diff --git a/Lib/test/test_metaclass.py b/Lib/test/test_metaclass.py
index 000bcf5..219ab99 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_metaclass.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_metaclass.py
@@ -230,6 +230,20 @@
     42
     >>>
 
+Test failures in looking up the __prepare__ method work.
+    >>> class ObscureException(Exception):
+    ...     pass
+    >>> class FailDescr:
+    ...     def __get__(self, instance, owner):
+    ...        raise ObscureException
+    >>> class Meta(type):
+    ...     __prepare__ = FailDescr()
+    >>> class X(metaclass=Meta):
+    ...     pass
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+    [...]
+    test.test_metaclass.ObscureException
+
 """
 
 __test__ = {'doctests' : doctests}
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index c42cef5..d53bcb4 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 Core and Builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Handle errors from looking up __prepare__ correctly.
+
 - Issue #5939: Add additional runtime checking to ensure a valid capsule
   in Modules/_ctypes/callproc.c.
 
diff --git a/Python/bltinmodule.c b/Python/bltinmodule.c
index e03b49f..069d790 100644
--- a/Python/bltinmodule.c
+++ b/Python/bltinmodule.c
@@ -108,8 +108,16 @@
 	}
 	prep = PyObject_GetAttrString(meta, "__prepare__");
 	if (prep == NULL) {
-		PyErr_Clear();
-		ns = PyDict_New();
+		if (PyErr_ExceptionMatches(PyExc_AttributeError)) {
+			PyErr_Clear();
+			ns = PyDict_New();
+		}
+		else {
+			Py_DECREF(meta);
+			Py_XDECREF(mkw);
+			Py_DECREF(bases);
+			return NULL;
+		}
 	}
 	else {
 		PyObject *pargs = PyTuple_Pack(2, name, bases);
@@ -123,12 +131,12 @@
 		ns = PyEval_CallObjectWithKeywords(prep, pargs, mkw);
 		Py_DECREF(pargs);
 		Py_DECREF(prep);
-		if (ns == NULL) {
-			Py_DECREF(meta);
-			Py_XDECREF(mkw);
-			Py_DECREF(bases);
-			return NULL;
-		}
+	}
+	if (ns == NULL) {
+		Py_DECREF(meta);
+		Py_XDECREF(mkw);
+		Py_DECREF(bases);
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	cell = PyObject_CallFunctionObjArgs(func, ns, NULL);
 	if (cell != NULL) {