diff --git a/src/future/backports/misc.py b/src/future/backports/misc.py
index 098a0667..992b978f 100644
--- a/src/future/backports/misc.py
+++ b/src/future/backports/misc.py
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ def ceil(x):
 
 from itertools import islice
 
+if PY26:
+    # itertools.count in Py 2.6 doesn't accept a step parameter
+    def count(start=0, step=1):
+        while True:
+            yield start
+            start += step
+else:
+    from itertools import count
+
+
 if PY3:
     try:
         from _thread import get_ident
@@ -85,6 +95,10 @@ def wrapper(self):
     return decorating_function
 
 
+# OrderedDict Shim from  Raymond Hettinger, python core dev
+# http://code.activestate.com/recipes/576693-ordered-dictionary-for-py24/
+# here to support version 2.6.
+
 ################################################################################
 ### OrderedDict
 ################################################################################
diff --git a/tests/test_future/test_count.py b/tests/test_future/test_count.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc849bd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_future/test_count.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""
+Tests for the backported class:`range` class.
+"""
+from itertools import count as it_count
+
+from future.backports.misc import count
+from future.tests.base import unittest, skip26
+
+
+class CountTest(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    """Test the count function."""
+
+    def _test_count_func(self, func):
+        self.assertEqual(next(func(1)), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(func(start=1)), 1)
+
+        c = func()
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 2)
+        c = func(1, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 2)
+        c = func(step=1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 1)
+        c = func(start=1, step=1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 2)
+
+        c = func(-1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), -1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 1)
+        c = func(1, -1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), -1)
+        c = func(-1, -1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), -1)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), -2)
+        self.assertEqual(next(c), -3)
+
+    def test_count(self):
+        """Test the count function."""
+        self._test_count_func(count)
+
+    @skip26
+    def test_own_count(self):
+        """Test own count implementation."""
+        self._test_count_func(it_count)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()