diff --git a/PIL/Image.py b/PIL/Image.py
index 9936aad46..27953252a 100644
--- a/PIL/Image.py
+++ b/PIL/Image.py
@@ -1373,6 +1373,34 @@ class Image(object):
         else:
             self.im.paste(im, box)
 
+    def alpha_composite(self, im, box=None):
+        """ 'In-place' analog of Image.alpha_composite
+
+        :param im: image to composite over this one
+        :param box: Optional 2 or 4 tuple. If a 2 tuple, the upper
+        left corner. If 4 tuple, (x0,y0,x1,y1)
+
+        Note: Not currently implemented in-place.
+        """
+        if box is None:
+            box = (0, 0, im.width, im.height)                
+            overlay = im
+            if self.size == im.size:
+                src = self
+            else:
+                src = self.crop(box)
+        else:
+            if len(box) == 2:
+                # upper left corner given; get size from overlay image
+                size = im.size
+                box += (box[0]+size[0], box[1]+size[1])
+                
+            src = self.crop(box)
+            overlay = im.crop((0, 0, box[2]-box[0], box[3]-box[1]))
+            
+        result = alpha_composite(src, overlay)
+        self.paste(result, box)
+        
     def point(self, lut, mode=None):
         """
         Maps this image through a lookup table or function.
diff --git a/Tests/test_image.py b/Tests/test_image.py
index ea813cd84..05fb4dfe9 100644
--- a/Tests/test_image.py
+++ b/Tests/test_image.py
@@ -202,6 +202,37 @@ class TestImage(PillowTestCase):
         img_colors = sorted(img.getcolors())
         self.assertEqual(img_colors, expected_colors)
 
+    def test_alpha_inplace(self):
+        src = Image.new('RGBA', (128,128), 'blue')
+
+        over = Image.new('RGBA', (128,128), 'red')
+        mask = hopper('L')
+        over.putalpha(mask)
+
+        target = Image.alpha_composite(src, over)
+
+        # basic
+        full = src.copy()
+        full.alpha_composite(over)
+        self.assert_image_equal(full, target)
+
+        # with offset down to right
+        offset = src.copy()
+        offset.alpha_composite(over, (64, 64))
+        self.assert_image_equal(offset.crop((64, 64, 127, 127)),
+                                target.crop((0, 0, 63, 63)))
+        self.assertEqual(offset.size, (128, 128))
+
+        # offset and crop
+        box = src.copy()
+        box.alpha_composite(over, (64, 64, 96, 96))
+        self.assert_image_equal(box.crop((64, 64, 96, 96)),
+                                target.crop((0, 0, 32, 32)))
+        self.assert_image_equal(box.crop((96, 96, 128, 128)),
+                                src.crop((0, 0, 32, 32)))
+        self.assertEqual(box.size, (128, 128))
+        
+
     def test_registered_extensions_uninitialized(self):
         # Arrange
         Image._initialized = 0