diff --git a/jnius/__init__.py b/jnius/__init__.py
index b120418..5386691 100644
--- a/jnius/__init__.py
+++ b/jnius/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 from .jnius import (JavaObject, JavaMethod, JavaStaticMethod,
         JavaField, JavaStaticField, JavaClass, MetaJavaClass,
-        JavaException)
+        JavaException, cast)
 
diff --git a/jnius/jnius.pyx b/jnius/jnius.pyx
index f9fad64..0ae397f 100644
--- a/jnius/jnius.pyx
+++ b/jnius/jnius.pyx
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ Python::
 '''
 
 __all__ = ('JavaObject', 'JavaClass', 'JavaMethod', 'JavaStaticMethod',
-    'JavaField', 'JavaStaticField', 'MetaJavaClass', 'JavaException')
+    'JavaField', 'JavaStaticField', 'MetaJavaClass', 'JavaException', 'cast')
 
 from libc.stdlib cimport malloc, free
 
@@ -895,3 +895,15 @@ cdef class JavaMethodMultiple(object):
         jm.j_self = self.j_self
         return jm.__call__(*args)
 
+
+def cast(destclass, obj):
+    cdef JavaClass jc
+    cdef JavaClass jobj = obj
+    from reflect import autoclass
+    if isinstance(destclass, basestring):
+        jc = autoclass(destclass)(noinstance=True)
+    else:
+        jc = destclass(noinstance=True)
+    jc.instanciate_from(jobj.j_self)
+    return jc
+
diff --git a/jnius/reflect.py b/jnius/reflect.py
index 7bf514b..e5c2099 100644
--- a/jnius/reflect.py
+++ b/jnius/reflect.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+__all__ = ('autoclass', 'ensureclass')
+
 from jnius import JavaClass, MetaJavaClass, JavaMethod, JavaStaticMethod, \
         JavaField, JavaStaticField, JavaMethodMultiple
 
@@ -169,4 +171,3 @@ def autoclass(clsname):
             clsname,#.replace('.', '_'),
             (JavaClass, ),
             classDict)
-
diff --git a/tests/test_cast.py b/tests/test_cast.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef33746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cast.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import unittest
+from jnius.reflect import autoclass
+from jnius import cast
+
+class MultipleSignature(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_multiple_constructors(self):
+        String = autoclass('java.lang.String')
+        s = String('hello world')
+        self.assertEquals(s.__javaclass__, 'java/lang/String')
+        o = cast('java.lang.Object', s)
+        self.assertEquals(o.__javaclass__, 'java/lang/Object')
+