diff --git a/Python/peephole.c b/Python/peephole.c
index d012d39..9f1e642 100644
--- a/Python/peephole.c
+++ b/Python/peephole.c
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@
 			case LOAD_NAME:
 			case LOAD_GLOBAL:
 				j = GETARG(codestr, i);
-				name = PyString_AsString(PyTuple_GET_ITEM(names, j));
+				name = PyUnicode_AsString(PyTuple_GET_ITEM(names, j));
 				h = load_global(codestr, i, name, consts);
 				if (h < 0)
 					goto exitUnchanged;