diff --git a/wrap/Class.cpp b/wrap/Class.cpp
index 8e04543e4..749a61707 100644
--- a/wrap/Class.cpp
+++ b/wrap/Class.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <stdint.h> // works on Linux GCC
 
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
-#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
 #include "Class.h"
@@ -40,18 +39,7 @@ void Class::matlab_proxy(const string& toolboxPath, const string& wrapperName,
 												 FileWriter& wrapperFile, vector<string>& functionNames) const {
   
 	// Create namespace folders
-	{
-		using namespace boost::filesystem;
-		path curPath = toolboxPath;
-		BOOST_FOREACH(const string& subdir, namespaces) {
-			curPath /= "+" + subdir;
-			if(!is_directory(curPath))
-				if(exists("+" + subdir))
-					throw OutputError("Need to write files to directory " + curPath.string() + ", which already exists as a file but is not a directory");
-				else
-					boost::filesystem::create_directory(curPath);
-		}
-	}
+	createNamespaceStructure(namespaces, toolboxPath);
 
 	// open destination classFile
 	string classFile = toolboxPath;
diff --git a/wrap/GlobalFunction.cpp b/wrap/GlobalFunction.cpp
index e20a1f2f2..14bb824d2 100644
--- a/wrap/GlobalFunction.cpp
+++ b/wrap/GlobalFunction.cpp
@@ -6,9 +6,15 @@
  */
 
 #include "GlobalFunction.h"
+#include "utilities.h"
+
+#include <boost/foreach.hpp>
+#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
 namespace wrap {
 
