diff -r b92296e62450 Doc/whatsnew/whatsnew25.tex
--- a/Doc/whatsnew/whatsnew25.tex	Fri May 19 09:10:08 2006 +0200
+++ b/Doc/whatsnew/whatsnew25.tex	Sat May 20 13:15:55 2006 +0200
@@ -1096,6 +1096,11 @@ class C():
 \end{verbatim}
 (Implemented by Brett Cannon.)
 
+\item The constructor for \code{complex} objects now allows for a
+bracketed expression. This makes \code{complex(repr(x))} work for
+all complex \var{x}, consistent with \code{int(repr(x))} and
+\code{float(repr(x))}. (Implemented by Heiko Wundram.)
+
 \end{itemize}
 
 
diff -r b92296e62450 Lib/test/test_complex.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_complex.py	Fri May 19 09:10:08 2006 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_complex.py	Sat May 20 13:15:55 2006 +0200
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ class ComplexTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertAlmostEqual(complex(),  0)
         self.assertAlmostEqual(complex("-1"), -1)
         self.assertAlmostEqual(complex("+1"), +1)
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(complex("(1+2j)"), 1+2j)
 
         class complex2(complex): pass
         self.assertAlmostEqual(complex(complex2(1+1j)), 1+1j)
@@ -250,6 +251,10 @@ class ComplexTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, "1+")
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, "1+1j+1j")
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, "--")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, "(1+2j")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, "1+2j)")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, "1+(2j)")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, "(1+2j)123")
         if test_support.have_unicode:
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, unicode("1"*500))
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, complex, unicode("x"))
@@ -311,6 +316,11 @@ class ComplexTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(repr(1-6j), '(1-6j)')
 
         self.assertNotEqual(repr(-(1+0j)), '(-1+-0j)')
+
+        self.assertEqual(1-6j,complex(repr(1-6j)))
+        self.assertEqual(1+6j,complex(repr(1+6j)))
+        self.assertEqual(-6j,complex(repr(-6j)))
+        self.assertEqual(6j,complex(repr(6j)))
 
     def test_neg(self):
         self.assertEqual(-(1+6j), -1-6j)
diff -r b92296e62450 Objects/complexobject.c
--- a/Objects/complexobject.c	Fri May 19 09:10:08 2006 +0200
+++ b/Objects/complexobject.c	Sat May 20 13:15:55 2006 +0200
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ complex_subtype_from_string(PyTypeObject
 	const char *s, *start;
 	char *end;
 	double x=0.0, y=0.0, z;
-	int got_re=0, got_im=0, done=0;
+	int got_re=0, got_im=0, got_bracket=0, done=0;
 	int digit_or_dot;
 	int sw_error=0;
 	int sign;
@@ -712,10 +712,12 @@ complex_subtype_from_string(PyTypeObject
 	start = s;
 	while (*s && isspace(Py_CHARMASK(*s)))
 		s++;
-	if (s[0] == '\0') {
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
-				"complex() arg is an empty string");
-		return NULL;
+	if (s[0] == '(') {
+		/* Skip over possible bracket from repr(). */
+		got_bracket = 1;
+		s++;
+		while (*s && isspace(Py_CHARMASK(*s)))
+			s++;
 	}
 
 	z = -1.0;
@@ -734,13 +736,26 @@ complex_subtype_from_string(PyTypeObject
 			if(!done) sw_error=1;
 			break;
 
+		case ')':
+			if (!got_bracket || !(got_re || got_im)) {
+				sw_error=1;
+				break;
+			}
+			got_bracket=0;
+			done=1;
+			s++;
+			while (*s && isspace(Py_CHARMASK(*s)))
+				s++;
+			if (*s) sw_error=1;
+			break;
+
 		case '-':
 			sign = -1;
 				/* Fallthrough */
 		case '+':
 			if (done)  sw_error=1;
 			s++;
-			if  (  *s=='\0'||*s=='+'||*s=='-'  ||
+			if  (  *s=='\0'||*s=='+'||*s=='-'||*s==')'||
 			       isspace(Py_CHARMASK(*s))  )  sw_error=1;
 			break;
 
@@ -766,7 +781,7 @@ complex_subtype_from_string(PyTypeObject
 			if (isspace(Py_CHARMASK(*s))) {
 				while (*s && isspace(Py_CHARMASK(*s)))
 					s++;
-				if (s[0] != '\0')
+				if (*s && *s != ')')
 					sw_error=1;
 				else
 					done = 1;
@@ -812,7 +827,7 @@ complex_subtype_from_string(PyTypeObject
 
 	} while (s - start < len && !sw_error);
 
-	if (sw_error) {
+	if (sw_error || got_bracket) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
 				"complex() arg is a malformed string");
 		return NULL;