I'm kind of loosing faith that this list ever responds to questions but here goes anyway. I've narrowed a problem down to this: #include <iostream> #include <boost/lambda/lambda.hpp> #include <boost/lambda/bind.hpp> struct test_b { test_b() { std::cerr << "test_b::test_b()\n"; } test_b(test_b const&) { std::cerr << "test_b::test_b(test_b const&)\n"; } virtual int f() = 0; //{ return 5; } }; struct test_d : test_b { test_d() : test_b() { std::cerr << "test_d::test_d()\n"; } test_d(test_d const& d) : test_b(d) { std::cerr << "test_d::test_d(test_d const&)\n"; } int f() { return 5; } }; int main(void) { namespace l = boost::lambda; test_b & td = test_d(); std::cerr << "Value: " << (l::bind(&test_b::f, l::_1))(td) << "\n"; int x; std::cin >> x; } Compiler result: cannot instantiate abstract class test_b. Because lambda doesn't seem to be able to handle smart pointers at all I have been trying to come up with a way to pass the dereferenced result into the function call. Nothing is working. In the end lambda must be able to handle the above in order to make this work. If lambda cannot handle this simple case I just don't see how it can be any use. The full compiler output follows: 1>c:\boost\include\boost-1_33_1\boost\tuple\detail\tuple_basic.hpp(419) : error C2259: 'test_b' : cannot instantiate abstract class 1> due to following members: 1> 'int test_b::f(void)' : is abstract 1> c:\documents and settings\nroberts\my documents\visual studio 2005\projects\playground\playground\playground.cpp(14) : see declaration of 'test_b::f' 1> c:\boost\include\boost-1_33_1\boost\tuple\detail\tuple_basic.hpp(329) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::tuples::cons<HT,TT>' being compiled 1> with 1> [ 1> HT=test_b, 1> TT=boost::lambda::detail::deduce_non_ref_argument_types_<boost::tuples::cons<const boost::lambda::lambda_functor<boost::lambda::placeholder<1>>,boost::tuples::detail::map_tuple_to_cons<boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type>::type>::tail_type,boost::tuples::tuple<test_b &,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type>>::type 1> ] 1> c:\boost\include\boost-1_33_1\boost\lambda\detail\lambda_functor_base.hpp(151) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::tuples::cons<HT,TT>' being compiled 1> with 1> [ 1> HT=int (__thiscall test_b::* const )(void), 1> TT=boost::tuples::cons<test_b,boost::lambda::detail::deduce_non_ref_argument_types_<boost::tuples::cons<const boost::lambda::lambda_functor<boost::lambda::placeholder<1>>,boost::tuples::detail::map_tuple_to_cons<boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type>::type>::tail_type,boost::tuples::tuple<test_b &,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type>>::type> 1> ] 1> c:\boost\include\boost-1_33_1\boost\lambda\detail\lambda_functor_base.hpp(228) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::lambda::detail::has_null_type<Tuple>' being compiled 1> with 1> [ 1> Tuple=boost::tuples::cons<int (__thiscall test_b::* const )(void),boost::tuples::cons<test_b,boost::lambda::detail::deduce_non_ref_argument_types_<boost::tuples::cons<const boost::lambda::lambda_functor<boost::lambda::placeholder<1>>,boost::tuples::detail::map_tuple_to_cons<boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type>::type>::tail_type,boost::tuples::tuple<test_b &,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type>>::type>> 1> ] 1> c:\boost\include\boost-1_33_1\boost\lambda\detail\lambda_functor_base.hpp(398) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::lambda::detail::deduce_non_ref_argument_types<Args,SigArgs>' being compiled 1> with 1> [ 1> Args=boost::tuples::tuple<int (__thiscall test_b::* const )(void),const boost::lambda::lambda_functor<boost::lambda::placeholder<1>>,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type>, 1> SigArgs=boost::tuples::tuple<test_b &,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type> 1> ] 1> c:\documents and settings\nroberts\my documents\visual studio 2005\projects\playground\playground\playground.cpp(32) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::lambda::lambda_functor_base<Act,Args>::sig<SigArgs>' being compiled 1> with 1> [ 1> Act=boost::lambda::action<2,boost::lambda::function_action<2>>, 1> Args=boost::tuples::tuple<int (__thiscall test_b::* const )(void),const boost::lambda::lambda_functor<boost::lambda::placeholder<1>>,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type,boost::lambda::detail::bind_traits<boost::tuples::null_type>::type>, 1> SigArgs=boost::tuples::tuple<test_b &,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type,boost::tuples::null_type> 1> ]