--- a/src/ov-fcn-handle.cc
+++ b/src/ov-fcn-handle.cc
@@ -164,7 +164,38 @@
       else
         {
           str_ov_map::iterator it = overloads.find (dispatch_type);
-          if (it != overloads.end ())
+
+          if (it == overloads.end ())
+            {
+              // Try parent classes too.
+
+              std::list<std::string> plist
+                = symbol_table::parent_classes (dispatch_type);
+
+              std::list<std::string>::const_iterator pit = plist.begin ();
+
+              while (pit != plist.end ())
+                {
+                  std::string pname = *pit;
+
+                  std::string fnm = fcn_name ();
+
+                  octave_value ftmp = symbol_table::find_method (fnm, pname);
+
+                  if (ftmp.is_defined ())
+                    {
+                      set_overload (pname, ftmp);
+
+                      out_of_date_check (ftmp, pname, false);
+                      ov_fcn = ftmp;
+
+                      break;
+                    }
+
+                  pit++;
+                }
+            }
+          else
             {
               out_of_date_check (it->second, dispatch_type, false);
               ov_fcn = it->second;

--- a/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/Makefile.am
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 
 include classes/module.mk
 include ctor-vs-method/module.mk
+include fcn-handle-derived-resolution/module.mk
 
 check: test_sparse.m test_bc_overloads.m
 	$(top_builddir)/run-octave --norc --silent --no-history $(srcdir)/fntests.m $(srcdir)

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@derived/derived.m
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+function r = derived (n)
+  s.a = n;
+  p = parent (n);
+  r = class (s, 'derived', p);
+end

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/getsize_arrayfun.m
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+function r = getsize_arrayfun (x)
+  r = arrayfun (@(i) numel (x(i).d), 1:numel(x), 'uniformoutput', true);
+end

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/getsize_cellfun.m
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+function r = getsize_cellfun (x)
+  r = cellfun (@numel, {x.d});
+end

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/getsize_loop.m
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+function r = getsize_loop (x)
+  n = numel (x);
+  r = zeros (1, n);
+  for i = 1:n
+    r(i) = numel (x(i).d);
+  end
+end

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/other.m
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+function r = other (n)
+  s.d = derived (n);
+  r = class (s, 'other');
+end

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@parent/numel.m
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+function r = numel (x, varargin)
+  r = numel (x.a, varargin{:});
+end

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@parent/parent.m
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+function r = parent (n)
+  s.a = rand (n, 1);
+  r = class (s, 'parent');
+end

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/module.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+fcn_handle_derived_resolution_FCN_FILES = \
+  fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@derived/derived.m \
+  fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/getsize_arrayfun.m \
+  fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/getsize_cellfun.m \
+  fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/getsize_loop.m \
+  fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@other/other.m \
+  fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@parent/numel.m \
+  fcn-handle-derived-resolution/@parent/parent.m \
+  test_fcn_handle_derived_resolution.m
+
+FCN_FILES += $(fcn_handle_derived_resolution_FCN_FILES)

new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fcn-handle-derived-resolution/test_fcn_handle_derived_resolution.m
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+## Copyright (C) 2011 John W. Eaton
+##
+## This file is part of Octave.
+##
+## Octave is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+## under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+## the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+## your option) any later version.
+##
+## Octave is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+## WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+## MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+## General Public License for more details.
+##
+## You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+## along with Octave; see the file COPYING.  If not, see
+## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+%%  Test script for legacy OOP.
+%%  Requires the path to contain the directory ctor-vs-method.
+%%
+%%  Note: This script and all classes are also intended to run
+%%        in Matlab to test compatibility.  Don't break that!
+
+%!shared
+%! clear -classes
+
+%!test
+%! p = parent (7);
+%! assert (numel (p), 7)
+
+%!test
+%! d = derived (13);
+%! assert (numel (d), 13)
+
+%!test
+%! p = parent (11);
+%! f = @numel;
+%! assert (f (p), 11)
+
+%!test
+%! d = parent (21);
+%! f = @numel;
+%! assert (f (d), 21)
+
+%!test
+%! o(1) = other (13);
+%! o(2) = other (42);
+%! assert (getsize_loop (o), [13, 42])
+
+%!test
+%! o(1) = other (13);
+%! o(2) = other (42);
+%! assert (getsize_cellfun (o), [13, 42])
+
+%!test
+%! o(1) = other (13);
+%! o(2) = other (42);
+%! assert (getsize_arrayfun (o), [13, 42])