diff --git a/Include/modsupport.h b/Include/modsupport.h
index 2e577ab..7e69921 100644
--- a/Include/modsupport.h
+++ b/Include/modsupport.h
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 PyAPI_FUNC(int) PyModule_AddIntConstant(PyObject *, char *, long);
 PyAPI_FUNC(int) PyModule_AddStringConstant(PyObject *, char *, char *);
 
-#define PYTHON_API_VERSION 1011
-#define PYTHON_API_STRING "1011"
+#define PYTHON_API_VERSION 1012
+#define PYTHON_API_STRING "1012"
 /* The API version is maintained (independently from the Python version)
    so we can detect mismatches between the interpreter and dynamically
    loaded modules.  These are diagnosed by an error message but
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
    Please add a line or two to the top of this log for each API
    version change:
 
+   19-Aug-2002  GvR	1012	Changes to string object struct for
+   				interning changes, saving 3 bytes.
+
    17-Jul-2001	GvR	1011	Descr-branch, just to be on the safe side
 
    25-Jan-2001  FLD     1010    Parameters added to PyCode_New() and
diff --git a/Include/stringobject.h b/Include/stringobject.h
index fd0f49a..ff30704 100644
--- a/Include/stringobject.h
+++ b/Include/stringobject.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 */
 
 /* Caching the hash (ob_shash) saves recalculation of a string's hash value.
-   Interning strings (ob_sinterned) tries to ensure that only one string
+   Interning strings (ob_sstate) tries to ensure that only one string
    object with a given value exists, so equality tests can be one pointer
    comparison.  This is generally restricted to strings that "look like"
    Python identifiers, although the intern() builtin can be used to force
@@ -35,10 +35,14 @@
 typedef struct {
     PyObject_VAR_HEAD
     long ob_shash;
-    PyObject *ob_sinterned;
+    int ob_sstate;
     char ob_sval[1];
 } PyStringObject;
 
+#define SSTATE_NOT_INTERNED 0
+#define SSTATE_INTERNED_MORTAL 1
+#define SSTATE_INTERNED_IMMORTAL 2
+
 PyAPI_DATA(PyTypeObject) PyBaseString_Type;
 PyAPI_DATA(PyTypeObject) PyString_Type;
 
@@ -66,9 +70,13 @@
 						   const char *);
 
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) PyString_InternInPlace(PyObject **);
+PyAPI_FUNC(void) PyString_InternImmortal(PyObject **);
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) PyString_InternFromString(const char *);
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _Py_ReleaseInternedStrings(void);
 
+/* Use only if you know it's a string */
+#define PyString_CHECK_INTERNED(op) (((PyStringObject *)(op))->ob_sstate)
+
 /* Macro, trading safety for speed */
 #define PyString_AS_STRING(op) (((PyStringObject *)(op))->ob_sval)
 #define PyString_GET_SIZE(op)  (((PyStringObject *)(op))->ob_size)