diff --git a/include/dbus-c++/message.h b/include/dbus-c++/message.h
index 5ebccfd..8e4017e 100644
--- a/include/dbus-c++/message.h
+++ b/include/dbus-c++/message.h
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ public:
 
 	~Message();
 
+	Message& operator = ( const Message& m );
+
 	Message copy();
 
 	int type() const;
diff --git a/include/dbus-c++/object.h b/include/dbus-c++/object.h
index 79ad167..aa64b08 100644
--- a/include/dbus-c++/object.h
+++ b/include/dbus-c++/object.h
@@ -85,6 +85,17 @@ const std::string& Object::service() const
 /*
 */
 
+class Tag
+{
+public:
+
+	virtual ~Tag()
+	{}
+};
+
+/*
+*/
+
 class ObjectAdaptor;
 
 typedef std::list<ObjectAdaptor*> ObjectAdaptorPList;
@@ -113,28 +124,28 @@ protected:
 
 		inline MessageIter& writer();
 
-		inline void* tag();
+		inline Tag* tag();
 
 	private:
 
-		Continuation( Connection& conn, const CallMessage& call, const void* tag );
+		Continuation( Connection& conn, const CallMessage& call, const Tag* tag );
 
 		Connection _conn;
 		CallMessage _call;
 		MessageIter _writer;
 		ReturnMessage _return;
-		const void* _tag;
+		const Tag* _tag;
 
 	friend class ObjectAdaptor;
 	};
 
-	void return_later( const void* tag );
+	void return_later( const Tag* tag );
 
 	void return_now( Continuation* ret );
 
 	void return_error( Continuation* ret, const Error error );
 
-	Continuation* find_continuation( const void* tag );
+	Continuation* find_continuation( const Tag* tag );
 
 private:
 
@@ -145,7 +156,7 @@ private:
 	void register_obj();
 	void unregister_obj();
 
-	typedef std::map<const void*, Continuation*> ContinuationMap;
+	typedef std::map<const Tag*, Continuation*> ContinuationMap;
 	ContinuationMap _continuations;
 
 friend struct Private;
@@ -156,9 +167,9 @@ const ObjectAdaptor* ObjectAdaptor::object() const
 	return this;
 }
 
-void* ObjectAdaptor::Continuation::tag()
+Tag* ObjectAdaptor::Continuation::tag()
 {
-	return const_cast<void*>(_tag);
+	return const_cast<Tag*>(_tag);
 }
 
 MessageIter& ObjectAdaptor::Continuation::writer()
diff --git a/include/dbus-c++/types.h b/include/dbus-c++/types.h
index 19b3ab2..5d90f94 100644
--- a/include/dbus-c++/types.h
+++ b/include/dbus-c++/types.h
@@ -242,7 +242,6 @@ inline DBus::MessageIter& operator << ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, const DBus::Str
 	return iter;
 }
 
-
 inline DBus::MessageIter& operator << ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, const DBus::Path& val )
 {
 	iter.append_path(val.c_str());
@@ -393,6 +392,18 @@ inline DBus::MessageIter& operator >> ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, DBus::String& v
 	return ++iter;
 }
 
+inline DBus::MessageIter& operator >> ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, DBus::Path& val )
+{
+	val = iter.get_path();
+	return ++iter;
+}
+
+inline DBus::MessageIter& operator >> ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, DBus::Signature& val )
+{
+	val = iter.get_signature();
+	return ++iter;
+}
+
 template<typename E>
 inline DBus::MessageIter& operator >> ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, std::vector<E>& val )
 {
@@ -408,8 +419,6 @@ inline DBus::MessageIter& operator >> ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, std::vector<E>&
 		ait >> elem;
 
 		val.push_back(elem);
-
-		++ait;
 	}
 	return ++iter;
 }
diff --git a/src/debug.cpp b/src/debug.cpp
index fa56233..2d64c40 100644
--- a/src/debug.cpp
+++ b/src/debug.cpp
@@ -28,20 +28,24 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+static int debug_env = -1;
+
 static void _debug_log_default(const char* format, ...)
 {
 #ifdef DEBUG
 
-	if(getenv("DBUSXX_VERBOSE"))
+	if(debug_env < 0) debug_env = getenv("DBUSXX_VERBOSE") ? 1 : 0;
+
+	if(debug_env)
 	{
-        va_list args;
-        va_start(args, format);
+	        va_list args;
+	        va_start(args, format);
 
-        fprintf(stderr, "dbus-c++: ");
-        vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
-        fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+	        fprintf(stderr, "dbus-c++: ");
+	        vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
+	        fprintf(stderr, "\n");
 
-        va_end(args);
+	        va_end(args);
 	}
 
 #endif//DEBUG
diff --git a/src/message.cpp b/src/message.cpp
index 36ddeb6..1afee6b 100644
--- a/src/message.cpp
+++ b/src/message.cpp
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ void MessageIter::close_container( MessageIter& container )
 
 void MessageIter::copy_data( MessageIter& to )
 {
-	for(MessageIter from = *this; from.at_end(); ++from)
+	for(MessageIter& from = *this; !from.at_end(); ++from)
 	{
 		switch(from.type())
 		{
@@ -320,6 +320,8 @@ void MessageIter::copy_data( MessageIter& to )
 			case DBUS_TYPE_OBJECT_PATH:
 			case DBUS_TYPE_SIGNATURE:
 			{
+				debug_log("copying basic type: %c", from.type());
+
 				unsigned char value[8];
 				from.get_basic(from.type(), &value);
 				to.append_basic(from.type(), &value);
@@ -333,12 +335,14 @@ void MessageIter::copy_data( MessageIter& to )
 				MessageIter from_container = from.recurse();
 				char* sig = from_container.signature();
 
