diff --git a/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex b/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex
index cf69e0f..0e1e6c2 100644
--- a/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex
+++ b/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex
@@ -188,8 +188,11 @@
 See \class{X509Extension}.
 \end{datadesc}
 
-\begin{classdesc}{X509Extension}{typename, critical, value}
-A class representing an X.509 v3 certificate extensions.
+\begin{classdesc}{X509Extension}{typename, critical, value\optional{, subject}\optional{, issuer}}
+A class representing an X.509 v3 certificate extensions.  
+See \url{http://openssl.org/docs/apps/x509v3_config.html\#STANDARD_EXTENSIONS} 
+for \var{typename} strings and their options.
+Optional parameters \var{subject} and \var{issuer} must be X509 objects.
 \end{classdesc}
 
 \begin{datadesc}{NetscapeSPKIType}
diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto.h b/src/crypto/crypto.h
index 2322720..7b8bade 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto.h
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 
 #define crypto_X509Extension_New_NUM    5
 #define crypto_X509Extension_New_RETURN crypto_X509ExtensionObj *
-#define crypto_X509Extension_New_PROTO  (char *, int, char *)
+#define crypto_X509Extension_New_PROTO  (char *, int, char *, crypto_X509Obj *, crypto_X509Obj *)
 
 #define crypto_PKCS7_New_NUM            6
 #define crypto_PKCS7_New_RETURN         crypto_PKCS7Obj *
diff --git a/src/crypto/x509ext.c b/src/crypto/x509ext.c
index cd169d2..ce3d95d 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509ext.c
+++ b/src/crypto/x509ext.c
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@
  * Returns:   The newly created X509Extension object
  */
 crypto_X509ExtensionObj *
-crypto_X509Extension_New(char *type_name, int critical, char *value)
+crypto_X509Extension_New(char *type_name, int critical, char *value, 
+                         crypto_X509Obj *subject, crypto_X509Obj  *issuer)
 {
     X509V3_CTX ctx;
     crypto_X509ExtensionObj *self;
@@ -84,7 +85,12 @@
     /* We have no configuration database - but perhaps we should.  Anyhow, the
      * context is necessary for any extension which uses the r2i conversion
      * method.  That is, X509V3_EXT_nconf may segfault if passed a NULL ctx. */
+    X509V3_set_ctx(&ctx, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0);
     X509V3_set_ctx_nodb(&ctx);
+    if(subject)
+            ctx.subject_cert = subject->x509;
+    if(issuer)
+            ctx.issuer_cert = issuer->x509;
 
     self = PyObject_New(crypto_X509ExtensionObj, &crypto_X509Extension_Type);
 
@@ -137,27 +143,40 @@
 }
 
 static char crypto_X509Extension_doc[] = "\n\
-X509Extension(typename, critical, value) -> X509Extension instance\n\
+X509Extension(typename, critical, value[, subject][, issuer]) -> \n\
+                X509Extension instance\n\
 \n\
 @param typename: The name of the extension to create.\n\
 @type typename: C{str}\n\
 @param critical: A flag indicating whether this is a critical extension.\n\
 @param value: The value of the extension.\n\
 @type value: C{str}\n\
+@param subject: Optional X509 cert to use as subject.\n\
+@type subject: C{X509}\n\
+@param issuer: Optional X509 cert to use as issuer.\n\
+@type issuer: C{X509}\n\
 @return: The X509Extension object\n\
 ";
 
 static PyObject *
-crypto_X509Extension_new(PyTypeObject *subtype, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs) {
+crypto_X509Extension_new(PyTypeObject *subtype, PyObject *args, 
+                         PyObject *kwargs) {
     char *type_name, *value;
-    int critical;
+    int critical = 0;
+    crypto_X509Obj * subject = NULL;
+    crypto_X509Obj * issuer = NULL;
+    static char *kwlist[] = {"type_name", "critical", "value", "subject", 
+                             "issuer", NULL};
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "sis:X509Extension", &type_name, &critical,
-                          &value)) {
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwargs, "sis|O!O!:X509Extension", 
+                kwlist, &type_name, &critical, &value, 
+                &crypto_X509_Type, &subject,
+                &crypto_X509_Type, &issuer )) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    return (PyObject *)crypto_X509Extension_New(type_name, critical, value);
+    return (PyObject *)crypto_X509Extension_New(type_name, critical, value,
+                                                subject, issuer);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/test/test_crypto.py b/test/test_crypto.py
index aa22cd0..8da81ef 100644
--- a/test/test_crypto.py
+++ b/test/test_crypto.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 from unittest import main
 
