diff --git a/base/base.jl b/base/base.jl
index c5b6a55ef62c4..1309006009ab1 100644
--- a/base/base.jl
+++ b/base/base.jl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # important core definitions
 
 using Core: Intrinsics, arraylen, arrayref, arrayset, arraysize,
-            tuplelen, tupleref, convert_default, convert_tuple, kwcall,
+            tuplelen, tupleref, convert_default, kwcall,
             typeassert, apply_type
 
 import Core.Array  # to add methods
@@ -10,8 +10,21 @@ const NonTupleType = Union(DataType,UnionType,TypeConstructor)
 
 typealias Callable Union(Function,DataType)
 
-convert(T, x)               = convert_default(T, x, convert)
-convert(T::Tuple, x::Tuple) = convert_tuple(T, x, convert)
+convert(T, x) = convert_default(T, x, convert)
+
+convert(::(), ::()) = ()
+convert(::Type{Tuple}, x::Tuple) = x
+
+argtail(x, rest...) = rest
+tupletail(x::Tuple) = argtail(x...)
+
+convert(T::(Any, Any...), x::(Any, Any...)) =
+    tuple(convert(T[1],x[1]), convert(tupletail(T), tupletail(x))...)
+
+convert{T}(::Type{(T...)}, x::Tuple) = cnvt_all(T, x...)
+cnvt_all(T) = ()
+cnvt_all(T, x, rest...) = tuple(convert(T,x), cnvt_all(T, rest...)...)
+
 
 ptr_arg_convert{T}(::Type{Ptr{T}}, x) = convert(T, x)
 ptr_arg_convert(::Type{Ptr{Void}}, x) = x
diff --git a/base/boot.jl b/base/boot.jl
index 8cffca0dda6b1..e9a2f0c4e4c07 100644
--- a/base/boot.jl
+++ b/base/boot.jl
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ export
     # object model functions
     apply, fieldtype, getfield, setfield!, yieldto, throw, tuple, is, ===, isdefined,
     # arraylen, arrayref, arrayset, arraysize, tuplelen, tupleref, convert_default,
-    # convert_tuple, kwcall,
+    # kwcall,
     # type reflection
     issubtype, typeof, isa,
     # typeassert, apply_type,
diff --git a/base/inference.jl b/base/inference.jl
index ae26edc40f3b7..0ca86f5b93911 100644
--- a/base/inference.jl
+++ b/base/inference.jl
@@ -154,61 +154,20 @@ t_func[arraysize] = (1, 2, arraysize_tfunc)
 t_func[pointerref] = (2,2,(a,i)->(isa(a,DataType) && a<:Ptr ? a.parameters[1] : Any))
 t_func[pointerset] = (3, 3, (a,v,i)->a)
 
