diff --git a/Lib/sqlite3/test/dbapi.py b/Lib/sqlite3/test/dbapi.py
index b27486d..e774f74 100644
--- a/Lib/sqlite3/test/dbapi.py
+++ b/Lib/sqlite3/test/dbapi.py
@@ -297,6 +297,15 @@
         self.cu.execute("update test set name='bar'")
         self.failUnlessEqual(self.cu.rowcount, 2)
 
+    def CheckRowcountSelect(self):
+        """
+        pysqlite does not know the rowcount of SELECT statements, because we
+        don't fetch all rows after executing the select statement. The rowcount
+        has thus to be -1.
+        """
+        self.cu.execute("select 5 union select 6")
+        self.failUnlessEqual(self.cu.rowcount, -1)
+
     def CheckRowcountExecutemany(self):
         self.cu.execute("delete from test")
         self.cu.executemany("insert into test(name) values (?)", [(1,), (2,), (3,)])
diff --git a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
index 2321fa8..23d1e06 100644
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
@@ -101,10 +101,7 @@
 
     self->arraysize = 1;
 
-    self->rowcount = PyInt_FromLong(-1L);
-    if (!self->rowcount) {
-        return -1;
-    }
+    self->rowcount = -1L;
 
     Py_INCREF(Py_None);
     self->row_factory = Py_None;
@@ -130,7 +127,6 @@
     Py_XDECREF(self->row_cast_map);
     Py_XDECREF(self->description);
     Py_XDECREF(self->lastrowid);
-    Py_XDECREF(self->rowcount);
     Py_XDECREF(self->row_factory);
     Py_XDECREF(self->next_row);
 
@@ -427,12 +423,12 @@
     int statement_type;
     PyObject* descriptor;
     PyObject* second_argument = NULL;
-    long rowcount = 0;
     int allow_8bit_chars;
 
     if (!pysqlite_check_thread(self->connection) || !pysqlite_check_connection(self->connection)) {
         return NULL;
     }
+
     /* Make shooting yourself in the foot with not utf-8 decodable 8-bit-strings harder */
     allow_8bit_chars = ((self->connection->text_factory != (PyObject*)&PyUnicode_Type) &&
         (self->connection->text_factory != (PyObject*)&PyUnicode_Type && pysqlite_OptimizedUnicode));
@@ -514,10 +510,11 @@
         operation_cstr = PyBytes_AsString(operation_bytestr);
     }
 
-    /* reset description */
+    /* reset description and rowcount */
     Py_DECREF(self->description);
     Py_INCREF(Py_None);
     self->description = Py_None;
+    self->rowcount = -1L;
 
     func_args = PyTuple_New(1);
     if (!func_args) {
@@ -693,7 +690,10 @@
             case STATEMENT_DELETE:
             case STATEMENT_INSERT:
             case STATEMENT_REPLACE:
-                rowcount += (long)sqlite3_changes(self->connection->db);
+                if (self->rowcount == -1L) {
+                    self->rowcount = 0L;
+                }
+                self->rowcount += (long)sqlite3_changes(self->connection->db);
         }
 
         Py_DECREF(self->lastrowid);
@@ -728,13 +728,9 @@
     Py_XDECREF(parameters_list);
 
     if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
-        Py_DECREF(self->rowcount);
-        self->rowcount = PyInt_FromLong(-1L);
+        self->rowcount = -1L;
         return NULL;
     } else {
-        Py_DECREF(self->rowcount);
-        self->rowcount = PyInt_FromLong(rowcount);
-
         Py_INCREF(self);
         return (PyObject*)self;
     }
@@ -1028,7 +1024,7 @@
     {"description", T_OBJECT, offsetof(pysqlite_Cursor, description), RO},
     {"arraysize", T_INT, offsetof(pysqlite_Cursor, arraysize), 0},
     {"lastrowid", T_OBJECT, offsetof(pysqlite_Cursor, lastrowid), RO},
-    {"rowcount", T_OBJECT, offsetof(pysqlite_Cursor, rowcount), RO},
+    {"rowcount", T_LONG, offsetof(pysqlite_Cursor, rowcount), RO},
     {"row_factory", T_OBJECT, offsetof(pysqlite_Cursor, row_factory), 0},
     {NULL}
 };
diff --git a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.h b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.h
index d916ca5..54d816d 100644
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.h
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     PyObject* row_cast_map;
     int arraysize;
     PyObject* lastrowid;
-    PyObject* rowcount;
+    long rowcount;
     PyObject* row_factory;
     pysqlite_Statement* statement;