+using namespace std;
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 void GlobalFunction::addOverload(bool verbose, const std::string& name,
 		const ArgumentList& args, const ReturnValue& retVal, const StrVec& ns_stack) {
@@ -19,6 +25,142 @@ void GlobalFunction::addOverload(bool verbose, const std::string& name,
 	this->namespaces.push_back(ns_stack);
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+void GlobalFunction::matlab_proxy(const std::string& toolboxPath, const std::string& wrapperName,
+		const TypeAttributesTable& typeAttributes,	FileWriter& wrapperFile,
+		std::vector<std::string>& functionNames) const {
+
+	// cluster overloads with same namespace
+	// create new GlobalFunction structures around namespaces - same namespaces and names are overloads
+	// map of namespace to global function
+	typedef map<string, GlobalFunction> GlobalFunctionMap;
+	GlobalFunctionMap grouped_functions;
+	for (size_t i=0; i<namespaces.size(); ++i) {
+		StrVec ns = namespaces.at(i);
+		string str_ns = qualifiedName("", ns, "");
+		ReturnValue ret = returnVals.at(i);
+		ArgumentList args = argLists.at(i);
+
+		if (!grouped_functions.count(str_ns))
+			grouped_functions[str_ns] = GlobalFunction(name, verbose_);
+
+		grouped_functions[str_ns].argLists.push_back(args);
+		grouped_functions[str_ns].returnVals.push_back(ret);
+		grouped_functions[str_ns].namespaces.push_back(ns);
+	}
+
+	size_t lastcheck = grouped_functions.size();
+	BOOST_FOREACH(const GlobalFunctionMap::value_type& p, grouped_functions) {
+		p.second.generateSingleFunction(toolboxPath, wrapperName, typeAttributes,	wrapperFile, functionNames);
+		if (--lastcheck != 0)
+			wrapperFile.oss << endl;
+	}
+}
+
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+void GlobalFunction::generateSingleFunction(const std::string& toolboxPath, const std::string& wrapperName,
+		const TypeAttributesTable& typeAttributes,	FileWriter& wrapperFile,
+		std::vector<std::string>& functionNames) const {
+
+	// create the folder for the namespace
+	const StrVec& ns = namespaces.front();
+	createNamespaceStructure(ns, toolboxPath);
+
+	// open destination mfunctionFileName
+	string mfunctionFileName = toolboxPath;
+	if(!ns.empty())
+		mfunctionFileName += "/+" + wrap::qualifiedName("/+", ns);
+	mfunctionFileName += "/" + name + ".m";
+	FileWriter mfunctionFile(mfunctionFileName, verbose_, "%");
+
+	// get the name of actual matlab object
+	const string
+		matlabQualName = qualifiedName(".", ns, name),
+		matlabUniqueName = qualifiedName("", ns, name),
+		cppName = qualifiedName("::", ns, name);
+
+	mfunctionFile.oss << "function varargout = " << name << "(varargin)\n";
+
+	for(size_t overload = 0; overload < argLists.size(); ++overload) {
+		const ArgumentList& args = argLists[overload];
+		const ReturnValue& returnVal = returnVals[overload];
+		size_t nrArgs = args.size();
+
+		const int id = functionNames.size();
+
+		// Output proxy matlab code
+
+		// check for number of arguments...
+		mfunctionFile.oss << (overload==0?"":"else") << "if length(varargin) == " << nrArgs;
+		if (nrArgs>0) mfunctionFile.oss << " && ";
+		// ...and their types
+		bool first = true;
+		for(size_t i=0;i<nrArgs;i++) {
+			if (!first) mfunctionFile.oss << " && ";
+			mfunctionFile.oss << "isa(varargin{" << i+1 << "},'" << args[i].matlabClass(".") << "')";
+			first=false;
+		}
+		mfunctionFile.oss << "\n";
+
+		// output call to C++ wrapper
+		string output;
+		if(returnVal.isPair)
+			output = "[ varargout{1} varargout{2} ] = ";
+		else if(returnVal.category1 == ReturnValue::VOID)
+			output = "";
+		else
+			output = "varargout{1} = ";
+		mfunctionFile.oss << "    " << output << wrapperName << "(" << id << ", varargin{:});\n";
+
+		// Output C++ wrapper code
+
+		const string wrapFunctionName = matlabUniqueName + "_" + boost::lexical_cast<string>(id);
+
+		// call
+		wrapperFile.oss << "void " << wrapFunctionName << "(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])\n";
+		// start
+		wrapperFile.oss << "{\n";
+
+		if(returnVal.isPair)
+		{
+			if(returnVal.category1 == ReturnValue::CLASS)
+				wrapperFile.oss << "  typedef boost::shared_ptr<"  << returnVal.qualifiedType1("::")  << "> Shared" <<  returnVal.type1 << ";"<< endl;
+			if(returnVal.category2 == ReturnValue::CLASS)
+				wrapperFile.oss << "  typedef boost::shared_ptr<"  << returnVal.qualifiedType2("::")  << "> Shared" <<  returnVal.type2 << ";"<< endl;
+		}
+		else {
+			if (returnVal.category1 == ReturnValue::CLASS)
+				wrapperFile.oss << "  typedef boost::shared_ptr<"  << returnVal.qualifiedType1("::")  << "> Shared" <<  returnVal.type1 << ";"<< endl;
+		}
+
+		// check arguments
+		// NOTE: for static functions, there is no object passed
+		wrapperFile.oss << "  checkArguments(\"" << matlabUniqueName << "\",nargout,nargin," << args.size() << ");\n";
+
+		// unwrap arguments, see Argument.cpp
+		args.matlab_unwrap(wrapperFile,0); // We start at 0 because there is no self object
+
+		// call method with default type and wrap result
+		if (returnVal.type1!="void")
+			returnVal.wrap_result(cppName+"("+args.names()+")", wrapperFile, typeAttributes);
+		else
+			wrapperFile.oss << cppName+"("+args.names()+");\n";
+
+		// finish
+		wrapperFile.oss << "}\n";
+
+		// Add to function list
+		functionNames.push_back(wrapFunctionName);
+	}
+
+	mfunctionFile.oss << "else\n";
+  mfunctionFile.oss << "    error('Arguments do not match any overload of function " <<	matlabQualName << "');" << endl;
+	mfunctionFile.oss << "end" << endl;
+
+	// Close file
+	mfunctionFile.emit(true);
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 
 
diff --git a/wrap/GlobalFunction.h b/wrap/GlobalFunction.h
index 0899bbdc9..e281e6a6d 100644
--- a/wrap/GlobalFunction.h
+++ b/wrap/GlobalFunction.h
@@ -29,10 +29,26 @@ struct GlobalFunction {
 	// Constructor only used in Module
 	GlobalFunction(bool verbose = true) : verbose_(verbose) {}
 
