diff --git a/Objects/tupleobject.c b/Objects/tupleobject.c
index 00f2e47..a3c185e 100644
--- a/Objects/tupleobject.c
+++ b/Objects/tupleobject.c
@@ -881,8 +881,7 @@
     _Py_ForgetReference((PyObject *) v);
     /* DECREF items deleted by shrinkage */
     for (i = newsize; i < oldsize; i++) {
-        Py_XDECREF(v->ob_item[i]);
-        v->ob_item[i] = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(v->ob_item[i]);
     }
     sv = PyObject_GC_Resize(PyTupleObject, v, newsize);
     if (sv == NULL) {
@@ -928,8 +927,7 @@
 #if PyTuple_MAXSAVESIZE > 0
     /* empty tuples are used all over the place and applications may
      * rely on the fact that an empty tuple is a singleton. */
-    Py_XDECREF(free_list[0]);
-    free_list[0] = NULL;
+    Py_CLEAR(free_list[0]);
 
     (void)PyTuple_ClearFreeList();
 #endif
diff --git a/Objects/unicodeobject.c b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
index 5ce9c88..09e41b9 100644
--- a/Objects/unicodeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
@@ -3520,8 +3520,7 @@
             goto onError;
         return;
       onError:
-        Py_DECREF(*exceptionObject);
-        *exceptionObject = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(*exceptionObject);
     }
 }
 
@@ -4826,8 +4825,7 @@
             goto onError;
         return;
       onError:
-        Py_DECREF(*exceptionObject);
-        *exceptionObject = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(*exceptionObject);
     }
 }