Index: doc/xml/manual/intro.xml
===================================================================
--- doc/xml/manual/intro.xml	(revision 135716)
+++ doc/xml/manual/intro.xml	(working copy)
@@ -628,6 +628,12 @@
     </term>
     <listitem><para>Make the member functions table and classic_table public.
     </para></listitem></varlistentry>
+
+    <varlistentry><term><ulink url="lwg-active.html#778">778</ulink>:
+        <emphasis>std::bitset does not have any constructor taking a string literal</emphasis>
+    </term>
+    <listitem><para>Add it.
+    </para></listitem></varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
 
  </sect2>
Index: include/std/bitset
===================================================================
--- include/std/bitset	(revision 135716)
+++ include/std/bitset	(working copy)
@@ -786,7 +786,14 @@
 				     "not valid"));
 	  _M_copy_from_string(__s, __position, __n);
 	}
-      
+
+      // _GLIBCXX_RESOLVE_LIB_DEFECTS
+      // 778. std::bitset does not have any constructor taking a string literal
+      explicit
+      bitset(const char* __s)
+      : _Base()
+      { _M_copy_from_ptr(__s, char_traits<char>::length(__s), 0, size_t(-1)); }
+
       // 23.3.5.2 bitset operations:
       //@{
       /**
@@ -1049,11 +1056,15 @@
       }
 
       // Helper functions for string operations.
+      template<class _CharT>
+        void
+        _M_copy_from_ptr(const _CharT*, size_t, size_t, size_t);
+
       template<class _CharT, class _Traits, class _Alloc>
 	void
 	_M_copy_from_string(const std::basic_string<_CharT,
-			    _Traits, _Alloc>& __s,
-			    size_t, size_t);
+			    _Traits, _Alloc>& __s, size_t __pos, size_t __n)
+	{ _M_copy_from_ptr(__s.data(), __s.size(), __pos, __n); }
 
       template<class _CharT, class _Traits, class _Alloc>
 	void
@@ -1155,14 +1166,14 @@
 
   // Definitions of non-inline member functions.
   template<size_t _Nb>
-    template<class _CharT, class _Traits, class _Alloc>
+    template<class _CharT>
       void
       bitset<_Nb>::
-      _M_copy_from_string(const std::basic_string<_CharT, _Traits,
-			  _Alloc>& __s, size_t __pos, size_t __n)
+      _M_copy_from_ptr(const _CharT* __s, size_t __len,
+		       size_t __pos, size_t __n)
       {
 	reset();
-	const size_t __nbits = std::min(_Nb, std::min(__n, __s.size() - __pos));
+	const size_t __nbits = std::min(_Nb, std::min(__n, __len - __pos));
 	for (size_t __i = __nbits; __i > 0; --__i)
 	  {
 	    switch(__s[__pos + __nbits - __i])
@@ -1173,7 +1184,7 @@
 		_Unchecked_set(__i - 1);
 		break;
 	      default:
-		__throw_invalid_argument(__N("bitset::_M_copy_from_string"));
+		__throw_invalid_argument(__N("bitset::_M_copy_from_ptr"));
 	      }
 	  }
       }
Index: testsuite/23_containers/bitset/cons/2.cc
===================================================================
--- testsuite/23_containers/bitset/cons/2.cc	(revision 0)
+++ testsuite/23_containers/bitset/cons/2.cc	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+// 2008-05-21  Paolo Carlini  <paolo.carlini@oracle.com>
+
+// Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+//
+// This file is part of the GNU ISO C++ Library.  This library is free
+// software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+// terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+// Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+// any later version.
+
+// This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+// with this library; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the Free
+// Software Foundation, 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301,
+// USA.
+
+#include <bitset>
+#include <testsuite_hooks.h>
+
+// DR 778. std::bitset does not have any constructor taking a string literal.
+void test01()
+{
+  bool test __attribute__((unused)) = true;
+
+  std::bitset<4> z1("1101");
+  std::bitset<4> z1_ref(std::string("1101"));
+  VERIFY( z1.to_string() == "1101" );
+  VERIFY( z1 == z1_ref );
+
+  std::bitset<8> z2("1011");
+  std::bitset<8> z2_ref(std::string("1011"));
+  VERIFY( z2.to_string() == "00001011" );
+  VERIFY( z2 == z2_ref );
+
+  std::bitset<2> z3("1101");
+  std::bitset<2> z3_ref(std::string("1101"));
+  VERIFY( z3.to_string() == "11" );
+  VERIFY( z3 == z3_ref );
+}
+
+int main()
+{
+  test01();
+  return 0;
+}