 from os import popen2
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
 from OpenSSL.crypto import TYPE_RSA, TYPE_DSA, Error, PKey, PKeyType
 from OpenSSL.crypto import X509, X509Type, X509Name, X509NameType
@@ -234,6 +235,51 @@
         self.assertEqual(ext.get_short_name(), 'nsComment')
 
 
+    def test_issuer_and_subject(self):
+        """
+        Use L{X509Extension} to create a root cert with X509v3 
+        extensions, which requires the "subject" or "issuer" optional args.
+        """
+        # Basic setup stuff to generate a certificate
+        pkey = PKey()
+        pkey.generate_key(TYPE_RSA, 1024)
+        req = X509Req()
+        req.set_pubkey(pkey)
+        req.get_subject().commonName = "Yoda root CA"  # Authority good you have.
+        x509 = X509()
+        subject = x509.get_subject()
+        subject.commonName = req.get_subject().commonName
+        x509.set_issuer(subject)
+        x509.set_pubkey(pkey)
+        now = datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d%H%M%SZ")
+        expire  = (datetime.now() + timedelta(days=100)).strftime("%Y%m%d%H%M%SZ")
+        x509.set_notBefore(now)
+        x509.set_notAfter(expire)
+        # Test "subject" as a unneeded parameter
+        ext1 = X509Extension('basicConstraints', False, 'CA:TRUE', subject=x509)
+        x509.add_extensions( (ext1, ) )
+        # Correct use of "subject" and "issuer"
+        ext3 = X509Extension('subjectKeyIdentifier', False, 'hash', subject=x509, )
+        x509.add_extensions( (ext3, ) )
+        ext2 = X509Extension('authorityKeyIdentifier', False, 'keyid:always,issuer:always', issuer=x509, )
+        x509.add_extensions( (ext2, ) )
+        # Test missing issuer
+        self.assertRaises(Error, X509Extension, 'authorityKeyIdentifier', False, 'keyid:always,issuer:always', )
+        # Test missing subject
+        self.assertRaises(Error, X509Extension, 'subjectKeyIdentifier', False, 'hash', )
+        # Test bad type of issuer and subject
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, eval, 
+               "OpenSSL.crypto.X509Extension('basicConstraints', False, 'CA:TRUE', subject=True)", ())
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, eval, 
+               "OpenSSL.crypto.X509Extension('basicConstraints', False, 'CA:TRUE', issuer=3)", ())
+        # Complete the certificate
+        x509.sign(pkey, 'sha1')
+        # Verify the certificate
+        text = dump_certificate(FILETYPE_TEXT, x509)
+        self.assertTrue( text.index('X509v3 Subject Key Identifier') > 100 )
+        self.assertTrue( text.index('X509v3 Authority Key Identifier') > 100 )
+
+
 
 class PKeyTests(TestCase):
     """
diff --git a/test/util.py b/test/util.py
index fdc9348..72c9e44 100644
--- a/test/util.py
+++ b/test/util.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import os, os.path
 from tempfile import mktemp
 from unittest import TestCase
+import sys
 
 
 class TestCase(TestCase):
@@ -81,10 +82,10 @@
         except exception, inst:
             return inst
         except:
-            raise self.failureException('%s raised instead of %s:\n %s'
+            raise self.failureException('%s raised instead of %s'
                                         % (sys.exc_info()[0],
                                            exception.__name__,
-                                           failure.Failure().getTraceback()))
+                                          ))
         else:
             raise self.failureException('%s not raised (%r returned)'
                                         % (exception.__name__, result))