diff --git a/include/armadillo b/include/armadillo
index edfc790c..2a2f8552 100644
--- a/include/armadillo
+++ b/include/armadillo
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ namespace arma
   #include "armadillo_bits/constants_old.hpp"
   #include "armadillo_bits/mp_misc.hpp"
   #include "armadillo_bits/arma_rel_comparators.hpp"
+  #include "armadillo_bits/fill.hpp"
   
   #ifdef ARMA_RNG_ALT
     #include ARMA_INCFILE_WRAP(ARMA_RNG_ALT)
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_bones.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_bones.hpp
index fa2649ff..8847af34 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_bones.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_bones.hpp
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ class Mat : public Base< eT, Mat<eT> >
   template<typename fill_type> inline Mat(const uword in_rows, const uword in_cols, const fill::fill_class<fill_type>& f);
   template<typename fill_type> inline Mat(const SizeMat& s,                         const fill::fill_class<fill_type>& f);
   
+  inline Mat(const uword in_rows, const uword in_cols, const fill::scalar_holder<eT> f);
+  inline Mat(const SizeMat& s,                         const fill::scalar_holder<eT> f);
+  
   inline arma_cold            Mat(const char*        text);
   inline arma_cold Mat& operator=(const char*        text);
   
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_meat.hpp
index 8b3ffb0c..e1d1742c 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/Mat_meat.hpp
@@ -200,6 +200,47 @@ Mat<eT>::Mat(const SizeMat& s, const fill::fill_class<fill_type>& f)
 
 
 
+//! construct the matrix to have user specified dimensions and fill with specified value
+template<typename eT>
+inline
+Mat<eT>::Mat(const uword in_n_rows, const uword in_n_cols, const fill::scalar_holder<eT> f)
+  : n_rows(in_n_rows)
+  , n_cols(in_n_cols)
+  , n_elem(in_n_rows*in_n_cols)
+  , n_alloc()
+  , vec_state(0)
+  , mem_state(0)
+  , mem()
+  {
+  arma_extra_debug_sigprint_this(this);
+  
+  init_cold();
+  
+  (*this).fill(f.scalar);
+  }
+
+
+
+template<typename eT>
+inline
+Mat<eT>::Mat(const SizeMat& s, const fill::scalar_holder<eT> f)
+  : n_rows(s.n_rows)
+  , n_cols(s.n_cols)
+  , n_elem(s.n_rows*s.n_cols)
+  , n_alloc()
+  , vec_state(0)
+  , mem_state(0)
+  , mem()
+  {
+  arma_extra_debug_sigprint_this(this);
+  
+  init_cold();
+  
+  (*this).fill(f.scalar);
+  }
+
+
+
 //! constructor used by Row and Col classes
 template<typename eT>
 inline
@@ -6909,7 +6950,7 @@ Mat<eT>::fill(const eT val)
 
 
 
-//! fill the matrix with the specified value
+//! fill the matrix with the specified pattern
 template<typename eT>
 template<typename fill_type>
 inline
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/arma_forward.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/arma_forward.hpp
index 5c79e132..b79d485d 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/arma_forward.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/arma_forward.hpp
@@ -394,33 +394,6 @@ struct  csv_name;
 
 
 
-//! \addtogroup fill
-//! @{
-
-namespace fill
-  {
-  struct fill_none  {};
-  struct fill_zeros {};
-  struct fill_ones  {};
-  struct fill_eye   {};
-  struct fill_randu {};
-  struct fill_randn {};
-  
-  template<typename fill_type> 
-  struct fill_class { inline fill_class() {} };
-  
-  static const fill_class<fill_none > none;
-  static const fill_class<fill_zeros> zeros;
-  static const fill_class<fill_ones > ones;
-  static const fill_class<fill_eye  > eye;
-  static const fill_class<fill_randu> randu;
-  static const fill_class<fill_randn> randn;
-  }
-
-//! @}
-
-
-
 //! \addtogroup fn_spsolve
 //! @{
 
diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/fill.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/fill.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50b9f500
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/fill.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+// Copyright 2008-2016 Conrad Sanderson (http://conradsanderson.id.au)
+// Copyright 2008-2016 National ICT Australia (NICTA)
+// 
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+// 
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+//! \addtogroup fill
+//! @{
+
+
+namespace fill
+  {
+  struct fill_none  {};
+  struct fill_zeros {};
+  struct fill_ones  {};
+  struct fill_eye   {};
+  struct fill_randu {};
+  struct fill_randn {};
+  
+  template<typename fill_type> 
+  struct fill_class { inline fill_class() {} };
+  
+  static const fill_class<fill_none > none;
+  static const fill_class<fill_zeros> zeros;
+  static const fill_class<fill_ones > ones;
+  static const fill_class<fill_eye  > eye;
+  static const fill_class<fill_randu> randu;
+  static const fill_class<fill_randn> randn;
+  
+  //
+  
+  template<typename from_type, typename to_type>
+  struct allow_conversion
+    {
+    static constexpr bool value = true;
+    };
+
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, double> { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, float > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, u64   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, s64   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, u32   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, s32   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, u16   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, s16   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, u8    > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<double>, s8    > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, double> { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, float > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, u64   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, s64   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, u32   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, s32   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, u16   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, s16   > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, u8    > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  template<> struct allow_conversion<std::complex<float>, s8    > { static constexpr bool value = false; };
+  
+  //
+  
+  template<typename scalar_type1>
+  struct scalar_holder
+    {
+    const scalar_type1 scalar;
+    
+    inline explicit scalar_holder(const scalar_type1& in_scalar) : scalar(in_scalar) {}
+    
+    inline scalar_holder() = delete;
+    
+    template
+      <
+      typename scalar_type2,
+      typename arma::enable_if2<allow_conversion<scalar_type1, scalar_type2>::value, int>::result = 0
+      >
+    inline
+    operator scalar_holder<scalar_type2>()
+      {
+      return scalar_holder<scalar_type2>( scalar_type2(scalar) );
+      }
+    };
+  
+  //
+  
+  template<typename scalar_type>
+  inline
+  typename enable_if2< is_supported_elem_type<scalar_type>::value, scalar_holder<scalar_type> >::result
+  value(const scalar_type& in_scalar)
+    {
+    return scalar_holder<scalar_type>(in_scalar);
+    }
+  }
+
+
+//! @}