diff --git a/Python/bltinmodule.c b/Python/bltinmodule.c
index e03b49f..069d790 100644
--- a/Python/bltinmodule.c
+++ b/Python/bltinmodule.c
@@ -108,8 +108,16 @@
 	}
 	prep = PyObject_GetAttrString(meta, "__prepare__");
 	if (prep == NULL) {
-		PyErr_Clear();
-		ns = PyDict_New();
+		if (PyErr_ExceptionMatches(PyExc_AttributeError)) {
+			PyErr_Clear();
+			ns = PyDict_New();
+		}
+		else {
+			Py_DECREF(meta);
+			Py_XDECREF(mkw);
+			Py_DECREF(bases);
+			return NULL;
+		}
 	}
 	else {
 		PyObject *pargs = PyTuple_Pack(2, name, bases);
@@ -123,12 +131,12 @@
 		ns = PyEval_CallObjectWithKeywords(prep, pargs, mkw);
 		Py_DECREF(pargs);
 		Py_DECREF(prep);
-		if (ns == NULL) {
-			Py_DECREF(meta);
-			Py_XDECREF(mkw);
-			Py_DECREF(bases);
-			return NULL;
-		}
+	}
+	if (ns == NULL) {
+		Py_DECREF(meta);
+		Py_XDECREF(mkw);
+		Py_DECREF(bases);
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	cell = PyObject_CallFunctionObjArgs(func, ns, NULL);
 	if (cell != NULL) {