diff --git a/wxPython/src/html.i b/wxPython/src/html.i
index 86609a3fd6..970911807b 100644
--- a/wxPython/src/html.i
+++ b/wxPython/src/html.i
@@ -329,15 +329,17 @@ public:
 
         // First, make a new instance of the tag handler
         wxPyBeginBlockThreads();
-        PyObject* arg = Py_BuildValue("()");
-        PyObject* obj = PyInstance_New(m_tagHandlerClass, arg, NULL);
+        PyObject* arg = PyTuple_New(0);
+        PyObject* obj = PyObject_CallObject(m_tagHandlerClass, arg);
         Py_DECREF(arg);
-        wxPyEndBlockThreads();
-
+        
         // now figure out where it's C++ object is...
         wxPyHtmlWinTagHandler* thPtr;
-        if (! wxPyConvertSwigPtr(obj, (void **)&thPtr, wxT("wxPyHtmlWinTagHandler")))
+        if (! wxPyConvertSwigPtr(obj, (void **)&thPtr, wxT("wxPyHtmlWinTagHandler"))) {
+            wxPyEndBlockThreads();
             return;
+        }
+        wxPyEndBlockThreads();
 
         // add it,
         parser->AddTagHandler(thPtr);
diff --git a/wxPython/src/msw/html_wrap.cpp b/wxPython/src/msw/html_wrap.cpp
index a2f15dc94a..ad01de3dec 100644
--- a/wxPython/src/msw/html_wrap.cpp
+++ b/wxPython/src/msw/html_wrap.cpp
@@ -372,15 +372,17 @@ public:
 
         // First, make a new instance of the tag handler
         wxPyBeginBlockThreads();
-        PyObject* arg = Py_BuildValue("()");
-        PyObject* obj = PyInstance_New(m_tagHandlerClass, arg, NULL);
+        PyObject* arg = PyTuple_New(0);
+        PyObject* obj = PyObject_CallObject(m_tagHandlerClass, arg);
         Py_DECREF(arg);
-        wxPyEndBlockThreads();
-
+        
         // now figure out where it's C++ object is...
         wxPyHtmlWinTagHandler* thPtr;
-        if (! wxPyConvertSwigPtr(obj, (void **)&thPtr, wxT("wxPyHtmlWinTagHandler")))
+        if (! wxPyConvertSwigPtr(obj, (void **)&thPtr, wxT("wxPyHtmlWinTagHandler"))) {
+            wxPyEndBlockThreads();
             return;
+        }
+        wxPyEndBlockThreads();
 
         // add it,
         parser->AddTagHandler(thPtr);
diff --git a/wxPython/wx/lib/wxpTag.py b/wxPython/wx/lib/wxpTag.py
index 1981f5b02d..8dbb7109d4 100644
--- a/wxPython/wx/lib/wxpTag.py
+++ b/wxPython/wx/lib/wxpTag.py
@@ -100,14 +100,17 @@ PARAMTAG = 'PARAM'
 
 class wxpTagHandler(wxHtmlWinTagHandler):
     def __init__(self):
+        print 'wxpTagHandler'
         wxHtmlWinTagHandler.__init__(self)
         self.ctx = None
 
     def GetSupportedTags(self):
+        print 'wxpTagHandler.GetSupportedTags'
         return WXPTAG+','+PARAMTAG
 
 
     def HandleTag(self, tag):
+        print 'wxpTagHandler.HandleTag'
         name = tag.GetName()
         if name == WXPTAG:
             return self.HandleWxpTag(tag)
@@ -136,7 +139,7 @@ class wxpTagHandler(wxHtmlWinTagHandler):
 
         className = tag.GetParam('CLASS')
         self.ctx.classObj = getattr(self.ctx.classMod, className)
-        if type(self.ctx.classObj) != types.ClassType:
+        if type(self.ctx.classObj) not in [ types.ClassType, types.TypeType]:
             raise TypeError, "WXP tag attribute CLASS must name a class"
 
         # now look for width and height