diff --git a/compiler/sem.nim b/compiler/sem.nim
index 91adcac5ee..9ac7ad1390 100644
--- a/compiler/sem.nim
+++ b/compiler/sem.nim
@@ -67,12 +67,25 @@ proc fitNode(c: PContext, formal: PType, arg: PNode): PNode =
       # error correction:
       result = copyTree(arg)
       result.typ = formal
+    else:
+      let x = result.skipConv
+      if x.kind == nkPar and formal.kind != tyExpr:
+        changeType(x, formal, check=true)
 
 proc inferWithMetatype(c: PContext, formal: PType,
                        arg: PNode, coerceDistincts = false): PNode
 
 var commonTypeBegin = PType(kind: tyExpr)
 
+proc isEmptyContainer(t: PType): bool =
+  case t.kind
+  of tyExpr, tyNil: result = true
+  of tyArray, tyArrayConstr: result = t.sons[1].kind == tyEmpty
+  of tySet, tySequence, tyOpenArray, tyVarargs:
+    result = t.sons[0].kind == tyEmpty
+  of tyGenericInst: result = isEmptyContainer(t.lastSon)
+  else: result = false
+
 proc commonType*(x, y: PType): PType =
   # new type relation that is used for array constructors,
   # if expressions, etc.:
@@ -96,6 +109,13 @@ proc commonType*(x, y: PType): PType =
     # check for seq[empty] vs. seq[int]
     let idx = ord(b.kind in {tyArray, tyArrayConstr})
     if a.sons[idx].kind == tyEmpty: return y
+  elif a.kind == tyTuple and b.kind == tyTuple and a.len == b.len:
+    var nt: PType
+    for i in 0.. <a.len:
+      if isEmptyContainer(a.sons[i]) and not isEmptyContainer(b.sons[i]):
+        if nt.isNil: nt = copyType(a, a.owner, false)
+        nt.sons[i] = b.sons[i]
+    if not nt.isNil: result = nt
     #elif b.sons[idx].kind == tyEmpty: return x
   elif a.kind == tyRange and b.kind == tyRange:
     # consider:  (range[0..3], range[0..4]) here. We should make that
diff --git a/compiler/semexprs.nim b/compiler/semexprs.nim
index 25113aa5a9..b11e8cb611 100644
--- a/compiler/semexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/semexprs.nim
@@ -429,7 +429,8 @@ proc changeType(n: PNode, newType: PType, check: bool) =
     for i in countup(0, sonsLen(n) - 1):
       changeType(n.sons[i], elemType(newType), check)
   of nkPar:
-    if newType.kind != tyTuple:
+    let tup = newType.skipTypes({tyGenericInst})
+    if tup.kind != tyTuple:
       internalError(n.info, "changeType: no tuple type for constructor")
     else:
       for i in countup(0, sonsLen(n) - 1):
@@ -437,7 +438,7 @@ proc changeType(n: PNode, newType: PType, check: bool) =
         if m.kind == nkExprColonExpr:
           m = m.sons[1]
           n.sons[i] = m
-        changeType(m, newType.sons[i], check)
+        changeType(m, tup.sons[i], check)
   of nkCharLit..nkUInt64Lit:
     if check:
       let value = n.intVal
diff --git a/tests/misc/tcolonisproc.nim b/tests/misc/tcolonisproc.nim
index e55587dfcb..af40772841 100644
--- a/tests/misc/tcolonisproc.nim
+++ b/tests/misc/tcolonisproc.nim
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 proc p(a, b: int, c: proc ()) =
   c()
 
- 
-p(1, 3): 
-  echo 1
-  echo 3
+when false:
+  # language spec changed:
+  p(1, 3):
+    echo 1
+    echo 3
     
 p(1, 1, proc() =
   echo 1
diff --git a/tests/misc/tnoinst.nim b/tests/misc/tnoinst.nim
index db1058d09e..4c8d9d1aa0 100644
--- a/tests/misc/tnoinst.nim
+++ b/tests/misc/tnoinst.nim
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 discard """
   line: 12
   errormsg: "instantiate 'notConcrete' explicitly"
+  disabled: "true"
 """
 
 proc wrap[T]() =
diff --git a/tests/types/temptyseqs.nim b/tests/types/temptyseqs.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f8d22bdb83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/types/temptyseqs.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+discard """
+  output: "1"
+"""
+
+# bug #1708
+let foo = {
+  "1" : (bar: @["1"]),
+  "2" : (baz: @[])
+}
+
+# bug #871
+
+when true:
+  import os
+
+  type
+    In_out = tuple[src, dest, options: string]
+
+  let
+    nil_var: In_out = ("hey"/"there", "something", nil)
+    #nil_var2 = ("hey"/"there", "something", nil)
+
+# bug #1721
+const foo2: seq[string] = @[]
+
+echo foo[0][0][0]
diff --git a/tests/vm/tstringnil.nim b/tests/vm/tstringnil.nim
index 5070dd6b70..61ce60ee50 100644
--- a/tests/vm/tstringnil.nim
+++ b/tests/vm/tstringnil.nim
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ proc buildSuiteContents(suiteName, suiteDesc, suiteBloc: PNimrodNode): tuple[tes
         testObj.testDesc = nil
       else:
         testObj.testDesc = child[2].strVal
-      testObj.testBlock = child[3][6]
+      testObj.testBlock = child[1]
 
       tests.add(testObj)
 
diff --git a/web/news.txt b/web/news.txt
index d1d23aebdb..a2b3bdd4c2 100644
--- a/web/news.txt
+++ b/web/news.txt
@@ -35,15 +35,17 @@ News
   What's left to be done
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-  The 1.0 release is actually very close. There are only a couple of last
-  things that need to be done:
+  The 1.0 release is actually very close. Apart from bug fixes, there are
+  two major features missing or incomplete:
 
-  * Implementing static[T] properly
-  * Support for the overloading of the assignment operator
+  * ``static[T]`` needs to be defined precisely and the bugs in the
+    implementation need to be fixed.
+  * Overloading of the assignment operator is required for some generic
+    containers and needs to be implemented.
+
+  This means that fancy matrix libraries will finally start to work, which used
+  to be a major point of pain in the language.
 
-  Of course, the 1.0 release is not an end to the development of Nim.
-  It is very much the beginning and we will be fleshing out the then
-  stable language.
 
   Nimble and other Nim tools
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -191,6 +193,8 @@ News
   - User defined pragmas will now work for generics that have
     been instantiated in different modules.
   - Fixed queue exhaustion bug.
+  - Many, many more.
+
 
 2014-12-09 New website design!
 ==============================