with_locale",
            "set_memlimit", "bigmemtest", "bigaddrspacetest", "BasicTestRunner",
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 def import_module(name, deprecated=False):
     """Import the module to be tested, raising TestSkipped if it is not
     available."""
-    with catch_warning(record=False):
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
         if deprecated:
             warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", ".+ (module|package)",
                                     DeprecationWarning)
@@ -368,17 +368,27 @@
     return open(fn, *args, **kw)
 
 
-def catch_warning(module=warnings, record=True):
-    """Guard the warnings filter from being permanently changed and
-    optionally record the details of any warnings that are issued.
-
-    Use like this:
-
-        with catch_warning() as w:
-            warnings.warn("foo")
-            assert str(w.message) == "foo"
+class WarningsRecorder(object):
+    """Convenience wrapper for the warnings list returned on
+       entry to the warnings.catch_warnings() context manager.
     """
-    return warnings.catch_warnings(record=record, module=module)
+    def __init__(self, warnings_list):
+        self.warnings = warnings_list
+
+    def __getattr__(self, attr):
+        if self.warnings:
+            return getattr(self.warnings[-1], attr)
+        elif attr in warnings.WarningMessage._WARNING_DETAILS:
+            return None
+        raise AttributeError("%r has no attribute %r" % (self, attr))
+
+    def reset(self):
+        del self.warnings[:]
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def check_warnings():
+    with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        yield WarningsRecorder(w)
 
 
 class CleanImport(object):
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_import.py b/Lib/test/test_import.py
index 0dbbbf0..6598d4e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_import.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_import.py
@@ -266,21 +266,24 @@
         self.assertTrue(hasattr(relimport, "RelativeImport"))
 
     def test_issue3221(self):
+        # Note for mergers: the 'absolute' tests from the 2.x branch
+        # are missing in Py3k because implicit relative imports are
+        # a thing of the past
         def check_relative():
             exec("from . import relimport", ns)
-        # Check both OK with __package__ and __name__ correct
+        # Check relative import OK with __package__ and __name__ correct
         ns = dict(__package__='test', __name__='test.notarealmodule')
         check_relative()
-        # Check both OK with only __name__ wrong
+        # Check relative import OK with only __name__ wrong
         ns = dict(__package__='test', __name__='notarealpkg.notarealmodule')
         check_relative()
-        # Check relative fails with only __package__ wrong
+        # Check relative import fails with only __package__ wrong
         ns = dict(__package__='foo', __name__='test.notarealmodule')
         self.assertRaises(SystemError, check_relative)
-        # Check relative fails with __package__ and __name__ wrong
+        # Check relative import fails with __package__ and __name__ wrong
         ns = dict(__package__='foo', __name__='notarealpkg.notarealmodule')
         self.assertRaises(SystemError, check_relative)
-        # Check both fail with package set to a non-string
+        # Check relative import fails with package set to a non-string
         ns = dict(__package__=object())
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, check_relative)
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_structmembers.py b/Lib/test/test_structmembers.py
index 878223a..93e040c 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_structmembers.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_structmembers.py
@@ -66,35 +66,35 @@
 
 class TestWarnings(unittest.TestCase):
     def has_warned(self, w):
-        self.assertEqual(w[-1].category, RuntimeWarning)
+        self.assertEqual(w.category, RuntimeWarning)
 
     def test_byte_max(self):
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        with support.check_warnings() as w:
             ts.T_BYTE = CHAR_MAX+1
             self.has_warned(w)
 
     def test_byte_min(self):
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        with support.check_warnings() as w:
             ts.T_BYTE = CHAR_MIN-1
             self.has_warned(w)
 
     def test_ubyte_max(self):
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        with support.check_warnings() as w:
             ts.T_UBYTE = UCHAR_MAX+1
             self.has_warned(w)
 
     def test_short_max(self):
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        with support.check_warnings() as w:
             ts.T_SHORT = SHRT_MAX+1
             self.has_warned(w)
 
     def test_short_min(self):
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        with support.check_warnings() as w:
             ts.T_SHORT = SHRT_MIN-1
             self.has_warned(w)
 
     def test_ushort_max(self):
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        with support.check_warnings() as w:
             ts.T_USHORT = USHRT_MAX+1
             self.has_warned(w)
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sundry.py b/Lib/test/test_sundry.py
index 6b425c6..49813a3 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sundry.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sundry.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 class TestUntestedModules(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_at_least_import_untested_modules(self):
-        with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True):
+        with warnings.catch_warnings():
             import aifc
             import bdb
             import cgitb
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_threading.py b/Lib/test/test_threading.py
index f26e7bb..956672d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_threading.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_threading.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Very rudimentary test of threading module
 
