diff --git a/Python/bltinmodule.c b/Python/bltinmodule.c
index ca40cb0..3074e4c 100644
--- a/Python/bltinmodule.c
+++ b/Python/bltinmodule.c
@@ -155,17 +155,14 @@
 {
     static char *kwlist[] = {"name", "globals", "locals", "fromlist",
                              "level", 0};
-    char *name;
-    PyObject *globals = NULL;
-    PyObject *locals = NULL;
-    PyObject *fromlist = NULL;
+    PyObject *name, *globals = NULL, *locals = NULL, *fromlist = NULL;
     int level = -1;
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "s|OOOi:__import__",
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "U|OOOi:__import__",
                     kwlist, &name, &globals, &locals, &fromlist, &level))
         return NULL;
-    return PyImport_ImportModuleLevel(name, globals, locals,
-                                      fromlist, level);
+    return PyImport_ImportModuleLevelObject(name, globals, locals,
+                                            fromlist, level);
 }
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(import_doc,