diff --git a/Lib/sre.py b/Lib/sre.py
index 390094a..c04576b 100644
--- a/Lib/sre.py
+++ b/Lib/sre.py
@@ -8,3 +8,6 @@
 
 from re import *
 from re import __all__
+
+# old pickles expect the _compile() reconstructor in this module
+from re import _compile
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_re.py b/Lib/test/test_re.py
index 14a0acf..bb56861 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_re.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_re.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import sys
 sys.path = ['.'] + sys.path
 
-from test.test_support import verbose, run_unittest
+from test.test_support import verbose, run_unittest, guard_warnings_filter
 import re
 from re import Scanner
 import sys, os, traceback
@@ -414,6 +414,12 @@
         self.pickle_test(pickle)
         import cPickle
         self.pickle_test(cPickle)
+        # old pickles expect the _compile() reconstructor in sre module
+        import warnings
+        with guard_warnings_filter():
+            warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", "The sre module is deprecated",
+                                    DeprecationWarning)
+            from sre import _compile
 
     def pickle_test(self, pickle):
         oldpat = re.compile('a(?:b|(c|e){1,2}?|d)+?(.)')