diff --git a/IPython/Extensions/ipy_pydb.py b/IPython/Extensions/ipy_pydb.py
index 2969ddb..7da5c59 100755
--- a/IPython/Extensions/ipy_pydb.py
+++ b/IPython/Extensions/ipy_pydb.py
@@ -6,14 +6,7 @@ ip = IPython.ipapi.get()
 def call_pydb(self, args):
     argl = arg_split(args)
     # print argl # dbg
-    if ip.IP.has_readline:
-        ip.IP.savehist()
-    try:
-        pydb.runl(*argl)
-    finally:
-    
-        if ip.IP.has_readline:
-            ip.IP.readline.read_history_file(self.shell.histfile)
+    ip.IP.history_saving_wrapper( lambda : pydb.runl(*argl) )()
     
 ip.expose_magic("pydb",call_pydb)    
 
diff --git a/IPython/iplib.py b/IPython/iplib.py
index f12f0d1..bc9cbee 100644
--- a/IPython/iplib.py
+++ b/IPython/iplib.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Requires Python 2.3 or newer.
 
 This file contains all the classes and helper functions specific to IPython.
 
-$Id: iplib.py 1859 2006-11-02 06:39:54Z vivainio $
+$Id: iplib.py 1868 2006-11-02 15:29:10Z vivainio $
 """
 
 #*****************************************************************************
@@ -1211,6 +1211,24 @@ want to merge them back into the new files.""" % locals()
             print 'Unable to save IPython command history to file: ' + \
                   `self.histfile`
 
+    def history_saving_wrapper(self, func):
+        """ Wrap func for readline history saving
+        
+        Convert func into callable that saves & restores
+        history around the call """
+        
+        if not self.has_readline:
+            return func
+        
+        def wrapper():
+            self.savehist()
+            try:
+                func()
+            finally:
+                readline.read_history_file(self.histfile)
+        return wrapper
+                
+            
     def pre_readline(self):
         """readline hook to be used at the start of each line.
 
@@ -1392,7 +1410,7 @@ want to merge them back into the new files.""" % locals()
                 pass
         if not have_pydb:
             from pdb import pm
-        pm()
+        self.history_saving_wrapper(pm)()
 
     def showtraceback(self,exc_tuple = None,filename=None,tb_offset=None):
         """Display the exception that just occurred.
diff --git a/doc/ChangeLog b/doc/ChangeLog
index 04dbc3b..04ca722 100644
--- a/doc/ChangeLog
+++ b/doc/ChangeLog
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 	
 	* UserConfig/ipy_user_conf.py: install stock completers as default	
 	
+	* iplib.py (history_saving_wrapper), debugger(), ipy_pydb.py:
+	simplified readline history save / restore through a wrapper 
+	function
+	
 	
 2006-10-31  Ville Vainio  <vivainio@gmail.com>