diff --git a/base/docs/Docs.jl b/base/docs/Docs.jl
index 5527ca3020dc11..b36fd297edef50 100644
--- a/base/docs/Docs.jl
+++ b/base/docs/Docs.jl
@@ -36,39 +36,42 @@ end
 
 # Function / Method support
 
-function newmethod(defs)
-    keylen = -1
-    key = nothing
-    for def in defs
-        length(def.sig.parameters) > keylen && (keylen = length(def.sig.parameters); key = def)
+function signature(expr::Expr)
+    if isexpr(expr, :call)
+        sig = :(Tuple{})
+        for arg in expr.args[2:end]
+            isexpr(arg, :parameters) && continue
+            push!(sig.args, argtype(arg))
+        end
+        block = typevars(expr)
+        push!(block, sig)
+        Expr(:let, Expr(:block, block...))
+    else
+        signature(expr.args[1])
     end
-    return key
 end
 
-function newmethod(funcs, f)
-    applicable = Method[]
-    for def in methods(f)
-        (!haskey(funcs, def) || funcs[def] != def.func) && push!(applicable, def)
-    end
-    return newmethod(applicable)
+function argtype(expr::Expr)
+    isexpr(expr, :(::))  && return expr.args[end]
+    isexpr(expr, :(...)) && return :(Vararg{$(argtype(expr.args[1]))})
+    argtype(expr.args[1])
+end
+argtype(::Symbol) = :Any
+
+function typevars(expr::Expr)
+    isexpr(expr, :curly) && return [tvar(x) for x in expr.args[2:end]]
+    typevars(expr.args[1])
 end
+typevars(::Symbol) = []
 
-def_dict(f) = [def => def.func for def in methods(f)]
+tvar(x::Expr)   = Expr(:(=), x.args[1], :(TypeVar($(quot(x.args[1])), $(x.args[2]), true)))
+tvar(s::Symbol) = Expr(:(=), s, :(TypeVar($(quot(s)), Any, true)))
 
 function trackmethod(def)
-    name = uncurly(unblock(def).args[1].args[1])
-    f = esc(name)
+    name = esc(uncurly(unblock(def).args[1].args[1]))
     quote
-        funcs = nothing
-        if $(isexpr(name, Symbol)) && isdefined($(Expr(:quote, name))) && isgeneric($f)
-            funcs = def_dict($f)
-        end
         $(esc(def))
-        if funcs !== nothing
-            $f, newmethod(funcs, $f)
-        else
-            $f, newmethod(methods($f))
-        end
+        $name, methods($name, $(esc(signature(def))))[1]
     end
 end
 
@@ -218,6 +221,8 @@ const keywords = Dict{Symbol,Any}()
 
 # Usage macros
 
+quot(x) = Expr(:quote, x)
+
 isexpr(x::Expr) = true
 isexpr(x) = false
 isexpr(x::Expr, ts...) = x.head in ts
@@ -315,7 +320,7 @@ Base.DocBootstrap.setexpand!(docm)
 # inject the ones we need there.
 
 eval(Base.DocBootstrap,
-     :(import ..Docs: @init, doc!, doc, newmethod, def_dict, @doc_str))
+     :(import ..Docs: @init, doc!, doc, @doc_str))
 
 # Metametadata