+	// Used to reconstruct
+	GlobalFunction(const std::string& name_, bool verbose = true)
+	: verbose_(verbose), name(name_) {}
+
 	// adds an overloaded version of this function
 	void addOverload(bool verbose, const std::string& name,
 		const ArgumentList& args, const ReturnValue& retVal, const StrVec& ns_stack);
 
+	// codegen function called from Module to build the cpp and matlab versions of the function
+  void matlab_proxy(const std::string& toolboxPath, const std::string& wrapperName,
+  		const TypeAttributesTable& typeAttributes,	FileWriter& wrapperFile,
+  		std::vector<std::string>& functionNames) const;
+
+private:
+
+  // Creates a single global function - all in same namespace
+  void generateSingleFunction(const std::string& toolboxPath, const std::string& wrapperName,
+  		const TypeAttributesTable& typeAttributes,	FileWriter& wrapperFile,
+  		std::vector<std::string>& functionNames) const;
+
 };
 
 } // \namespace wrap
diff --git a/wrap/Module.cpp b/wrap/Module.cpp
index 757241ca2..35b0d2ff8 100644
--- a/wrap/Module.cpp
+++ b/wrap/Module.cpp
@@ -464,6 +464,11 @@ void Module::matlab_code(const string& toolboxPath, const string& headerPath) co
       cls.matlab_proxy(toolboxPath, wrapperName, typeAttributes, wrapperFile, functionNames);
     }  
 
+		// create matlab files and wrapper code for global functions
+		BOOST_FOREACH(const GlobalFunctions::value_type& p, global_functions) {
+			p.second.matlab_proxy(toolboxPath, wrapperName, typeAttributes, wrapperFile, functionNames);
+		}
+
 		// finish wrapper file
 		wrapperFile.oss << "\n";
 		finish_wrapper(wrapperFile, functionNames);
diff --git a/wrap/StaticMethod.cpp b/wrap/StaticMethod.cpp
index fcef79857..f123a31ac 100644
--- a/wrap/StaticMethod.cpp
+++ b/wrap/StaticMethod.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ void StaticMethod::addOverload(bool verbose, const std::string& name,
 	this->returnVals.push_back(retVal);
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
 void StaticMethod::proxy_wrapper_fragments(FileWriter& proxyFile, FileWriter& wrapperFile,
 																		 const string& cppClassName,
 																		 const std::string& matlabQualName,
diff --git a/wrap/tests/expected/aGlobalFunction.m b/wrap/tests/expected/aGlobalFunction.m
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..80d6b1f6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wrap/tests/expected/aGlobalFunction.m
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+% automatically generated by wrap
+function varargout = aGlobalFunction(varargin)
+if length(varargin) == 0
+    varargout{1} = geometry_wrapper(40, varargin{:});
+else
+    error('Arguments do not match any overload of function aGlobalFunction');
+end
diff --git a/wrap/tests/expected/geometry_wrapper.cpp b/wrap/tests/expected/geometry_wrapper.cpp
index a520803ee..d403073d4 100644
--- a/wrap/tests/expected/geometry_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/wrap/tests/expected/geometry_wrapper.cpp
@@ -495,6 +495,11 @@ using namespace geometry;
   out[0] = wrap< Vector >(obj->return_vector2(value));
 }
 
+void aGlobalFunction_40(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])
+{
+  checkArguments("aGlobalFunction",nargout,nargin,0);
+  out[0] = wrap< Vector >(aGlobalFunction());
+}
 
 void mexFunction(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])
 {
@@ -626,6 +631,9 @@ void mexFunction(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])
   case 39:
     Test_return_vector2_39(nargout, out, nargin-1, in+1);
     break;
+  case 40:
+    aGlobalFunction_40(nargout, out, nargin-1, in+1);
+    break;
   }
 