-function static_convert(to::ANY, from::ANY)
-    if !isa(to,Tuple) || !isa(from,Tuple)
-        if isa(to,TypeVar)
-            return to
-        end
-        if from <: to
-            return from
-        end
-        return typeintersect(from,to)
+const convert_default_tfunc = function (to, from, f)
+    !isType(to) && return Any
+    to = to.parameters[1]
+
+    if isa(to,TypeVar)
+        return to
     end
-    if is(to,Tuple)
+    if from <: to
         return from
     end
-    pl = length(to)::Int; cl = length(from)::Int
-    pseq = false
-    result = Array(Any, cl)
-    local pe  # used across iterations
-    for i=1:cl
-        ce = from[i]
-        if pseq
-        elseif i <= pl
-            pe = to[i]
-            if isvarargtype(pe)
-                pe = pe.parameters[1]
-                pseq = true
-            elseif isa(pe,TypeVar) && isvarargtype(pe.ub)
-                pe = pe.ub.parameters[1]
-                pseq = true
-            end
-        else
-            return None
-        end
-        # tuple conversion calls convert recursively
-        if isvarargtype(ce)
-            R = abstract_call_gf(convert, (), (Type{pe}, ce.parameters[1]), ())
-            #R = static_convert(pe, ce.parameters[1])
-            isType(R) && (R = R.parameters[1])
-            result[i] = Vararg{R}
-        else
-            R = abstract_call_gf(convert, (), (Type{pe}, ce), ())
-            #R = static_convert(pe, ce)
-            isType(R) && (R = R.parameters[1])
-            result[i] = R
-        end
-    end
-    a2t(result)
-end
-t_func[convert_default] =
-    (3, 3, (t,x,f)->(isType(t) ? static_convert(t.parameters[1],x) : Any))
-t_func[convert_tuple] =
-    (3, 3, (t,x,f)->(if isa(t,Tuple) && all(isType,t)
-                         t = Type{map(t->t.parameters[1],t)}
-                     end;
-                     isType(t) ? static_convert(t.parameters[1],x) :
-                     Any))
+    return typeintersect(from,to)
+end
+t_func[convert_default] = (3, 3, convert_default_tfunc)
+
 const typeof_tfunc = function (t)
     if isType(t)
         t = t.parameters[1]
@@ -1516,6 +1475,7 @@ function typeinf(linfo::LambdaStaticData,atypes::Tuple,sparams::Tuple, def, cop)
         # inlining can add variables
         sv.vars = append_any(f_argnames(fulltree), fulltree.args[2][1])
         tuple_elim_pass(fulltree)
+        tupleref_elim_pass(fulltree.args[3], sv)
         linfo.inferred = true
         fulltree = ccall(:jl_compress_ast, Any, (Any,Any), def, fulltree)
     end
@@ -1954,17 +1914,6 @@ function inlineable(f, e::Expr, atypes, sv, enclosing_ast)
             return (e.args[3],())
         end
     end
-    if is(f, convert_tuple) && length(atypes)==3
-        # convert((T...),x::(S...)) => x, when S<:T
-        istuple = isa(atypes[1],Tuple) # if true, is (Type{T}, Type{S}) not Type{(T, S)}
-        if (istuple && all(isType,atypes[1])) || (atypes[1] <: Tuple && isType(atypes[1])) && isleaftype(atypes[1])
-           tparams = (istuple ? map(t->t.parameters[1], atypes[1]) : atypes[1].parameters[1])
-            if atypes[2] <: tparams
-                # todo: if T expression has side effects??!
-                return (e.args[3],())
-            end
-        end
-    end
     if length(atypes)==2 && is(f,unbox) && isa(atypes[2],DataType) && !atypes[2].mutable && atypes[2].pointerfree
         # remove redundant unbox
         return (e.args[3],())
@@ -2679,6 +2628,33 @@ function occurs_outside_tupleref(e::ANY, sym::ANY, sv::StaticVarInfo, tuplen::In
     return false
 end
 
+# replace tupleref(tuple(exprs...), i) with exprs[i]
+function tupleref_elim_pass(e::Expr, sv)
+    for i = 1:length(e.args)
+        ei = e.args[i]
+        if isa(ei,Expr)
+            tupleref_elim_pass(ei, sv)
+            if is_known_call(ei, tupleref, sv) && length(ei.args)==3 &&
+                isa(ei.args[2],Expr) && isa(ei.args[3],Int)
+                e1 = ei.args[2]
+                j = ei.args[3]
+                if is_known_call(e1, tuple, sv) && (1 <= j < length(e1.args))
+                    ok = true
+                    for k = 2:length(e1.args)
+                        k == j+1 && continue
+                        if !effect_free(e1.args[k], sv, true)
+                            ok = false; break
+                        end
+                    end
+                    if ok
+                        e.args[i] = e1.args[j+1]
+                    end
+                end
+            end
+        end
+    end
+end
+
 # eliminate allocation of unnecessary tuples
 function tuple_elim_pass(ast::Expr)
     sv = inference_stack.sv
diff --git a/base/multidimensional.jl b/base/multidimensional.jl
index 07e7df2470d77..0b78db5b085d0 100644
--- a/base/multidimensional.jl
+++ b/base/multidimensional.jl
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ end
 