-				MessageIter to_container(to.msg());
+				debug_log("copying compound type: %c[%s]", from.type(), sig);
+
+				MessageIter to_container (to.msg());
 				dbus_message_iter_open_container
 				(
 					(DBusMessageIter*)&(to._iter),
 					from.type(),
-					sig,
+					from.type() == DBUS_TYPE_VARIANT ? NULL : sig,
 					(DBusMessageIter*)&(to_container._iter)
 				);
 
@@ -376,6 +380,15 @@ Message::~Message()
 	dbus_message_unref(_pvt->msg);
 }
 
+Message& Message::operator = ( const Message& m )
+{
+	if(&m != this)
+	{
+		_pvt = m._pvt;
+	}
+	return *this;
+}
+
 Message Message::copy()
 {
 	Private* pvt = new Private(dbus_message_copy(_pvt->msg));
diff --git a/src/object.cpp b/src/object.cpp
index 0cf3381..092e5d4 100644
--- a/src/object.cpp
+++ b/src/object.cpp
@@ -175,11 +175,6 @@ void ObjectAdaptor::_emit_signal( SignalMessage& sig )
 	conn().send(sig);
 }
 
-struct WontReturnException
-{
-	const void* tag;
-};
-
 bool ObjectAdaptor::handle_message( const Message& msg )
 {
 	switch( msg.type() )
@@ -205,9 +200,9 @@ bool ObjectAdaptor::handle_message( const Message& msg )
 					ErrorMessage em(cmsg, e.name(), e.message());
 					conn().send(em);
 				}
-				catch(WontReturnException& wre)
+				catch(Tag* tag)
 				{
-					_continuations[wre.tag] = new Continuation(conn(), cmsg, wre.tag);
+					_continuations[tag] = new Continuation(conn(), cmsg, tag);
 				}
 				return true;
 			}
@@ -223,11 +218,9 @@ bool ObjectAdaptor::handle_message( const Message& msg )
 	}
 }
 
-void ObjectAdaptor::return_later( const void* tag )
+void ObjectAdaptor::return_later( const Tag* tag )
 {
-	WontReturnException wre = { tag };
-
-	throw wre;
+	throw tag;
 }
 
 void ObjectAdaptor::return_now( Continuation* ret )
@@ -252,14 +245,14 @@ void ObjectAdaptor::return_error( Continuation* ret, const Error error )
 	_continuations.erase(di);
 }
 
-ObjectAdaptor::Continuation* ObjectAdaptor::find_continuation( const void* tag )
+ObjectAdaptor::Continuation* ObjectAdaptor::find_continuation( const Tag* tag )
 {
 	ContinuationMap::iterator di = _continuations.find(tag);
 
 	return di != _continuations.end() ? di->second : NULL;
 }
 
-ObjectAdaptor::Continuation::Continuation( Connection& conn, const CallMessage& call, const void* tag )
+ObjectAdaptor::Continuation::Continuation( Connection& conn, const CallMessage& call, const Tag* tag )
 : _conn(conn), _call(call), _return(_call), _tag(tag)
 {
 	_writer = _return.writer(); //todo: verify
diff --git a/src/property.cpp b/src/property.cpp
index 5e70a82..95d62c2 100644
--- a/src/property.cpp
+++ b/src/property.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  *
  */
 
-
+#include <dbus-c++/debug.h>
 #include <dbus-c++/property.h>
 
 #include <dbus-c++/introspection.h>
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ Message PropertiesAdaptor::Get( const CallMessage& call )
 
 	ri >> iface_name >> property_name;
 
+	debug_log("requesting property %s on interface %s\n", property_name.c_str(), iface_name.c_str());
+
 	InterfaceAdaptor* interface = (InterfaceAdaptor*) find_interface(iface_name);
 
 	if(!interface)
@@ -63,7 +65,6 @@ Message PropertiesAdaptor::Get( const CallMessage& call )
 	MessageIter wi = reply.writer();
 
 	wi << *value;
-
 	return reply;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/types.cpp b/src/types.cpp
index 3a8a742..4ecc2ed 100644
--- a/src/types.cpp
+++ b/src/types.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,13 @@ MessageIter& operator >> ( MessageIter& iter, Variant& val )
 {
 	//TODO: check if iter really points to a variant
 
-	val = Variant(iter);
+	val.clear();
+
+	MessageIter vit = iter.recurse();
+	MessageIter mit = val.writer();
+
+	vit.copy_data(mit);
+
 	return ++iter;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/xml2cpp.cpp b/tools/xml2cpp.cpp
index 16e444f..a7da444 100644
--- a/tools/xml2cpp.cpp
+++ b/tools/xml2cpp.cpp
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ void generate_adaptor( Xml::Document& doc, const char* filename )
 		}
 
 		file << endl
-		     << "protected:" << endl
+		     << "public:" << endl
 		     << endl
 		     << tab << "/* signals emitted by this interface" << endl
 		     << tab << " */" << endl;