diff --git a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
index c2abaab0c86..d869b0d51ba 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2001-12-04  Nathan Sidwell  <nathan@codesourcery.com>
+
+	PR g++/164
+	* init.c (sort_base_init): Allow binfos to be directly specified.
+	* method.c (do_build_copy_constructor): Explicitly convert to the
+	base instance.
+	(do_build_assign_ref): Likewise.
+
 2001-12-03  Hans-Peter Nilsson  <hp@bitrange.com>
 
 	* decl.c (xref_basetypes): Don't use C99 construct in tag_code
diff --git a/gcc/cp/init.c b/gcc/cp/init.c
index b7b230d3ca2..169bc8c07a0 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/init.c
+++ b/gcc/cp/init.c
@@ -556,7 +556,8 @@ sort_base_init (t, base_init_list, rbase_ptr, vbase_ptr)
   for (x = TREE_CHAIN (last); x; x = TREE_CHAIN (x))
     {
       tree basetype = TREE_PURPOSE (x);
-      tree binfo = binfo_or_else (basetype, t);
+      tree binfo = (TREE_CODE (basetype) == TREE_VEC
+		    ? basetype : binfo_or_else (basetype, t));
       
       if (binfo == NULL_TREE)
 	/* BASETYPE might be an inaccessible direct base (because it
diff --git a/gcc/cp/method.c b/gcc/cp/method.c
index 4de7605984c..2424623a4b4 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/method.c
+++ b/gcc/cp/method.c
@@ -554,25 +554,31 @@ do_build_copy_constructor (fndecl)
       int cvquals = cp_type_quals (TREE_TYPE (parm));
       int i;
 
-      /* Initialize all the base-classes with the parameter converted to
-         their type so that we get their copy constructor and not another
-         constructor that takes current_class_type.  */
+      /* Initialize all the base-classes with the parameter converted
+	 to their type so that we get their copy constructor and not
+	 another constructor that takes current_class_type.  We must
+	 deal with the binfo's directly as a direct base might be
+	 inaccessible due to ambiguity.  */
       for (t = CLASSTYPE_VBASECLASSES (current_class_type); t;
 	   t = TREE_CHAIN (t))
 	{
-	  tree type = BINFO_TYPE (TREE_VALUE (t));
-	  base_init_list = tree_cons (type, convert_lvalue (type, parm),
+	  tree binfo = TREE_VALUE (t);
+	  
+	  base_init_list = tree_cons (binfo,
+				      build_base_path (PLUS_EXPR, parm,
+						       binfo, 1),
 				      base_init_list);
 	}
 
       for (i = 0; i < n_bases; ++i)
 	{
-	  t = TREE_VEC_ELT (binfos, i);
-	  if (TREE_VIA_VIRTUAL (t))
+	  tree binfo = TREE_VEC_ELT (binfos, i);
+	  if (TREE_VIA_VIRTUAL (binfo))
 	    continue; 
 
-	  t = BINFO_TYPE (t);
-	  base_init_list = tree_cons (t, convert_lvalue (t, parm),
+	  base_init_list = tree_cons (binfo,
+				      build_base_path (PLUS_EXPR, parm,
+						       binfo, 1),
 				      base_init_list);
 	}
 
@@ -645,11 +651,18 @@ do_build_assign_ref (fndecl)
 
       for (i = 0; i < n_bases; ++i)
 	{
-	  tree basetype = BINFO_TYPE (TREE_VEC_ELT (binfos, i));
-	  tree p = convert_lvalue (basetype, parm);
-	  p = build_member_call (basetype, ansi_assopname (NOP_EXPR),
-				 build_tree_list (NULL_TREE, p));
-	  finish_expr_stmt (p);
+	  /* We must deal with the binfo's directly as a direct base
+	     might be inaccessible due to ambiguity.  */
+	  tree binfo = TREE_VEC_ELT (binfos, i);
+	  tree src = build_base_path (PLUS_EXPR, parm, binfo, 1);
+	  tree dst = build_base_path (PLUS_EXPR, current_class_ref, binfo, 1);
+
+	  tree expr = build_method_call (dst,
+					 ansi_assopname (NOP_EXPR),
+					 build_tree_list (NULL_TREE, src),
+					 NULL,
+					 LOOKUP_NORMAL | LOOKUP_NONVIRTUAL);
+	  finish_expr_stmt (expr);
 	}
       for (; fields; fields = TREE_CHAIN (fields))
 	{
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
index 76f673f6d0c..795c502821b 100644
--- a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2001-12-04  Nathan Sidwell  <nathan@codesourcery.com>
+
+	* g++.dg/inherit/base1.C: New test.
+
 2001-12-04  Jakub Jelinek  <jakub@redhat.com>
 
 	* g++.dg/other/stdarg1.C: New test.
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/inherit/base1.C b/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/inherit/base1.C
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..952c6d20f3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/inherit/base1.C
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// { dg-do compile }
+// { dg-options "-pedantic-errors -w" }
+
+// Copyright (C) 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+// Contributed by Nathan Sidwell 29 Nov 2001 <nathan@nathan@codesourcery.com>
+
+// PR 164
+// Although a direct base can be inaccessible due to ambiguity, that
+// should not blow up synthesized methods.
+
+struct A {int m;};
+struct B : A {int m;};
+struct C : virtual A, B {int m;};
+struct D : B, C {int m;};
+
+void foo2 ()
+{
+  D d;
+  D e (d);
+
+  e = d;
+}