 ## permutedims
 
-for (V, PT, BT) in [((:N,), BitArray, BitArray), ((:T,:N), Array, StridedArray)]
+for (V, PT, BT) in {((:N,), BitArray, BitArray), ((:T,:N), Array, StridedArray)}
     @eval @ngenerate N typeof(P) function permutedims!{$(V...)}(P::$PT{$(V...)}, B::$BT{$(V...)}, perm)
         dimsB = size(B)
         length(perm) == N || error("expected permutation of size $N, but length(perm)=$(length(perm))")
diff --git a/base/precompile.jl b/base/precompile.jl
index 68ee16acea8a9..fcdfad42cea5f 100644
--- a/base/precompile.jl
+++ b/base/precompile.jl
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ precompile(rr2id, (RemoteRef,))
 precompile(isequal, (RemoteRef, WeakRef))
 precompile(isequal, (RemoteRef, RemoteRef))
 precompile(_ieval, (Symbol,))
-precompile(static_convert, (Nothing, Nothing))
 precompile(setindex!, (Array{Any,1}, WeakRef, Int))
 precompile(isequal, ((Int,Int),(Int,Int)))
 precompile(isequal, (Int,Int))
diff --git a/src/builtin_proto.h b/src/builtin_proto.h
index 7b7a07695f366..4ae5efd5f2c49 100644
--- a/src/builtin_proto.h
+++ b/src/builtin_proto.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_arrayset);
 JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_arraysize);
 JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_instantiate_type);
 JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_convert_default);
-JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_convert_tuple);
 JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_new_type_constructor);
 JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_typevar);
 JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_union);
diff --git a/src/builtins.c b/src/builtins.c
index 6e0b08014f93e..3b53e7bcebcc1 100644
--- a/src/builtins.c
+++ b/src/builtins.c
@@ -564,51 +564,6 @@ JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_field_type)
 
 // conversion -----------------------------------------------------------------
 
-static jl_value_t *convert(jl_value_t *to, jl_value_t *x, jl_function_t *conv_f)
-{
-    jl_value_t *args[2];
-    if (jl_subtype(x, (jl_value_t*)to, 1))
-        return x;
-    args[0] = (jl_value_t*)to; args[1] = x;
-    return jl_apply(conv_f, args, 2);
-}
-
-JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_convert_tuple)
-{
-    jl_tuple_t *to = (jl_tuple_t*)args[0];
-    jl_tuple_t *x = (jl_tuple_t*)args[1];
-    if (to == jl_tuple_type)
-        return (jl_value_t*)x;
-    size_t i, cl=jl_tuple_len(x), pl=jl_tuple_len(to);
-    jl_tuple_t *out = jl_alloc_tuple(cl);
-    JL_GC_PUSH1(&out);
-    jl_value_t *ce, *pe=NULL;
-    int pseq=0;
-    jl_function_t *f = (jl_function_t*)args[2];
-    for(i=0; i < cl; i++) {
-        ce = jl_tupleref(x,i);
-        if (pseq) {
-        }
-        else if (i < pl) {
-            pe = jl_tupleref(to,i);
-            if (jl_is_vararg_type(pe)) {
-                pe = jl_tparam0(pe);
-                pseq = 1;
-            }
-        }
-        else {
-            out = NULL;
-            break;
-        }
-        assert(pe != NULL);
-        jl_tupleset(out, i, convert((jl_value_t*)pe, ce, f));
-    }
-    JL_GC_POP();
-    if (out == NULL)
-        jl_error("convert: invalid tuple conversion");
-    return (jl_value_t*)out;
-}
-
 JL_CALLABLE(jl_f_convert_default)
 {
     jl_value_t *to = args[0];
@@ -1015,7 +970,6 @@ void jl_init_primitives(void)
     
     // functions for internal use
     add_builtin_func("convert_default", jl_f_convert_default);
-    add_builtin_func("convert_tuple", jl_f_convert_tuple);
     add_builtin_func("tupleref",  jl_f_tupleref);
     add_builtin_func("tuplelen",  jl_f_tuplelen);
     add_builtin_func("getfield",  jl_f_get_field);
diff --git a/src/dump.c b/src/dump.c
index 5892da55435c5..f3f1d19571727 100644
--- a/src/dump.c
+++ b/src/dump.c
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ void jl_init_serializer(void)
                           jl_f_arraylen, jl_f_arrayref,
                           jl_f_arrayset, jl_f_arraysize,
                           jl_f_instantiate_type, jl_f_kwcall,
-                          jl_f_convert_default, jl_f_convert_tuple,
+                          jl_f_convert_default,
                           jl_trampoline, jl_f_new_type_constructor,
                           jl_f_typevar, jl_f_union,
                           jl_f_methodexists, jl_f_applicable,