--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2009-11-10  Jaroslav Hajek  <highegg@gmail.com>
+
+	* ov-class.cc (octave_class::numel): Use base version if called from
+	built-in assignment.
+	(octave_class::size): Ditto.
+
 2009-11-10  Jaroslav Hajek  <highegg@gmail.com>
 
 	* DLD-FUNCTIONS/max.cc (Fcummin, Fcummax): Simplify examples in docs.

--- a/src/ov-class.cc
+++ b/src/ov-class.cc
@@ -297,6 +297,9 @@
 Matrix
 octave_class::size (void)
 {
+  if (in_class_method () || called_from_builtin ())
+    return octave_base_value::size ();
+
   Matrix retval (1, 2, 1.0);
   octave_value meth = symbol_table::find_method ("size", class_name ());
 
@@ -318,6 +321,9 @@
 octave_idx_type
 octave_class::numel (const octave_value_list& idx)
 {
+  if (in_class_method () || called_from_builtin ())
+    return octave_base_value::numel (idx);
+
   octave_idx_type retval = -1;
   const std::string cn = class_name ();