diff --git a/Doc/library/readline.rst b/Doc/library/readline.rst
index 9a40747b4f2..812586271d8 100644
--- a/Doc/library/readline.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/readline.rst
@@ -142,6 +142,12 @@ The :mod:`readline` module defines the following functions:
    .. versionadded:: 2.3
 
 
+.. function:: get_completion_type()
+
+   Get the type of completion being attempted.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 2.6
+
 .. function:: get_begidx()
 
    Get the beginning index of the readline tab-completion scope.
@@ -161,6 +167,16 @@ The :mod:`readline` module defines the following functions:
 
    Get the readline word delimiters for tab-completion.
 
+.. function:: set_completion_display_matches_hook([function])
+
+   Set or remove the completion display function.  If *function* is
+   specified, it will be used as the new completion display function;
+   if omitted or ``None``, any completion display function already
+   installed is removed.  The completion display function is called as
+   ``function(substitution, [matches], longest_match_length)`` once
+   each time matches need to be displayed.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 2.6
 
 .. function:: add_history(line)
 
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index cbe4e6c0ffa..3d73388d476 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ Jurjen Bos
 Peter Bosch
 Eric Bouck
 Thierry Bousch
+Sebastian Boving
 Monty Brandenberg
 Georg Brandl
 Terrence Brannon
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 2cfc4cef5a5..f8a875c5746 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -746,6 +746,9 @@ Library
 Extension Modules
 -----------------
 
+- Patch #1388440: Add set_completion_display_matches_hook and
+  get_completion_type to readline.
+
 - Bug #1649098: Avoid declaration of zero-sized array declaration in
   structure.
 
diff --git a/Modules/readline.c b/Modules/readline.c
index fd800ffa1aa..f620f6229f1 100644
--- a/Modules/readline.c
+++ b/Modules/readline.c
@@ -198,12 +198,27 @@ set_hook(const char *funcname, PyObject **hook_var, PyObject *args)
 
 /* Exported functions to specify hook functions in Python */
 
+static PyObject *completion_display_matches_hook = NULL;
 static PyObject *startup_hook = NULL;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_RL_PRE_INPUT_HOOK
 static PyObject *pre_input_hook = NULL;
 #endif
 
+static PyObject *
+set_completion_display_matches_hook(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+{
+	return set_hook("completion_display_matches_hook",
+			&completion_display_matches_hook, args);
+}
+
+PyDoc_STRVAR(doc_set_completion_display_matches_hook,
+"set_completion_display_matches_hook([function]) -> None\n\
+Set or remove the completion display function.\n\
+The function is called as\n\
+  function(substitution, [matches], longest_match_length)\n\
+once each time matches need to be displayed.");
+
 static PyObject *
 set_startup_hook(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
@@ -245,6 +260,18 @@ static PyObject *begidx = NULL;
 static PyObject *endidx = NULL;
 
 
+/* Get the completion type for the scope of the tab-completion */
+static PyObject *
+get_completion_type(PyObject *self, PyObject *noarg)
+{
+  return PyInt_FromLong(rl_completion_type);
+}
+
+PyDoc_STRVAR(doc_get_completion_type,
+"get_completion_type() -> int\n\
+Get the type of completion being attempted.");
+
+
 /* Get the beginning index for the scope of the tab-completion */
 
 static PyObject *
@@ -557,6 +584,8 @@ static struct PyMethodDef readline_methods[] =
 	 METH_NOARGS, get_history_length_doc},
 	{"set_completer", set_completer, METH_VARARGS, doc_set_completer},
 	{"get_completer", get_completer, METH_NOARGS, doc_get_completer},
+	{"get_completion_type", get_completion_type,
+	 METH_NOARGS, doc_get_completion_type},
 	{"get_begidx", get_begidx, METH_NOARGS, doc_get_begidx},
 	{"get_endidx", get_endidx, METH_NOARGS, doc_get_endidx},
 
@@ -568,6 +597,8 @@ static struct PyMethodDef readline_methods[] =
 	{"get_completer_delims", get_completer_delims,
 	 METH_NOARGS, doc_get_completer_delims},
 
+	{"set_completion_display_matches_hook", set_completion_display_matches_hook,
+	 METH_VARARGS, doc_set_completion_display_matches_hook},
 	{"set_startup_hook", set_startup_hook,
 	 METH_VARARGS, doc_set_startup_hook},
 #ifdef HAVE_RL_PRE_INPUT_HOOK
@@ -631,6 +662,48 @@ on_pre_input_hook(void)
 #endif
 
