diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog b/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
index 169ea279503..050489ac762 100644
--- a/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
+++ b/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2001-02-06  Phil Edwards  <pme@sources.redhat.com>
+
+	* include/bits/std_istream.h (op>> signed,unsigned char):  Must
+	  use reinterpret_cast, not static_cast.
+
 2001-02-06  Benjamin Kosnik  <bkoz@redhat.com>
 
 	* acinclude.m4 (gxx_include_dir): Quote, fix regression.
diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/std_istream.h b/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/std_istream.h
index baddea47f8a..4a0f6602d02 100644
--- a/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/std_istream.h
+++ b/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/std_istream.h
@@ -240,12 +240,12 @@ namespace std {
   template<class _Traits>
     basic_istream<char, _Traits>&
     operator>>(basic_istream<char, _Traits>& __in, unsigned char& __c)
-    { return (__in >> static_cast<char>(__c)); }
+    { return (__in >> reinterpret_cast<char&>(__c)); }
 
   template<class _Traits>
     basic_istream<char, _Traits>&
     operator>>(basic_istream<char, _Traits>& __in, signed char& __c)
-    { return (__in >> static_cast<char>(__c)); }
+    { return (__in >> reinterpret_cast<char&>(__c)); }
 
   template<typename _CharT, typename _Traits>
     basic_istream<_CharT, _Traits>&