diff --git a/Lib/sre.py b/Lib/sre.py
index 8d03e92..859ff9e 100644
--- a/Lib/sre.py
+++ b/Lib/sre.py
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
             continue
         append(string[i:b])
         if g and b != e:
-            extend(m.groups())
+            extend(list(m.groups()))
         i = e
         n = n + 1
     append(string[i:])
diff --git a/Lib/sre_parse.py b/Lib/sre_parse.py
index 454e477..7c6eb9f 100644
--- a/Lib/sre_parse.py
+++ b/Lib/sre_parse.py
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@
     "u": SRE_FLAG_UNICODE,
 }
 
+try:
+    int("10", 8)
+    atoi = int
+except TypeError:
+    atoi = string.atoi
+
 class Pattern:
     # master pattern object.  keeps track of global attributes
     def __init__(self):
@@ -216,7 +222,7 @@
 def _group(escape, groups):
     # check if the escape string represents a valid group
     try:
-        gid = int(escape[1:])
+        gid = atoi(escape[1:])
         if gid and gid < groups:
             return gid
     except ValueError:
@@ -239,13 +245,13 @@
             escape = escape[2:]
             if len(escape) != 2:
                 raise error, "bogus escape: %s" % repr("\\" + escape)
-            return LITERAL, int(escape, 16) & 0xff
+            return LITERAL, atoi(escape, 16) & 0xff
         elif str(escape[1:2]) in OCTDIGITS:
             # octal escape (up to three digits)
             while source.next in OCTDIGITS and len(escape) < 5:
                 escape = escape + source.get()
             escape = escape[1:]
-            return LITERAL, int(escape, 8) & 0xff
+            return LITERAL, atoi(escape, 8) & 0xff
         if len(escape) == 2:
             return LITERAL, ord(escape[1])
     except ValueError:
@@ -267,12 +273,12 @@
                 escape = escape + source.get()
             if len(escape) != 4:
                 raise ValueError
-            return LITERAL, int(escape[2:], 16) & 0xff
+            return LITERAL, atoi(escape[2:], 16) & 0xff
         elif escape[1:2] == "0":
             # octal escape
             while source.next in OCTDIGITS and len(escape) < 4:
                 escape = escape + source.get()
-            return LITERAL, int(escape[1:], 8) & 0xff
+            return LITERAL, atoi(escape[1:], 8) & 0xff
         elif escape[1:2] in DIGITS:
             # octal escape *or* decimal group reference (sigh)
             here = source.tell()
@@ -282,7 +288,7 @@
                     source.next in OCTDIGITS):
                     # got three octal digits; this is an octal escape
                     escape = escape + source.get()
-                    return LITERAL, int(escape[1:], 8) & 0xff
+                    return LITERAL, atoi(escape[1:], 8) & 0xff
             # got at least one decimal digit; this is a group reference
             group = _group(escape, state.groups)
             if group:
@@ -456,9 +462,9 @@
                     source.seek(here)
                     continue
                 if lo:
-                    min = int(lo)
+                    min = atoi(lo)
                 if hi:
-                    max = int(hi)
+                    max = atoi(hi)
                 if max < min:
                     raise error, "bad repeat interval"
             else:
@@ -646,7 +652,7 @@
                 if not name:
                     raise error, "bad group name"
                 try:
-                    index = int(name)
+                    index = atoi(name)
                 except ValueError:
                     if not isname(name):
                         raise error, "bad character in group name"
@@ -662,7 +668,7 @@
                     if group:
                         if (s.next not in DIGITS or
                             not _group(this + s.next, pattern.groups+1)):
-                            code = MARK, int(group)
+                            code = MARK, group
                             break
                     elif s.next in OCTDIGITS:
                         this = this + s.get()
@@ -670,7 +676,7 @@
                         break
                 if not code:
                     this = this[1:]
-                    code = LITERAL, int(this[-6:], 8) & 0xff
+                    code = LITERAL, atoi(this[-6:], 8) & 0xff
                 a(code)
             else:
                 try:
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sre.py b/Lib/test/test_sre.py
index 5d19d40..88c0d62 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sre.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sre.py
@@ -325,16 +325,26 @@
 
             # Try the match on a unicode string, and check that it
             # still succeeds.
-            result=obj.search(unicode(s, "latin-1"))
-            if result==None:
-                print '=== Fails on unicode match', t
+            try:
+                u = unicode(s, "latin-1")
+            except NameError:
+                pass
+            else:
+                result=obj.search(u)
+                if result==None:
+                    print '=== Fails on unicode match', t
 
             # Try the match on a unicode pattern, and check that it
             # still succeeds.
-            obj=sre.compile(unicode(pattern, "latin-1"))
-            result=obj.search(s)
-            if result==None:
-                print '=== Fails on unicode pattern match', t
+            try:
+                u = unicode(pattern, "latin-1")
+            except NameError:
+                pass
+            else:
+                obj=sre.compile(u)
+                result=obj.search(s)
+                if result==None:
+                    print '=== Fails on unicode pattern match', t
 
             # Try the match with the search area limited to the extent
             # of the match and see if it still succeeds.  \B will