 import test.support
-from test.support import verbose, catch_warning
+from test.support import verbose
 import random
 import re
 import sys
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_warnings.py b/Lib/test/test_warnings.py
index 199e6fc..4b6feb3 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_warnings.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_warnings.py
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@
     def test_warn_nonstandard_types(self):
         # warn() should handle non-standard types without issue.
         for ob in (Warning, None, 42):
-            with support.catch_warning(self.module) as w:
+            with original_warnings.catch_warnings(record=True,
+                    module=self.module) as w:
                 self.module.warn(ob)
                 # Don't directly compare objects since
                 # ``Warning() != Warning()``.
@@ -526,19 +527,23 @@
         wmod = self.module
         orig_filters = wmod.filters
         orig_showwarning = wmod.showwarning
-        with support.catch_warning(module=wmod):
+        # Ensure both showwarning and filters are restored when recording
+        with wmod.catch_warnings(module=wmod, record=True):
             wmod.filters = wmod.showwarning = object()
         self.assert_(wmod.filters is orig_filters)
         self.assert_(wmod.showwarning is orig_showwarning)
-        with support.catch_warning(module=wmod, record=False):
+        # Same test, but with recording disabled
+        with wmod.catch_warnings(module=wmod, record=False):
             wmod.filters = wmod.showwarning = object()
         self.assert_(wmod.filters is orig_filters)
         self.assert_(wmod.showwarning is orig_showwarning)
 
     def test_catch_warnings_recording(self):
         wmod = self.module
-        with support.catch_warning(module=wmod) as w:
+        # Ensure warnings are recorded when requested
+        with wmod.catch_warnings(module=wmod, record=True) as w:
             self.assertEqual(w, [])
+            self.assert_(type(w) is list)
             wmod.simplefilter("always")
             wmod.warn("foo")
             self.assertEqual(str(w[-1].message), "foo")
@@ -548,11 +553,59 @@
             self.assertEqual(str(w[1].message), "bar")
             del w[:]
             self.assertEqual(w, [])
+        # Ensure warnings are not recorded when not requested
         orig_showwarning = wmod.showwarning
-        with support.catch_warning(module=wmod, record=False) as w:
+        with wmod.catch_warnings(module=wmod, record=False) as w:
             self.assert_(w is None)
             self.assert_(wmod.showwarning is orig_showwarning)
 
+    def test_catch_warnings_reentry_guard(self):
+        wmod = self.module
+        # Ensure catch_warnings is protected against incorrect usage
+        x = wmod.catch_warnings(module=wmod, record=True)
+        self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, x.__exit__)
+        with x:
+            self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, x.__enter__)
+        # Same test, but with recording disabled
+        x = wmod.catch_warnings(module=wmod, record=False)
+        self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, x.__exit__)
+        with x:
+            self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, x.__enter__)
+
+    def test_catch_warnings_defaults(self):
+        wmod = self.module
+        orig_filters = wmod.filters
+        orig_showwarning = wmod.showwarning
+        # Ensure default behaviour is not to record warnings
+        with wmod.catch_warnings(module=wmod) as w:
+            self.assert_(w is None)
+            self.assert_(wmod.showwarning is orig_showwarning)
+            self.assert_(wmod.filters is not orig_filters)
+        self.assert_(wmod.filters is orig_filters)
+        if wmod is sys.modules['warnings']:
+            # Ensure the default module is this one
+            with wmod.catch_warnings() as w:
+                self.assert_(w is None)
+                self.assert_(wmod.showwarning is orig_showwarning)
+                self.assert_(wmod.filters is not orig_filters)
+            self.assert_(wmod.filters is orig_filters)
+
+    def test_check_warnings(self):
+        # Explicit tests for the test.support convenience wrapper
+        wmod = self.module
+        if wmod is sys.modules['warnings']:
+            with support.check_warnings() as w:
+                self.assertEqual(w.warnings, [])
+                wmod.simplefilter("always")
+                wmod.warn("foo")
+                self.assertEqual(str(w.message), "foo")
+                wmod.warn("bar")
+                self.assertEqual(str(w.message), "bar")
+                self.assertEqual(str(w.warnings[0].message), "foo")
+                self.assertEqual(str(w.warnings[1].message), "bar")
+                w.reset()
+                self.assertEqual(w.warnings, [])
+
 class CCatchWarningTests(CatchWarningTests):
     module = c_warnings