diff --git a/generator/ClassBase.cs b/generator/ClassBase.cs
index 8c77764c6..57e277044 100644
--- a/generator/ClassBase.cs
+++ b/generator/ClassBase.cs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 		private IDictionary<string, Property> props = new Dictionary<string, Property> ();
 		private IDictionary<string, ObjectField> fields = new Dictionary<string, ObjectField> ();
 		private IDictionary<string, Method> methods = new Dictionary<string, Method> ();
+		private IDictionary<string, Constant> constants = new Dictionary<string, Constant>();
 		protected IList<string> interfaces = new List<string>();
 		protected IList<string> managed_interfaces = new List<string>();
 		protected IList<Ctor> ctors = new List<Ctor>();
@@ -108,6 +109,11 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 					ctors.Add (new Ctor (member, this));
 					break;
 
+				case "constant":
+					name = member.GetAttribute ("name");
+					constants.Add (name, new Constant (member));
+					break;
+
 				default:
 					break;
 				}
@@ -156,6 +162,14 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 				methods.Remove (method.Name);
 			invalids.Clear ();
 
+			foreach (Constant con in constants.Values) {
+				if (!con.Validate (log))
+					invalids.Add (con);
+			}
+			foreach (Constant con in invalids)
+				constants.Remove (con.Name);
+			invalids.Clear ();
+
 			foreach (Ctor ctor in ctors) {
 				if (!ctor.Validate (log))
 					invalids.Add (ctor);
@@ -199,6 +213,7 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 			case "implements":
 			case "constructor":
 			case "disabledefaultconstructor":
+			case "constant":
 				return true;
 				
 			default:
@@ -221,6 +236,12 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 				field.Generate (gen_info, "\t\t");
 		}
 
+		protected void GenConstants (GenerationInfo gen_info)
+		{
+			foreach (Constant con in constants.Values)
+				con.Generate (gen_info, "\t\t");
+		}
+
 		private void ParseImplements (XmlElement member)
 		{
 			foreach (XmlNode node in member.ChildNodes) {
diff --git a/generator/ClassGen.cs b/generator/ClassGen.cs
index f0cf6a33f..f6ef5b958 100644
--- a/generator/ClassGen.cs
+++ b/generator/ClassGen.cs
@@ -77,9 +77,10 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 			sw.WriteLine (" {");
 			sw.WriteLine ();
 
+			GenConstants (gen_info);
 			GenProperties (gen_info, null);
 			GenMethods (gen_info, null, null);
-			
+
 			sw.WriteLine ("#endregion");
 
 			sw.WriteLine ("\t}");
diff --git a/generator/Constant.cs b/generator/Constant.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8a06ca14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generator/Constant.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+using System;
+using System.Xml;
+using System.IO;
+
+namespace GtkSharp.Generation
+{
+	public class Constant
+	{
+		private readonly XmlElement elem;
+		private readonly string name;
+		private readonly string value;
+		private readonly string ctype;
+
+		public Constant (XmlElement elem)
+		{
+			this.elem = elem;
+			this.name = elem.GetAttribute ("name");
+			this.value = elem.GetAttribute ("value");
+			this.ctype = elem.GetAttribute ("ctype");
+		}
+
+		public string Name {
+			get {
+				return this.name;
+			}
+		}
+		public string ConstType {
+			get {
+				if (IsString)
+					return "string";
+				// gir registers all integer values as gint even for numbers which do not fit into a gint
+				// if the number is too big for an int, try to fit it into a long
+				if (SymbolTable.Table.GetMarshalType (ctype) == "int" && value.Length < 20 && long.Parse (value) > Int32.MaxValue)
+					return "long";
+				return SymbolTable.Table.GetMarshalType (ctype);
+			}
+		}
+
+		public bool IsString {
+			get {
+				return (SymbolTable.Table.GetCSType (ctype) == "string");
+			}
+		}
+
+		public virtual bool Validate (LogWriter log)
+		{
+			if (ConstType == String.Empty) {
+				log.Warn ("{0} type is missing or wrong", Name);
+				return false;
+			}
+			if (SymbolTable.Table.GetMarshalType (ctype) == "int" && value.Length >= 20) {
+				return false;
+			}
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		public virtual void Generate (GenerationInfo gen_info, string indent)
+		{
+			StreamWriter sw = gen_info.Writer;
+
+			sw.WriteLine ("{0}public const {1} {2} = {3}{4}{3};", indent, ConstType, Name, IsString ? "\"": String.Empty, value);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/generator/Makefile.am b/generator/Makefile.am
index dfd24c401..2fc3aabe7 100644
--- a/generator/Makefile.am
+++ b/generator/Makefile.am
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ sources = 				\
 	CodeGenerator.cs		\
 	ConstFilenameGen.cs		\
 	ConstStringGen.cs		\
+	Constant.cs			\
 	Ctor.cs				\
 	DefaultSignalHandler.cs		\
 	EnumGen.cs			\
diff --git a/generator/ObjectGen.cs b/generator/ObjectGen.cs
index 774a797da..05ea12ca1 100644
--- a/generator/ObjectGen.cs
+++ b/generator/ObjectGen.cs
@@ -195,9 +195,10 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 				GenSignals (gen_info, null);
 			}
 
+			GenConstants (gen_info);
 			GenClassMembers (gen_info, cs_parent);
 			GenMethods (gen_info, null, null);
-			
+
 			if (interfaces.Count != 0) {
 				var all_methods = new Dictionary<string, Method> ();
 				foreach (Method m in Methods.Values) {
diff --git a/generator/OpaqueGen.cs b/generator/OpaqueGen.cs
index 5b71ea742..7cef60587 100644
--- a/generator/OpaqueGen.cs
+++ b/generator/OpaqueGen.cs
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ namespace GtkSharp.Generation {
 
 			sw.WriteLine (" {");
 			sw.WriteLine ();
-            
+
+			GenConstants (gen_info);
 			GenFields (gen_info);
 			GenMethods (gen_info, null, null);
 			GenCtors (gen_info);
diff --git a/generator/generator.csproj b/generator/generator.csproj
index 415779754..41ccce2e6 100644
--- a/generator/generator.csproj
+++ b/generator/generator.csproj
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Parameter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="ArrayParameter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Options.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Constant.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="DESIGN" />