diff --git a/include/boost/python/args_fwd.hpp b/include/boost/python/args_fwd.hpp
index 39239461b..a9c13147d 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/args_fwd.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/args_fwd.hpp
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ namespace detail
     {
         typedef char too_many_keywords[keywords > function_args ? -1 : 1];
     };
+    template <int keywords, int function_args>
+    struct less_keywords_than_function_arguments
+    {
+        typedef char too_few_keywords[(keywords!=0 && keywords < function_args) ? -1 : 1];
+    };
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/include/boost/python/make_function.hpp b/include/boost/python/make_function.hpp
index 7dd7c316b..63b27ed4f 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/make_function.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/make_function.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,13 @@ namespace detail
       typedef typename detail::error::more_keywords_than_function_arguments<
           NumKeywords::value, arity
           >::too_many_keywords assertion BOOST_ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED;
-    
+
+#ifdef BOOST_PYTHON_NUM_KEYWORDS_EQUALS_ARITY
+      typedef typename detail::error::less_keywords_than_function_arguments<
+          NumKeywords::value, arity
+      >::too_few_keywords assertion2 BOOST_ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED;
+#endif
+
       return objects::function_object(
           detail::caller<F,CallPolicies,Sig>(f, p)
         , kw);