diff -rU3 php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_API.c php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_API.c
--- php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_API.c	2008-03-06 18:28:47.000000000 +0100
+++ php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_API.c	2008-10-06 05:39:11.731658147 +0200
@@ -1641,7 +1641,7 @@
 	int count=0, unload=0;
 	HashTable *target_function_table = function_table;
 	int error_type;
-	zend_function *ctor = NULL, *dtor = NULL, *clone = NULL, *__get = NULL, *__set = NULL, *__unset = NULL, *__isset = NULL, *__call = NULL, *__tostring = NULL;
+	zend_function *ctor = NULL, *dtor = NULL, *clone = NULL, *__get = NULL, *__set = NULL, *__unset = NULL, *__isset = NULL, *__call = NULL, *__tostring = NULL, *__cast = NULL;
 	char *lowercase_name;
 	int fname_len;
 	char *lc_class_name = NULL;
@@ -1755,6 +1755,8 @@
 				__call = reg_function;
 			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME))) {
 				__tostring = reg_function;
+			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME))) {
+				__cast = reg_function;
 			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_GET_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_GET_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_GET_FUNC_NAME))) {
 				__get = reg_function;
 			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_SET_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_SET_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_SET_FUNC_NAME))) {
@@ -1793,6 +1795,7 @@
 		scope->clone = clone;
 		scope->__call = __call;
 		scope->__tostring = __tostring;
+		scope->__cast = __cast;
 		scope->__get = __get;
 		scope->__set = __set;
 		scope->__unset = __unset;
@@ -1830,6 +1833,12 @@
 			}
 			__tostring->common.fn_flags &= ~ZEND_ACC_ALLOW_STATIC;
 		}
+		if (__cast) {
+			if (__cast->common.fn_flags & ZEND_ACC_STATIC) {
+				zend_error(error_type, "Method %s::%s() cannot be static", scope->name, __cast->common.function_name);
+			}
+			__cast->common.fn_flags &= ~ZEND_ACC_ALLOW_STATIC;
+		}
 		if (__get) {
 			if (__get->common.fn_flags & ZEND_ACC_STATIC) {
 				zend_error(error_type, "Method %s::%s() cannot be static", scope->name, __get->common.function_name);
diff -rU3 php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_API.h php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_API.h
--- php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_API.h	2007-12-31 08:20:02.000000000 +0100
+++ php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_API.h	2008-10-05 19:27:39.081760977 +0200
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@
 		class_container.interface_gets_implemented = NULL;		\
 		class_container.__call = handle_fcall;					\
 		class_container.__tostring = NULL;						\
+		class_container.__cast = NULL;						\
 		class_container.__get = handle_propget;					\
 		class_container.__set = handle_propset;					\
 		class_container.__unset = handle_propunset;				\
diff -rU3 php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_compile.c php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_compile.c
--- php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_compile.c	2008-02-20 13:04:49.000000000 +0100
+++ php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_compile.c	2008-10-06 05:51:42.390408098 +0200
@@ -1198,6 +1198,8 @@
 				CG(active_class_entry)->__isset = (zend_function *) CG(active_op_array);
 			} else if ((name_len == sizeof(ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME)-1) && (!memcmp(lcname, ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME)))) {
 				CG(active_class_entry)->__tostring = (zend_function *) CG(active_op_array);
+			} else if ((name_len == sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1) && (!memcmp(lcname, ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)))) {
+				CG(active_class_entry)->__cast = (zend_function *) CG(active_op_array);
 			} else if (!(fn_flags & ZEND_ACC_STATIC)) {
 				CG(active_op_array)->fn_flags |= ZEND_ACC_ALLOW_STATIC;
 			}
@@ -1919,6 +1921,9 @@
 	if (!ce->__tostring) {
 		ce->__tostring = ce->parent->__tostring;
 	}
+	if (!ce->__cast) {
+		ce->__cast = ce->parent->__cast;
+	}
 	if (!ce->clone) {
 		ce->clone = ce->parent->clone;
 	}
@@ -4234,6 +4239,7 @@
 		ce->__isset = NULL;
 		ce->__call = NULL;
 		ce->__tostring = NULL;
+		ce->__cast = NULL;
 		ce->create_object = NULL;
 		ce->get_iterator = NULL;
 		ce->iterator_funcs.funcs = NULL;
diff -rU3 php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_compile.h php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_compile.h
--- php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_compile.h	2007-12-31 08:20:02.000000000 +0100
+++ php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_compile.h	2008-10-05 19:27:39.261735162 +0200
@@ -697,6 +697,7 @@
 #define ZEND_ISSET_FUNC_NAME        "__isset"
 #define ZEND_CALL_FUNC_NAME         "__call"
 #define ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME     "__tostring"
+#define ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME         "__cast"
 #define ZEND_AUTOLOAD_FUNC_NAME     "__autoload"
 
