diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
index 08d7a3cab..4e91432d4 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2011-10-06  Christian Franke  <franke@computer.org>
+
+	* include/cygwin/wait.h: Use new __wait_status_to_int()
+	macro to access status value in W*() status checks.
+	Fix status description.
+	* include/sys/wait.h: Allow `int' and `union wait' as
+	wait status parameter.  Change __wait_status_to_int()
+	macro and wait () prototypes accordingly.  Add inline
+	functions for C++.  Remove extra `;'.
+
 2011-10-05  Corinna Vinschen  <corinna@vinschen.de>
 
 	* external.cc (create_winenv): Rename from sync_winenv.  Take
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/include/cygwin/wait.h b/winsup/cygwin/include/cygwin/wait.h
index bed81b779..0f3f76365 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/include/cygwin/wait.h
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/include/cygwin/wait.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* cygwin/wait.h
 
-   Copyright 2006, 2009 Red Hat, Inc.
+   Copyright 2006, 2009, 2011 Red Hat, Inc.
 
 This file is part of Cygwin.
 
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@ details. */
 #define WCONTINUED 8
 #define __W_CONTINUED	0xffff
 
-/* A status looks like:
-      <2 bytes info> <2 bytes code>
+/* Will be redefined in sys/wait.h.  */
+#define __wait_status_to_int(w)  (w)
+
+/* A status is 16 bits, and looks like:
+      <1 byte info> <1 byte code>
 
       <code> == 0, child has exited, info is the exit value
       <code> == 1..7e, child has exited, info is the signal number.
@@ -25,13 +28,14 @@ details. */
       <code> == 80, there was a core dump.
 */
 
-#define WIFEXITED(w)	(((w) & 0xff) == 0)
-#define WIFSIGNALED(w)	(((w) & 0x7f) > 0 && (((w) & 0x7f) < 0x7f))
-#define WIFSTOPPED(w)	(((w) & 0xff) == 0x7f)
-#define WIFCONTINUED(w)	(((w) & 0xffff) == __W_CONTINUED)
-#define WEXITSTATUS(w)	(((w) >> 8) & 0xff)
-#define WTERMSIG(w)	((w) & 0x7f)
+#define WIFEXITED(w)	((__wait_status_to_int(w) & 0xff) == 0)
+#define WIFSIGNALED(w)	((__wait_status_to_int(w) & 0x7f) > 0 \
+			 && ((__wait_status_to_int(w) & 0x7f) < 0x7f))
+#define WIFSTOPPED(w)	((__wait_status_to_int(w) & 0xff) == 0x7f)
+#define WIFCONTINUED(w)	((__wait_status_to_int(w) & 0xffff) == __W_CONTINUED)
+#define WEXITSTATUS(w)	((__wait_status_to_int(w) >> 8) & 0xff)
+#define WTERMSIG(w)	(__wait_status_to_int(w) & 0x7f)
 #define WSTOPSIG	WEXITSTATUS
-#define WCOREDUMP(w)	(WIFSIGNALED(w) && (w & 0x80))
+#define WCOREDUMP(w)	(WIFSIGNALED(w) && (__wait_status_to_int(w) & 0x80))
 
 #endif /* _CYGWIN_WAIT_H */
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/include/sys/wait.h b/winsup/cygwin/include/sys/wait.h
index 04bbae7f5..4341f6970 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/include/sys/wait.h
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/include/sys/wait.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* sys/wait.h
 
-   Copyright 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 Red Hat, Inc.
+   Copyright 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011 Red Hat, Inc.
 
 This file is part of Cygwin.
 
@@ -19,10 +19,25 @@ details. */
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-pid_t wait (int *);
-pid_t waitpid (pid_t, int *, int);
-pid_t wait3 (int *__status, int __options, struct rusage *__rusage);
-pid_t wait4 (pid_t __pid, int *__status, int __options, struct rusage *__rusage);
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+
+typedef int *__wait_status_ptr_t;
+
+#else /* !__cplusplus */
+
+/* Allow `int' and `union wait' for the status.  */
+typedef union
+  {
+    int *__int_ptr;
+    union wait *__union_wait_ptr;
+  } __wait_status_ptr_t  __attribute__ ((__transparent_union__));
+
+#endif /* __cplusplus */
+
+pid_t wait (__wait_status_ptr_t __status);
+pid_t waitpid (pid_t __pid, __wait_status_ptr_t __status, int __options);
+pid_t wait3 (__wait_status_ptr_t __status, int __options, struct rusage *__rusage);
+pid_t wait4 (pid_t __pid, __wait_status_ptr_t __status, int __options, struct rusage *__rusage);
 
 union wait
   {
@@ -49,7 +64,34 @@ union wait
 #define	w_stopval	__wait_stopped.__w_stopval
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
-};
+}
 #endif
 
-#endif
+/* Used in cygwin/wait.h, redefine to accept `int' and `union wait'.  */
+#undef __wait_status_to_int
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+
+inline int __wait_status_to_int (int __status)
+  { return __status; }
+inline int __wait_status_to_int (const union wait & __status)
+  { return __status.w_status; }
+
+/* C++ wait() variants for `union wait'.  */
+inline pid_t wait (union wait *__status)
+  { return wait ((int *) __status); }
+inline pid_t waitpid (pid_t __pid, union wait *__status, int __options)
+  { return waitpid(__pid, (int *) __status, __options); }
+inline pid_t wait3 (union wait *__status, int __options, struct rusage *__rusage)
+  { return wait3 ((int *) __status, __options, __rusage); }
+inline pid_t wait4 (pid_t __pid, union wait *__status, int __options, struct rusage *__rusage)
+  { return wait4 (__pid, (int *) __status, __options, __rusage); }
+
+#else /* !__cplusplus */
+
+#define __wait_status_to_int(__status)  (__extension__ \
+  (((union { __typeof(__status) __in; int __out; }) { .__in = (__status) }).__out))
+
+#endif /* __cplusplus */
+
+#endif /* _SYS_WAIT_H */