Index: py3k/Doc/library/dis.rst
===================================================================
--- py3k/Doc/library/dis.rst	(revision 79952)
+++ py3k/Doc/library/dis.rst	(working copy)
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@
    Disassemble the *x* object. *x* can denote either a module, a
    class, a method, a function, or a code object.   For a module, it disassembles
    all functions.  For a class, it disassembles all methods.  For a single code
-   sequence, it prints one line per bytecode instruction.  If no object is
-   provided, it disassembles the last traceback.
+   sequence, it prints one line per bytecode instruction.  Strings are first
+   compiled to code objects with the :func:`compile` built-in function.  If no
+   object is provided, it disassembles the last traceback.
 
 
 .. function:: distb(tb=None)
Index: py3k/Lib/test/test_dis.py
===================================================================
--- py3k/Lib/test/test_dis.py	(revision 79952)
+++ py3k/Lib/test/test_dis.py	(working copy)
@@ -96,7 +96,27 @@
 
 """
 
+expr_str = "x + 1"
 
+dis_expr_str = """\
+  1           0 LOAD_NAME                0 (x)
+              3 LOAD_CONST               0 (1)
+              6 BINARY_ADD
+              7 RETURN_VALUE
+"""
+
+stmt_str = "x = x + 1"
+
+dis_stmt_str = """\
+  1           0 LOAD_NAME                0 (x)
+              3 LOAD_CONST               0 (1)
+              6 BINARY_ADD
+              7 STORE_NAME               0 (x)
+             10 LOAD_CONST               1 (None)
+             13 RETURN_VALUE
+"""
+
+
 class DisTests(unittest.TestCase):
     def do_disassembly_test(self, func, expected):
         s = io.StringIO()
@@ -165,6 +185,10 @@
     def test_big_linenos(self):
         from test import dis_module
         self.do_disassembly_test(dis_module, dis_module_expected_results)
+    
+    def test_disassemble_str(self):
+        self.do_disassembly_test(expr_str, dis_expr_str)
+        self.do_disassembly_test(stmt_str, dis_stmt_str)
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(DisTests)
Index: py3k/Lib/dis.py
===================================================================
--- py3k/Lib/dis.py	(revision 79952)
+++ py3k/Lib/dis.py	(working copy)
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
         disassemble(x)
     elif isinstance(x, (bytes, bytearray)):
         disassemble_string(x)
+    elif isinstance(x, str):
+        disassemble_str(x)
     else:
         raise TypeError("don't know how to disassemble %s objects" %
                         type(x).__name__)
@@ -196,6 +198,14 @@
                 print('(' + cmp_op[oparg] + ')', end=' ')
         print()
 
+def disassemble_str(source):
+    """Compile the source string, then disassemble the code object."""
+    try:
+        c = compile(source, '', 'eval')
+    except SyntaxError:
+        c = compile(source, '', 'exec')
+    disassemble(c)
+
 disco = disassemble                     # XXX For backwards compatibility
 
 def findlabels(code):