diff --git a/src/terralib.lua b/src/terralib.lua
index 7fb4320f..d2e1d6f6 100644
--- a/src/terralib.lua
+++ b/src/terralib.lua
@@ -2785,6 +2785,39 @@ function typecheck(topexp,luaenv,simultaneousdefinitions)
         return stmts
     end
 
+    local function hasmetacopyassignment(typ)
+        if typ and typ:isstruct() and typ.metamethods.__copy then
+            return true
+        end
+        return false
+    end
+
+    local function checkmetacopyassignment(anchor, from, to)
+        --if neither `from` or `to` are a struct then return
+        if not (hasmetacopyassignment(from.type) or hasmetacopyassignment(to.type)) then
+            return
+        end
+        --if `to` is an allocvar then set type and turn into corresponding `var`
+        if to:is "allocvar" then
+            local typ = from.type or terra.types.error
+            to:settype(typ)
+            to = newobject(anchor,T.var,to.name,to.symbol):setlvalue(true):withtype(to.type)
+        end
+        --list of overloaded __copy metamethods
+        local overloads = terra.newlist()
+        local function checkoverload(v)
+            if hasmetacopyassignment(v.type) then
+                overloads:insert(asterraexpression(anchor, v.type.metamethods.__copy, "luaobject"))
+            end
+        end
+        --add overloaded methods based on left- and right-hand-side of the assignment
+        checkoverload(from)
+        checkoverload(to)
+        if #overloads > 0 then
+            return checkcall(anchor, overloads, terralib.newlist{from, to}, "all", true, "expression")
+        end
+    end
+
     local function checkmethod(exp, location)
         local methodname = checklabel(exp.name,true).value
         assert(type(methodname) == "string" or terra.islabel(methodname))
@@ -3211,7 +3244,28 @@ function typecheck(topexp,luaenv,simultaneousdefinitions)
         return newobject(anchor,T.letin, stmts, List {}, true):withtype(terra.types.unit)
     end
 
+    --divide assignment into regular assignments and copy assignments
+    local function assignmentkinds(lhs, rhs)
+        local regular = {lhs = terralib.newlist(), rhs = terralib.newlist()}
+        local byfcall = {lhs = terralib.newlist(), rhs = terralib.newlist()}
+        for i=1,#lhs do
+            local rhstype = rhs[i] and rhs[i].type
+            local lhstype = lhs[i].type
+            if rhstype and (hasmetacopyassignment(lhstype) or hasmetacopyassignment(rhstype)) then
+                --add assignment by __copy call
+                byfcall.lhs:insert(lhs[i])
+                byfcall.rhs:insert(rhs[i])
+            else
+                --default to regular assignment
+                regular.lhs:insert(lhs[i])
+                regular.rhs:insert(rhs[i])
+            end
+        end
+        return regular, byfcall
+    end
+
     local function createassignment(anchor,lhs,rhs)
+        --special case where a rhs struct is unpacked
         if #lhs > #rhs and #rhs > 0 then
             local last = rhs[#rhs]
             if last.type:isstruct() and last.type.convertible == "tuple" and #last.type.entries + #rhs - 1 == #lhs then
@@ -3231,20 +3285,73 @@ function typecheck(topexp,luaenv,simultaneousdefinitions)
                 return createstatementlist(anchor, List {a1, a2})
             end
         end
-        local vtypes = lhs:map(function(v) return v.type or "passthrough" end)
-        rhs = insertcasts(anchor,vtypes,rhs)
-        for i,v in ipairs(lhs) do
-            local rhstype = rhs[i] and rhs[i].type or terra.types.error
-            if v:is "setteru" then
-                local rv,r = allocvar(v,rhstype,"<rhs>")
-                lhs[i] = newobject(v,T.setter, rv,v.setter(r))
-            elseif v:is "allocvar" then
-                v:settype(rhstype)
+
+        if #lhs < #rhs then
+            --an error may be reported later during type-checking: 'expected #lhs parameters (...), but found #rhs (...)'
+            local vtypes = lhs:map(function(v) return v.type or "passthrough" end)
+            rhs = insertcasts(anchor, vtypes, rhs)
+            for i,v in ipairs(lhs) do
+                local rhstype = rhs[i] and rhs[i].type or terra.types.error
+                if v:is "setteru" then
+                    local rv,r = allocvar(v,rhstype,"<rhs>")
+                    lhs[i] = newobject(v,T.setter, rv,v.setter(r))
+                elseif v:is "allocvar" then
+                    v:settype(rhstype)
+                else
+                    ensurelvalue(v)
+                end
+            end
+            return newobject(anchor,T.assignment,lhs,rhs)
+        else
+            --standard case #lhs == #rhs
+            --first take care of regular assignments
+            local regular, byfcall = assignmentkinds(lhs, rhs)
+            local vtypes = regular.lhs:map(function(v) return v.type or "passthrough" end)
+            regular.rhs = insertcasts(anchor, vtypes, regular.rhs)
+            for i,v in ipairs(regular.lhs) do
+                local rhstype = regular.rhs[i] and regular.rhs[i].type or terra.types.error
+                if v:is "setteru" then
+                    local rv,r = allocvar(v,rhstype,"<rhs>")
+                    regular.lhs[i] = newobject(v,T.setter, rv,v.setter(r))
+                elseif v:is "allocvar" then
+                    v:settype(rhstype)
+                else
+                    ensurelvalue(v)
+                end
+            end
+            --take care of copy assignments using metamethods.__copy
+            local stmts = terralib.newlist()
+            for i,v in ipairs(byfcall.lhs) do
+                local rhstype = byfcall.rhs[i] and byfcall.rhs[i].type or terra.types.error
+                if v:is "setteru" then
+                    local rv,r = allocvar(v,rhstype,"<rhs>")
+                    stmts:insert(checkmetacopyassignment(anchor, byfcall.rhs[i], r))
+                    stmts:insert(newobject(v,T.setter, rv, v.setter(r)))
+                elseif v:is "allocvar" then
+                    v:settype(rhstype)
+                    stmts:insert(v)
+                    local init = checkmetainit(anchor, v)
+                    if init then
+                        stmts:insert(init)
+                    end
+                    stmts:insert(checkmetacopyassignment(anchor, byfcall.rhs[i], v))
+                else
+                    ensurelvalue(v)
+                    stmts:insert(checkmetacopyassignment(anchor, byfcall.rhs[i], v))
+                end
+            end
+            if #stmts==0 then
+                --standard case, no meta-copy-assignments
+                return newobject(anchor,T.assignment, regular.lhs, regular.rhs)
             else
-                ensurelvalue(v)
+                --managed case using meta-copy-assignments
+                --the calls to `__copy` are in `stmts`
+                if #regular.lhs>0 then
+                    stmts:insert(newobject(anchor,T.assignment, regular.lhs, regular.rhs))
+                end
+                return createstatementlist(anchor, stmts)
             end
         end
-        return newobject(anchor,T.assignment,lhs,rhs)
     end
 
     local function checkmetadtors(anchor, stats)