 
+/* C function to call the Python completion_display_matches */
+
+static void
+on_completion_display_matches_hook(char **matches,
+				   int num_matches, int max_length)
+{
+	if (completion_display_matches_hook != NULL) {
+	        int i;
+	        PyObject *m, *s;
+	        PyObject *r;
+#ifdef WITH_THREAD	      
+		PyGILState_STATE gilstate = PyGILState_Ensure();
+#endif
+		m = PyList_New(num_matches);
+		for (i = 0; i < num_matches; i++) {
+		  s = PyString_FromString(matches[i+1]);
+		  PyList_SetItem(m, i, s);
+		}
+
+		r = PyObject_CallFunction(completion_display_matches_hook,
+					  "sOi", matches[0], m, max_length);
+
+		Py_DECREF(m);
+
+		if (r == NULL ||
+		    (r != Py_None && PyInt_AsLong(r) == -1 && PyErr_Occurred())) {
+		  goto error;
+		}
+
+		Py_DECREF(r);
+		goto done;
+	  error:
+		PyErr_Clear();
+		Py_XDECREF(r);
+	  done:
+#ifdef WITH_THREAD	      
+		PyGILState_Release(gilstate);
+#endif
+	}
+}
+
+
 /* C function to call the Python completer. */
 
 static char *
@@ -708,6 +781,10 @@ setup_readline(void)
 	rl_bind_key_in_map ('\t', rl_complete, emacs_meta_keymap);
 	rl_bind_key_in_map ('\033', rl_complete, emacs_meta_keymap);
 	/* Set our hook functions */
+#ifdef HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_DISPLAY_MATCHES_HOOK
+	rl_completion_display_matches_hook =
+	  (rl_compdisp_func_t *)on_completion_display_matches_hook;
+#endif
 	rl_startup_hook = (Function *)on_startup_hook;
 #ifdef HAVE_RL_PRE_INPUT_HOOK
 	rl_pre_input_hook = (Function *)on_pre_input_hook;
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4518c7d19e1..6d9862e7252 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #! /bin/sh
-# From configure.in Revision: 57762 .
+# From configure.in Revision: 57904 .
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
 # Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61 for python 2.6.
 #
@@ -21699,6 +21699,77 @@ _ACEOF
 fi
 
 
+# also in 4.0
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for rl_completion_display_matches_hook in -lreadline" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for rl_completion_display_matches_hook in -lreadline... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_completion_display_matches_hook+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lreadline  $LIBS"
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char rl_completion_display_matches_hook ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return rl_completion_display_matches_hook ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
+if { (ac_try="$ac_link"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_link") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       } && test -s conftest$ac_exeext &&
+       $as_test_x conftest$ac_exeext; then
+  ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_completion_display_matches_hook=yes
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+	ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_completion_display_matches_hook=no
+fi
+
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest_ipa8_conftest.oo \
+      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_completion_display_matches_hook" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_completion_display_matches_hook" >&6; }
+if test $ac_cv_lib_readline_rl_completion_display_matches_hook = yes; then
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<\_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_DISPLAY_MATCHES_HOOK 1
+_ACEOF
+
+fi
+
+
 # check for readline 4.2
 { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for rl_completion_matches in -lreadline" >&5
 echo $ECHO_N "checking for rl_completion_matches in -lreadline... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index dd8e1177b46..7480ee64a14 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -3137,6 +3137,11 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, rl_pre_input_hook,
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_RL_PRE_INPUT_HOOK, 1,
         [Define if you have readline 4.0]), , )
 
+# also in 4.0
+AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, rl_completion_display_matches_hook,
+	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_DISPLAY_MATCHES_HOOK, 1,
+        [Define if you have readline 4.0]), , )
+
 # check for readline 4.2
 AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, rl_completion_matches,
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_MATCHES, 1,
diff --git a/pyconfig.h.in b/pyconfig.h.in
index 012bf7e0d20..16c85a591a8 100644
--- a/pyconfig.h.in
+++ b/pyconfig.h.in
@@ -432,6 +432,9 @@
 /* Define if you have readline 2.2 */
 #undef HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_APPEND_CHARACTER
 
+/* Define if you have readline 4.0 */
+#undef HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_DISPLAY_MATCHES_HOOK
+
 /* Define if you have readline 4.2 */
 #undef HAVE_RL_COMPLETION_MATCHES