diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 979bd82..47b7b20 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -294,6 +294,29 @@ auto multi_vector_base = mod.add_type<Parametric<TypeVar<1>>>("MultiVectorBase")
 auto vector_base = mod.add_type<Parametric<TypeVar<1>>>("VectorBase", multi_vector_base.dt());
 ```
 
+### Conversion
+
+Conversion to the base type happens automatically, or can be forced by calling convert, e.g.
+
+```julia
+convert(A,b)
+```
+
+Where we have `b::B` and `B <: A`
+
+For the equivalent of a C++ `dynamic_cast`, we need to use pointers because the conversion may fail, i.e:
+
+```julia
+convert(CxxPtr{B},CxxPtr(a))
+```
+
+This is equivalent to the C++ code:
+```c++
+dynamic_cast<B*>(&a);
+```
+
+Use `isnull` on the result to check if the conversion was successful or not.
+
 See the test at [`examples/inheritance.cpp`](https://github.com/JuliaInterop/libcxxwrap-julia/tree/master/examples/inheritance.cpp) and [`test/inheritance.jl`](test/inheritance.jl).
 
 ## Enum types
diff --git a/src/CxxWrap.jl b/src/CxxWrap.jl
index c18949d..421bffe 100644
--- a/src/CxxWrap.jl
+++ b/src/CxxWrap.jl
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ Base.setindex!(x::CxxBaseRef, val, i::Int) = Base.setindex!(x[], val, i)
 Base.unsafe_convert(to_type::Type{<:CxxBaseRef}, x) = to_type(x.cpp_object)
 
 # This is defined on the C++ side for each wrapped type
+cxxdowncast(::Type{T}, x::CxxPtr{T}) where {T} = x
 cxxupcast(x) = cxxupcast(CxxRef(x))
 cxxupcast(x::CxxRef) = error("No upcast for type $(supertype(typeof(x))). Did you specialize SuperType to enable automatic upcasting?")
 function cxxupcast(::Type{T}, x) where {T}
@@ -301,6 +302,9 @@ function cxxupcast(::Type{T}, x) where {T}
 end
 cxxupcast(::Type{T}, x::CxxBaseRef{T}) where {T} = x
 
+# Dynamic cast equivalent
+Base.convert(::Type{CxxPtr{DerivedT}}, x::CxxPtr{SuperT}) where {SuperT, DerivedT <: SuperT} = cxxdowncast(DerivedT, x)
+
 struct ConstArray{T,N} <: AbstractArray{T,N}
   ptr::ConstCxxPtr{T}
   size::NTuple{N,Int}
@@ -582,6 +586,7 @@ map_julia_arg_type(t::Type{ConstCxxPtr{CxxChar}}) = Union{ConstPtrTypes{Cchar},
 
 # names excluded from julia type mapping
 const __excluded_names = Set([
+      :cxxdowncast,
       :cxxupcast,
       :__cxxwrap_smartptr_dereference,
       :__cxxwrap_smartptr_construct_from_other,
@@ -808,7 +813,7 @@ function readmodule(so_path_cb::Function, funcname, m::Module, flags)
   so_path = so_path_cb()
   fptr = Libdl.dlsym(Libdl.dlopen(so_path, flags), funcname)
   register_julia_module(m, fptr)
-  include_dependency(so_path)
+  include_dependency(Libdl.dlpath(so_path))
 end
 
 function wrapmodule(so_path::String, funcname, m::Module, flags)
diff --git a/test/inheritance.jl b/test/inheritance.jl
index f2d2c1a..0eb960a 100644
--- a/test/inheritance.jl
+++ b/test/inheritance.jl
@@ -40,7 +40,15 @@ global d = D()
 @test take_ref(d) == "D"
 
 # factory function returning an abstract type A
-@test message(create_abstract()) == "B"
+let abstract_b = create_abstract()
+  @test message(abstract_b) == "B"
+  abstract_b_ptr = CxxPtr(abstract_b)
+  @test !isnull(convert(CxxPtr{B},abstract_b_ptr))
+  @test message(convert(CxxPtr{B},abstract_b_ptr)) == "B"
+  @test isnull(convert(CxxPtr{C},abstract_b_ptr))
+  @test isnull(convert(CxxPtr{D},abstract_b_ptr))
+  @test convert(CxxPtr{A},abstract_b_ptr) === abstract_b_ptr
+end
 
 @test dynamic_message_c(c) == "C"