diff --git a/gtsam/base/FastList.h b/gtsam/base/FastList.h
index 1b84adfed..aa1ab24e8 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/FastList.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/FastList.h
@@ -50,9 +50,18 @@ public:
   /** Copy constructor from another FastList */
   FastList(const FastList<VALUE>& x) : Base(x) {}
 
-  /** Copy constructor from the base map class */
+  /** Copy constructor from the base list class */
   FastList(const Base& x) : Base(x) {}
 
+  /** Copy constructor from a standard STL container */
+  FastList(const std::list<VALUE>& x) {
+    // This if statement works around a bug in boost pool allocator and/or
+    // STL vector where if the size is zero, the pool allocator will allocate
+    // huge amounts of memory.
+    if(x.size() > 0)
+      Base::assign(x.begin(), x.end());
+  }
+
 private:
   /** Serialization function */
   friend class boost::serialization::access;
diff --git a/gtsam/base/FastSet.h b/gtsam/base/FastSet.h
index 4c6e31d4e..123a8bb31 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/FastSet.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/FastSet.h
@@ -66,11 +66,20 @@ public:
       Base(x) {
   }
 
-  /** Copy constructor from the base map class */
+  /** Copy constructor from the base set class */
   FastSet(const Base& x) :
       Base(x) {
   }
 
+  /** Copy constructor from a standard STL container */
+  FastSet(const std::set<VALUE>& x) {
+    // This if statement works around a bug in boost pool allocator and/or
+    // STL vector where if the size is zero, the pool allocator will allocate
+    // huge amounts of memory.
+    if(x.size() > 0)
+      Base::insert(x.begin(), x.end());
+  }
+
   /** Print to implement Testable */
   void print(const std::string& str = "") const { FastSetTestableHelper<VALUE>::print(*this, str); }