diff --git a/Lib/collections.py b/Lib/collections.py
index a553c9f..f5c524b 100644
--- a/Lib/collections.py
+++ b/Lib/collections.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
         field_names = field_names.replace(',', ' ').split() # names separated by whitespace and/or commas
     field_names = tuple(field_names)
     for name in (typename,) + field_names:
-        if not name.replace('_', '').isalnum():
+        if not all(c.isalnum() or c=='_' for c in name):
             raise ValueError('Type names and field names can only contain alphanumeric characters and underscores: %r' % name)
         if _iskeyword(name):
             raise ValueError('Type names and field names cannot be a keyword: %r' % name)
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
             raise ValueError('Type names and field names cannot start with a number: %r' % name)
     seen_names = set()
     for name in field_names:
-        if name.startswith('__') and name.endswith('__'):
+        if name.startswith('__') and name.endswith('__') and len(name) > 3:
             raise ValueError('Field names cannot start and end with double underscores: %r' % name)
         if name in seen_names:
             raise ValueError('Encountered duplicate field name: %r' % name)
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py b/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
index a6cff2c..828d7fb 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
@@ -254,10 +254,13 @@
     popen = subprocess.Popen('"%s" %s & set' % (vcvarsall, arch),
                              stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                              stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-    if popen.wait() != 0:
-        raise IOError(popen.stderr.read())
 
-    for line in popen.stdout:
+    stdout, stderr = popen.communicate()
+    if popen.wait() != 0:
+        raise IOError(stderr.decode("mbcs"))
+
+    stdout = stdout.decode("mbcs")
+    for line in stdout.split("\n"):
         line = Reg.convert_mbcs(line)
         if '=' not in line:
             continue
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_collections.py b/Lib/test/test_collections.py
index 62da9c5..45b4082 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_collections.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_collections.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, namedtuple, 'abc', 'efg efg ghi')    # duplicate field
 
         namedtuple('Point0', 'x1 y2')   # Verify that numbers are allowed in names
+        namedtuple('_', '_ __ ___')     # Verify that underscores are allowed
 
     def test_instance(self):
         Point = namedtuple('Point', 'x y')