 #endif /* ZEND_COMPILE_H */
diff -rU3 php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend.h php-5.2.6/Zend/zend.h
--- php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend.h	2008-02-15 08:44:45.000000000 +0100
+++ php-5.2.6/Zend/zend.h	2008-10-05 19:27:39.361719912 +0200
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@
 	union _zend_function *__isset;
 	union _zend_function *__call;
 	union _zend_function *__tostring;
+	union _zend_function *__cast;
 	union _zend_function *serialize_func;
 	union _zend_function *unserialize_func;
 
diff -rU3 php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c
--- php-5.2.6-orig/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c	2008-02-21 14:55:22.000000000 +0100
+++ php-5.2.6/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c	2008-10-06 06:05:09.810415748 +0200
@@ -1092,9 +1092,60 @@
 	zval *retval;
 	zend_class_entry *ce;
 
+	ce = Z_OBJCE_P(readobj);
+
+	if (ce->__cast) {
+		// HANDLE __cast($type)
+		zval type_str;
+		char *type_c_str = "unknown";
+
+		switch(type) {
+			case IS_STRING: type_c_str = "string"; break;
+			case IS_BOOL: type_c_str = "bool"; break;
+			case IS_LONG: type_c_str = "int"; break;
+			case IS_DOUBLE: type_c_str = "float"; break;
+		}
+
+		ZVAL_STRING(&type_str, type_c_str, 0);
+		// Avoid stupid php 5.2.6 try to free our string
+		ZVAL_ADDREF(&type_str);
+
+		if ((zend_call_method_with_1_params(&readobj, ce, &ce->__cast, "__cast", &retval, &type_str)) || EG(exception)) {
+			if (EG(exception)) {
+				if (retval) {
+					zval_ptr_dtor(&retval);
+					retval = NULL;
+				}
+
+				zend_error(E_ERROR, "Method %s::__cast() must not throw an exception", ce->name);
+				return FAILURE;
+			}
+			if (Z_TYPE_P(retval) == type) {
+				INIT_PZVAL(writeobj);
+				if (readobj == writeobj) {
+					zval_dtor(readobj);
+				}
+				ZVAL_ZVAL(writeobj, retval, 1, 1);
+				if (Z_TYPE_P(writeobj) != type) {
+					convert_to_explicit_type(writeobj, type);
+				}
+				return SUCCESS;
+			} else {
+				zval_ptr_dtor(&retval);
+				INIT_PZVAL(writeobj);
+				if (readobj == writeobj) {
+					zval_dtor(readobj);
+				}
+				ZVAL_EMPTY_STRING(writeobj);
+				zend_error(E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR, "Method %s::__cast() must return the requested type of value", ce->name);
+				return SUCCESS;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	switch (type) {
 		case IS_STRING:
-			ce = Z_OBJCE_P(readobj);
+//			ce = Z_OBJCE_P(readobj);
 			if (ce->__tostring &&
                 (zend_call_method_with_0_params(&readobj, ce, &ce->__tostring, "__tostring", &retval) || EG(exception))) {
                 if (EG(exception)) {