diff --git a/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/directive/expect.hpp b/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/directive/expect.hpp
index 879d92c2df..d5e7b19cd2 100644
--- a/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/directive/expect.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/directive/expect.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace x3
     {
         typedef unary_parser<Subject, expect_directive<Subject> > base_type;
         static bool const is_pass_through_unary = true;
+        static bool const handles_container = Subject::handles_container;
 
         expect_directive(Subject const& subject)
           : base_type(subject) {}
diff --git a/test/x3/expect.cpp b/test/x3/expect.cpp
index 5061e104c0..9eb140504f 100644
--- a/test/x3/expect.cpp
+++ b/test/x3/expect.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@ main()
             BOOST_TEST((at_c<1>(attr) == 'b'));
             BOOST_TEST((at_c<2>(attr) == 'c'));
         }
+
+        {
+            std::string attr;
+            BOOST_TEST((test_attr("'azaaz'",
+                "'" > *(char_("a") | char_("z")) > "'", attr, space)));
+            BOOST_TEST(attr == "azaaz");
+        }
     }
 
     {