diff --git a/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c b/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
index e24a328..22f2cb3 100644
--- a/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
+++ b/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
@@ -739,18 +739,12 @@
 {
 	char *ptr;
 	Py_ssize_t size;
-        int rel = 0;
         Py_buffer view;
 
-	if (PyBuffer_Check(value)) {
-                if (PyObject_GetBuffer(value, &view, PyBUF_SIMPLE) < 0)
-                        return -1;
-                size = view.len;
-                ptr = view.buf;
-                rel = 1;
-	} else if (-1 == PyString_AsStringAndSize(value, &ptr, &size)) {
+        if (PyObject_GetBuffer(value, &view, PyBUF_SIMPLE) < 0)
 		return -1;
-	}
+        size = view.len;
+	ptr = view.buf;
 	if (size > self->b_size) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,
 				"string too long");
@@ -759,12 +753,10 @@
 
 	memcpy(self->b_ptr, ptr, size);
 
-        if (rel)
-                PyObject_ReleaseBuffer(value, &view);
+	PyObject_ReleaseBuffer(value, &view);
 	return 0;
  fail:
-        if (rel) 
-                PyObject_ReleaseBuffer(value, &view);
+	PyObject_ReleaseBuffer(value, &view);
         return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c b/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c
index e8c28e3..75ccc9a 100644
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/connection.c
@@ -425,16 +425,16 @@
         sqlite3_result_int64(context, (PY_LONG_LONG)longval);
     } else if (PyFloat_Check(py_val)) {
         sqlite3_result_double(context, PyFloat_AsDouble(py_val));
-    } else if (PyBuffer_Check(py_val)) {
+    } else if (PyString_Check(py_val)) {
+        sqlite3_result_text(context, PyString_AsString(py_val), -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
+    } else if (PyUnicode_Check(py_val)) {
+        sqlite3_result_text(context, PyUnicode_AsString(py_val), -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
+    } else if (PyObject_CheckBuffer(py_val)) {
         if (PyObject_AsCharBuffer(py_val, &buffer, &buflen) != 0) {
             PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "could not convert BLOB to buffer");
         } else {
             sqlite3_result_blob(context, buffer, buflen, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
         }
-    } else if (PyString_Check(py_val)) {
-        sqlite3_result_text(context, PyString_AsString(py_val), -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
-    } else if (PyUnicode_Check(py_val)) {
-        sqlite3_result_text(context, PyUnicode_AsString(py_val), -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
     } else {
         /* TODO: raise error */
     }
@@ -478,16 +478,8 @@
                 break;
             case SQLITE_BLOB:
                 buflen = sqlite3_value_bytes(cur_value);
-                cur_py_value = PyBuffer_New(buflen);
-                if (!cur_py_value) {
-                    break;
-                }
-                if (PyObject_AsWriteBuffer(cur_py_value, &raw_buffer, &buflen)) {
-                    Py_DECREF(cur_py_value);
-                    cur_py_value = NULL;
-                    break;
-                }
-                memcpy(raw_buffer, sqlite3_value_blob(cur_value), buflen);
+                cur_py_value = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize(
+                    sqlite3_value_blob(cur_value), buflen);
                 break;
             case SQLITE_NULL:
             default:
diff --git a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
index c468754..638cbe2 100644
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
@@ -380,14 +380,11 @@
             } else {
                 /* coltype == SQLITE_BLOB */
                 nbytes = sqlite3_column_bytes(self->statement->st, i);
-                buffer = PyBuffer_New(nbytes);
+                buffer = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize(
+                    sqlite3_column_blob(self->statement->st, i), nbytes);
                 if (!buffer) {
                     break;
                 }
-                if (PyObject_AsWriteBuffer(buffer, &raw_buffer, &nbytes)) {
-                    break;
-                }
-                memcpy(raw_buffer, sqlite3_column_blob(self->statement->st, i), nbytes);
                 converted = buffer;
             }
         }
diff --git a/Modules/_sqlite/statement.c b/Modules/_sqlite/statement.c
index b1a4e76..9080c9b 100644
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/statement.c
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/statement.c
@@ -102,13 +102,6 @@
 #endif
     } else if (PyFloat_Check(parameter)) {
         rc = sqlite3_bind_double(self->st, pos, PyFloat_AsDouble(parameter));
-    } else if (PyBuffer_Check(parameter)) {
-        if (PyObject_AsCharBuffer(parameter, &buffer, &buflen) == 0) {
-            rc = sqlite3_bind_blob(self->st, pos, buffer, buflen, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
-        } else {
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "could not convert BLOB to buffer");
-            rc = -1;
-        }
     } else if PyString_Check(parameter) {
         string = PyString_AsString(parameter);
         rc = sqlite3_bind_text(self->st, pos, string, -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
@@ -118,6 +111,13 @@
 
         rc = sqlite3_bind_text(self->st, pos, string, -1, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
         Py_DECREF(stringval);
+    } else if (PyObject_CheckBuffer(parameter)) {
+        if (PyObject_AsCharBuffer(parameter, &buffer, &buflen) == 0) {
+            rc = sqlite3_bind_blob(self->st, pos, buffer, buflen, SQLITE_TRANSIENT);
+        } else {
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "could not convert BLOB to buffer");
+            rc = -1;
+        }
     } else {
         rc = -1;
     }