diff --git a/django/http/__init__.py b/django/http/__init__.py
index 0e1c2a0fbb..20818f138b 100644
--- a/django/http/__init__.py
+++ b/django/http/__init__.py
@@ -38,11 +38,10 @@ class HttpRequest(object):
                 return d[key]
         raise KeyError, "%s not found in either POST or GET" % key
 
-    def __contains__(self, key):
+    def has_key(self, key):
         return key in self.GET or key in self.POST
 
-    def has_key(self, key):
-        return key in self
+    __contains__ = has_key
         
     def get_full_path(self):
         return ''
diff --git a/django/template/context.py b/django/template/context.py
index 59650b05fe..51cd88b7e9 100644
--- a/django/template/context.py
+++ b/django/template/context.py
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ class Context(object):
                 return True
         return False
 
-    def __contains__(self, key):
-        return self.has_key(key)
+    __contains__ = has_key
 
     def get(self, key, otherwise=None):
         for d in self.dicts:
diff --git a/django/utils/datastructures.py b/django/utils/datastructures.py
index 4b60d1d194..d96e45b9c8 100644
--- a/django/utils/datastructures.py
+++ b/django/utils/datastructures.py
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ class MergeDict(object):
                 pass
         raise KeyError
 
-    def __contains__(self, key):
-        return self.has_key(key)
-
     def __copy__(self):
         return self.__class__(*self.dicts)
 
@@ -45,6 +42,8 @@ class MergeDict(object):
             if key in dict:
                 return True
         return False
+    
+    __contains__ = has_key
 
     def copy(self):
         """ returns a copy of this object"""