diff --git a/Lib/rlcompleter.py b/Lib/rlcompleter.py
index 92633abbc2f..96abad02837 100644
--- a/Lib/rlcompleter.py
+++ b/Lib/rlcompleter.py
@@ -1,13 +1,24 @@
 """Word completion for GNU readline 2.0.
 
 This requires the latest extension to the readline module (the
-set_completer() function).  When completing a simple identifier, it
+        object=eval(expr, __main__.__dict__)
+        words = dir(object)
+        if hasattr(object,'__class__'):
+            words.append('__class__')
+            words=words+get_class_members(object.__class__)
 completes keywords, built-ins and globals in __main__; when completing
 NAME.NAME..., it evaluates (!) the expression up to the last dot and
 completes its attributes.
 
 It's very cool to do "import string" type "string.", hit the
 completion key (twice), and see the list of names defined by the
+
+def get_class_members(klass):
+    ret=dir(klass)
+    if hasattr(klass,'__bases__'):
+        for base in klass.__bases__:
+            ret=ret + get_class_members(base)
+    return ret
 string module!
 
 Tip: to use the tab key as the completion key, call
@@ -87,7 +98,8 @@ def attr_matches(self, text):
         Assuming the text is of the form NAME.NAME....[NAME], and is
         evaluabable in the globals of __main__, it will be evaluated
         and its attributes (as revealed by dir()) are used as possible
-        completions.
+        completions.  (For class instances, class members are are also
+        considered.)
 
         WARNING: this can still invoke arbitrary C code, if an object
         with a __getattr__ hook is evaluated.
@@ -98,7 +110,11 @@ def attr_matches(self, text):
         if not m:
             return
         expr, attr = m.group(1, 3)
-        words = dir(eval(expr, __main__.__dict__))
+        object = eval(expr, __main__.__dict__)
+        words = dir(object)
+        if hasattr(object,'__class__'):
+            words.append('__class__')
+            words = words + get_class_members(object.__class__)
         matches = []
         n = len(attr)
         for word in words:
@@ -106,4 +122,11 @@ def attr_matches(self, text):
                 matches.append("%s.%s" % (expr, word))
         return matches
 
+def get_class_members(klass):
+    ret = dir(klass)
+    if hasattr(klass,'__bases__'):
+        for base in klass.__bases__:
+            ret = ret + get_class_members(base)
+    return ret
+
 readline.set_completer(Completer().complete)