   std::cout.rdbuf(outbuf);
diff --git a/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/+ns1/aGlobalFunction.m b/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/+ns1/aGlobalFunction.m
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fc1e780af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/+ns1/aGlobalFunction.m
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+% automatically generated by wrap
+function varargout = aGlobalFunction(varargin)
+if length(varargin) == 0
+    varargout{1} = testNamespaces_wrapper(22, varargin{:});
+else
+    error('Arguments do not match any overload of function ns1.aGlobalFunction');
+end
diff --git a/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/+ns2/aGlobalFunction.m b/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/+ns2/aGlobalFunction.m
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bdf45dd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/+ns2/aGlobalFunction.m
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+% automatically generated by wrap
+function varargout = aGlobalFunction(varargin)
+if length(varargin) == 0
+    varargout{1} = testNamespaces_wrapper(23, varargin{:});
+else
+    error('Arguments do not match any overload of function ns2.aGlobalFunction');
+end
diff --git a/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/testNamespaces_wrapper.cpp b/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/testNamespaces_wrapper.cpp
index 3eb0b0311..c75c6a388 100644
--- a/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/testNamespaces_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/wrap/tests/expected_namespaces/testNamespaces_wrapper.cpp
@@ -332,6 +332,17 @@ void ClassD_deconstructor_21(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxAr
   }
 }
 
+void ns1aGlobalFunction_22(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])
+{
+  checkArguments("ns1aGlobalFunction",nargout,nargin,0);
+  out[0] = wrap< Vector >(ns1::aGlobalFunction());
+}
+
+void ns2aGlobalFunction_23(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])
+{
+  checkArguments("ns2aGlobalFunction",nargout,nargin,0);
+  out[0] = wrap< Vector >(ns2::aGlobalFunction());
+}
 
 void mexFunction(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])
 {
@@ -409,6 +420,12 @@ void mexFunction(int nargout, mxArray *out[], int nargin, const mxArray *in[])
   case 21:
     ClassD_deconstructor_21(nargout, out, nargin-1, in+1);
     break;
+  case 22:
+    ns1aGlobalFunction_22(nargout, out, nargin-1, in+1);
+    break;
+  case 23:
+    ns2aGlobalFunction_23(nargout, out, nargin-1, in+1);
+    break;
   }
 
   std::cout.rdbuf(outbuf);
diff --git a/wrap/tests/testWrap.cpp b/wrap/tests/testWrap.cpp
index 2de19f6e4..29fc1891a 100644
--- a/wrap/tests/testWrap.cpp
+++ b/wrap/tests/testWrap.cpp
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ TEST( wrap, matlab_code_geometry ) {
 	EXPECT(files_equal(epath + "Point2.m"             , apath + "Point2.m"             ));
 	EXPECT(files_equal(epath + "Point3.m"             , apath + "Point3.m"             ));
 	EXPECT(files_equal(epath + "Test.m"               , apath + "Test.m"               ));
+	EXPECT(files_equal(epath + "aGlobalFunction.m"    , apath + "aGlobalFunction.m"    ));
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/wrap/utilities.cpp b/wrap/utilities.cpp
index 6eb47c55d..6b6e57094 100644
--- a/wrap/utilities.cpp
+++ b/wrap/utilities.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
 
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 
 #include "utilities.h"
 
@@ -137,6 +138,21 @@ string qualifiedName(const string& separator, const vector<string>& names, const
 	return result;
 }
 
+/* ************************************************************************* */
+void createNamespaceStructure(const std::vector<std::string>& namespaces, const std::string& toolboxPath) {
+	using namespace boost::filesystem;
+	path curPath = toolboxPath;
+	BOOST_FOREACH(const string& subdir, namespaces) {
+		curPath /= "+" + subdir;
+		if(!is_directory(curPath)) {
+			if(exists("+" + subdir))
+				throw OutputError("Need to write files to directory " + curPath.string() + ", which already exists as a file but is not a directory");
+			else
+				boost::filesystem::create_directory(curPath);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 
 } // \namespace wrap
diff --git a/wrap/utilities.h b/wrap/utilities.h
index 7e28d6793..2eaf5397a 100644
--- a/wrap/utilities.h
+++ b/wrap/utilities.h
@@ -133,4 +133,7 @@ void generateUsingNamespace(FileWriter& file, const std::vector<std::string>& us
  */
 std::string qualifiedName(const std::string& separator, const std::vector<std::string>& names, const std::string& finalName = "");
 
+/** creates the necessary folders for namespaces, as specified by a namespace stack */
+void createNamespaceStructure(const std::vector<std::string>& namespaces, const std::string& toolboxPath);
+
 } // \namespace wrap