diff --git a/pybindgen/cppattribute.py b/pybindgen/cppattribute.py
index 1398e7a..738617d 100644
--- a/pybindgen/cppattribute.py
+++ b/pybindgen/cppattribute.py
@@ -243,8 +243,8 @@ class PyMetaclass(object):
         getsets -- name of a PyGetSetDef C array variable, or None
         """
         assert getsets is None or isinstance(getsets, PyGetSetDef)
-        assert isinstance(name, str)
-        assert isinstance(parent_metaclass_expr, str)
+        assert isinstance(name, basestring)
+        assert isinstance(parent_metaclass_expr, basestring)
 
         self.name = name
         prefix = settings.name_prefix.capitalize()
diff --git a/pybindgen/cppclass.py b/pybindgen/cppclass.py
index 6943a41..fe4dab1 100644
--- a/pybindgen/cppclass.py
+++ b/pybindgen/cppclass.py
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ static void
                 peekref_code = " && self->obj->%s() == 1" % self.peekref_method
             visit_self = '''
     if (self->obj && typeid(*self->obj) == typeid(%s)%s)
-        Py_VISIT(self);
+        Py_VISIT((PyObject *) self);
 ''' % (self.helper_class.name, peekref_code)
 
         code_sink.writeln(r'''
diff --git a/pybindgen/enum.py b/pybindgen/enum.py
index 32d8e33..e2fec11 100644
--- a/pybindgen/enum.py
+++ b/pybindgen/enum.py
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ class Enum(object):
                          be used when wrapping enums declared inside
                          C++ classes.
         """
-        assert isinstance(name, str)
+        assert isinstance(name, basestring)
         assert '::' not in name
         assert outer_class is None or isinstance(outer_class, CppClass)
         self.outer_class = outer_class
         for val in values:
-            if not isinstance(val, str):
+            if not isinstance(val, basestring):
                 raise TypeError
 
         if not name:
diff --git a/pybindgen/gccxmlparser.py b/pybindgen/gccxmlparser.py
index b182483..1386643 100644
--- a/pybindgen/gccxmlparser.py
+++ b/pybindgen/gccxmlparser.py
@@ -800,7 +800,11 @@ class ModuleParser(object):
             if type_traits.has_trivial_constructor(cls):
                 class_wrapper.add_constructor(CppConstructor([]))
         if not have_copy_constructor:
-            if type_traits.has_copy_constructor(cls):
+            try: # pygccxml > 0.9
+                has_copy_constructor = type_traits.has_copy_constructor(cls)
+            except AttributeError: # pygccxml <= 0.9
+                has_copy_constructor = type_traits.has_trivial_copy(cls)
+            if has_copy_constructor:
                 class_wrapper.add_constructor(CppConstructor([
                             class_wrapper.ThisClassRefParameter("%s const &" % class_wrapper.full_name,
                                                                 'ctor_arg', is_const=True)]))
diff --git a/pybindgen/typehandlers/codesink.py b/pybindgen/typehandlers/codesink.py
index 364807a..931f57a 100644
--- a/pybindgen/typehandlers/codesink.py
+++ b/pybindgen/typehandlers/codesink.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class CodeSink(object):
     def _format_code(self, code):
         """Utility method for subclasses to use for formatting code
         (splits lines and indents them)"""
-        assert isinstance(code, str)
+        assert isinstance(code, basestring)
         l = []
         for line in code.split('\n'):
             l.append(' '*self.indent_level + line)
diff --git a/pybindgen/utils.py b/pybindgen/utils.py
index b32bff0..a7ace82 100644
--- a/pybindgen/utils.py
+++ b/pybindgen/utils.py
@@ -33,7 +33,18 @@ def write_preamble(code_sink, min_python_version=(2, 3)):
                 }				\
         } while (0)
 
+
+#define Py_VISIT(op)							\
+        do { 								\
+                if (op) {						\
+                        int vret = visit((PyObject *)(op), arg);	\
+                        if (vret)					\
+                                return vret;				\
+                }							\
+        } while (0)
+
 #endif
+
 ''')
 
     if min_python_version < (2, 5):
@@ -47,15 +58,6 @@ typedef inquiry lenfunc;
 typedef intargfunc ssizeargfunc;
 typedef intobjargproc ssizeobjargproc;
 
-#define Py_VISIT(op)							\
-        do { 								\
-                if (op) {						\
-                        int vret = visit((PyObject *)(op), arg);	\
-                        if (vret)					\
-                                return vret;				\
-                }							\
-        } while (0)
-
 #endif
 ''')
 
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ typedef intobjargproc ssizeobjargproc;
 
 def get_mangled_name(base_name, template_args):
     """for internal pybindgen use"""
-    assert isinstance(base_name, str)
+    assert isinstance(base_name, basestring)
     assert isinstance(template_args, (tuple, list))
 
     if template_args: