diff --git a/Include/pyerrors.h b/Include/pyerrors.h
index 9671692..ef7b252 100644
--- a/Include/pyerrors.h
+++ b/Include/pyerrors.h
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
     PyObject *message;
     PyObject *encoding;
     PyObject *object;
-    PyObject *start;
-    PyObject *end;
+    Py_ssize_t start;
+    Py_ssize_t end;
     PyObject *reason;
 } PyUnicodeErrorObject;
 #endif
diff --git a/Include/structmember.h b/Include/structmember.h
index e761f6d..ce5353d 100644
--- a/Include/structmember.h
+++ b/Include/structmember.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_LONG_LONG
 #define T_LONGLONG      17  
 #define T_ULONGLONG      18
+#define T_PYSSIZET       19 /* Py_ssize_t */
 #endif /* HAVE_LONG_LONG */
 
 /* Flags */
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 97ebc89..6f2cf9d 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 - Patch #1733960: Allow T_LONGLONG to accept ints.
 
+- T_PYSSIZET can now be used in PyMemberDef lists for Py_ssize_t members.
+
 - Prevent expandtabs() on string and unicode objects from causing a segfault
   when a large width is passed on 32-bit platforms.
 
@@ -687,6 +689,9 @@
 - Fix utf-8-sig incremental decoder, which didn't recognise a BOM when the
   first chunk fed to the decoder started with a BOM, but was longer than 3 bytes.
 
+- The implementation of UnicodeError objects has been simplified (start and end
+  attributes are now stored directly as Py_ssize_t members).
+
 Extension Modules
 -----------------
 
diff --git a/Objects/exceptions.c b/Objects/exceptions.c
index 9faba6a..9bf0e1c 100644
--- a/Objects/exceptions.c
+++ b/Objects/exceptions.c
@@ -1238,38 +1238,6 @@
                        "Unicode related error.");
 
 #ifdef Py_USING_UNICODE
-static int
-get_int(PyObject *attr, Py_ssize_t *value, const char *name)
-{
-    if (!attr) {
-        PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError, "%.200s attribute not set", name);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (PyInt_Check(attr)) {
-        *value = PyInt_AS_LONG(attr);
-    } else if (PyLong_Check(attr)) {
-        *value = _PyLong_AsSsize_t(attr);
-        if (*value == -1 && PyErr_Occurred())
-            return -1;
-    } else {
-        PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError, "%.200s attribute must be int", name);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
-static int
-set_ssize_t(PyObject **attr, Py_ssize_t value)
-{
-    PyObject *obj = PyInt_FromSsize_t(value);
-    if (!obj)
-        return -1;
-    Py_CLEAR(*attr);
-    *attr = obj;
-    return 0;
-}
-
 static PyObject *
 get_string(PyObject *attr, const char *name)
 {
@@ -1349,40 +1317,38 @@
 int
 PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t *start)
 {
-    if (!get_int(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start, start, "start")) {
-        Py_ssize_t size;
-        PyObject *obj = get_unicode(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
-                                    "object");
-        if (!obj) return -1;
-        size = PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(obj);
-        if (*start<0)
-            *start = 0; /*XXX check for values <0*/
-        if (*start>=size)
-            *start = size-1;
-        Py_DECREF(obj);
-        return 0;
-    }
-    return -1;
+    Py_ssize_t size;
+    PyObject *obj = get_unicode(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
+                                "object");
+    if (!obj)
+        return -1;
+    *start = ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start;
+    size = PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(obj);
+    if (*start<0)
+        *start = 0; /*XXX check for values <0*/
+    if (*start>=size)
+        *start = size-1;
+    Py_DECREF(obj);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 int
 PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetStart(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t *start)
 {
-    if (!get_int(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start, start, "start")) {
-        Py_ssize_t size;
-        PyObject *obj = get_string(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
-                                   "object");
-        if (!obj) return -1;
-        size = PyString_GET_SIZE(obj);
-        if (*start<0)
-            *start = 0;
-        if (*start>=size)
-            *start = size-1;
-        Py_DECREF(obj);
-        return 0;
-    }
-    return -1;
+    Py_ssize_t size;
+    PyObject *obj = get_string(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
+                               "object");
+    if (!obj)
+        return -1;
+    size = PyString_GET_SIZE(obj);
+    *start = ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start;
+    if (*start<0)
+        *start = 0;
+    if (*start>=size)
+        *start = size-1;
+    Py_DECREF(obj);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -1396,61 +1362,62 @@
 int
 PyUnicodeEncodeError_SetStart(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t start)
 {
-    return set_ssize_t(&((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start, start);
+    ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start = start;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 int
 PyUnicodeDecodeError_SetStart(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t start)
 {
-    return set_ssize_t(&((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start, start);
+    ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start = start;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 int
 PyUnicodeTranslateError_SetStart(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t start)
 {
-    return set_ssize_t(&((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start, start);
+    ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->start = start;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 int
 PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t *end)
 {
-    if (!get_int(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end, end, "end")) {
-        Py_ssize_t size;
-        PyObject *obj = get_unicode(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
-                                    "object");
-        if (!obj) return -1;
-        size = PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(obj);
-        if (*end<1)
-            *end = 1;
-        if (*end>size)
-            *end = size;
-        Py_DECREF(obj);
-        return 0;
-    }
-    return -1;
+    Py_ssize_t size;
+    PyObject *obj = get_unicode(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
+                                "object");
+    if (!obj)
+        return -1;
+    *end = ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end;
+    size = PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(obj);
+    if (*end<1)
+        *end = 1;
+    if (*end>size)
+        *end = size;
+    Py_DECREF(obj);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 int
 PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetEnd(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t *end)
 {
-    if (!get_int(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end, end, "end")) {
-        Py_ssize_t size;
-        PyObject *obj = get_string(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
-                                   "object");
-        if (!obj) return -1;
-        size = PyString_GET_SIZE(obj);
-        if (*end<1)
-            *end = 1;
-        if (*end>size)
-            *end = size;
-        Py_DECREF(obj);
-        return 0;
-    }
-    return -1;
+    Py_ssize_t size;
+    PyObject *obj = get_string(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->object,
+                               "object");
+    if (!obj)
+        return -1;
+    *end = ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end;
+    size = PyString_GET_SIZE(obj);
+    if (*end<1)
+        *end = 1;
+    if (*end>size)
+        *end = size;
+    Py_DECREF(obj);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -1464,21 +1431,24 @@
 int
 PyUnicodeEncodeError_SetEnd(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t end)
 {
-    return set_ssize_t(&((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end, end);
+    ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end = end;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 int
 PyUnicodeDecodeError_SetEnd(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t end)
 {
-    return set_ssize_t(&((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end, end);
+    ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end = end;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
 int
 PyUnicodeTranslateError_SetEnd(PyObject *exc, Py_ssize_t end)
 {
-    return set_ssize_t(&((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end, end);
+    ((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)exc)->end = end;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 PyObject *
@@ -1529,25 +1499,20 @@
 {
     Py_CLEAR(self->encoding);
     Py_CLEAR(self->object);
-    Py_CLEAR(self->start);
-    Py_CLEAR(self->end);
     Py_CLEAR(self->reason);
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!O!O!O!O!",
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!O!nnO!",
         &PyString_Type, &self->encoding,
         objecttype, &self->object,
-        &PyInt_Type, &self->start,
-        &PyInt_Type, &self->end,
+        &self->start,
+        &self->end,
         &PyString_Type, &self->reason)) {
-        self->encoding = self->object = self->start = self->end =
-            self->reason = NULL;
+        self->encoding = self->object = self->reason = NULL;
         return -1;
     }
 
     Py_INCREF(self->encoding);
     Py_INCREF(self->object);
-    Py_INCREF(self->start);
-    Py_INCREF(self->end);
     Py_INCREF(self->reason);
 
     return 0;
@@ -1558,8 +1523,6 @@
 {
     Py_CLEAR(self->encoding);
     Py_CLEAR(self->object);
-    Py_CLEAR(self->start);
-    Py_CLEAR(self->end);
     Py_CLEAR(self->reason);
     return BaseException_clear((PyBaseExceptionObject *)self);
 }
@@ -1577,8 +1540,6 @@
 {
     Py_VISIT(self->encoding);
     Py_VISIT(self->object);
-    Py_VISIT(self->start);
-    Py_VISIT(self->end);
     Py_VISIT(self->reason);
     return BaseException_traverse((PyBaseExceptionObject *)self, visit, arg);
 }
@@ -1588,9 +1549,9 @@
         PyDoc_STR("exception encoding")},
     {"object", T_OBJECT, offsetof(PyUnicodeErrorObject, object), 0,
         PyDoc_STR("exception object")},
-    {"start", T_OBJECT, offsetof(PyUnicodeErrorObject, start), 0,
+    {"start", T_PYSSIZET, offsetof(PyUnicodeErrorObject, start), 0,
         PyDoc_STR("exception start")},
-    {"end", T_OBJECT, offsetof(PyUnicodeErrorObject, end), 0,
+    {"end", T_PYSSIZET, offsetof(PyUnicodeErrorObject, end), 0,
         PyDoc_STR("exception end")},
     {"reason", T_OBJECT, offsetof(PyUnicodeErrorObject, reason), 0,
         PyDoc_STR("exception reason")},
@@ -1614,17 +1575,10 @@
 static PyObject *
 UnicodeEncodeError_str(PyObject *self)
 {
-    Py_ssize_t start;
-    Py_ssize_t end;
+    PyUnicodeErrorObject *uself = (PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self;
 
-    if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(self, &start))
-        return NULL;
-
-    if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(self, &end))
-        return NULL;
-
-    if (end==start+1) {
-        int badchar = (int)PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->object)[start];
+    if (uself->end==uself->start+1) {
+        int badchar = (int)PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(uself->object)[uself->start];
         char badchar_str[20];
         if (badchar <= 0xff)
             PyOS_snprintf(badchar_str, sizeof(badchar_str), "x%02x", badchar);
@@ -1634,18 +1588,18 @@
             PyOS_snprintf(badchar_str, sizeof(badchar_str), "U%08x", badchar);
         return PyString_FromFormat(
             "'%.400s' codec can't encode character u'\\%s' in position %zd: %.400s",
-            PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->encoding),
+            PyString_AS_STRING(uself->encoding),
             badchar_str,
-            start,
-            PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->reason)
+            uself->start,
+            PyString_AS_STRING(uself->reason)
         );
     }
     return PyString_FromFormat(
         "'%.400s' codec can't encode characters in position %zd-%zd: %.400s",
-        PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->encoding),
-        start,
-        (end-1),
-        PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->reason)
+        PyString_AS_STRING(uself->encoding),
+        uself->start,
+        uself->end-1,
+        PyString_AS_STRING(uself->reason)
     );
 }
 
@@ -1690,34 +1644,27 @@
 static PyObject *
 UnicodeDecodeError_str(PyObject *self)
 {
-    Py_ssize_t start = 0;
-    Py_ssize_t end = 0;
+    PyUnicodeErrorObject *uself = (PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self;
 
-    if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetStart(self, &start))
-    return NULL;
-
-    if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetEnd(self, &end))
-    return NULL;
-
-    if (end==start+1) {
+    if (uself->end==uself->start+1) {
         /* FromFormat does not support %02x, so format that separately */
         char byte[4];
         PyOS_snprintf(byte, sizeof(byte), "%02x",
-                      ((int)PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->object)[start])&0xff);
+                      ((int)PyString_AS_STRING(uself->object)[uself->start])&0xff);
         return PyString_FromFormat(
             "'%.400s' codec can't decode byte 0x%s in position %zd: %.400s",
-            PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->encoding),
+            PyString_AS_STRING(uself->encoding),
             byte,
-            start,
-            PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->reason)
+            uself->start,
+            PyString_AS_STRING(uself->reason)
         );
     }
     return PyString_FromFormat(
         "'%.400s' codec can't decode bytes in position %zd-%zd: %.400s",
-        PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->encoding),
-        start,
-        (end-1),
-        PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->reason)
+        PyString_AS_STRING(uself->encoding),
+        uself->start,
+        uself->end-1,
+        PyString_AS_STRING(uself->reason)
     );
 }
 
@@ -1761,22 +1708,18 @@
         return -1;
 
     Py_CLEAR(self->object);
-    Py_CLEAR(self->start);
-    Py_CLEAR(self->end);
     Py_CLEAR(self->reason);
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!O!O!O!",
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!nnO!",
         &PyUnicode_Type, &self->object,
-        &PyInt_Type, &self->start,
-        &PyInt_Type, &self->end,
+        &self->start,
+        &self->end,
         &PyString_Type, &self->reason)) {
-        self->object = self->start = self->end = self->reason = NULL;
+        self->object = self->reason = NULL;
         return -1;
     }
 
     Py_INCREF(self->object);
-    Py_INCREF(self->start);
-    Py_INCREF(self->end);
     Py_INCREF(self->reason);
 
     return 0;
@@ -1786,17 +1729,10 @@
 static PyObject *
 UnicodeTranslateError_str(PyObject *self)
 {
-    Py_ssize_t start;
-    Py_ssize_t end;
+    PyUnicodeErrorObject *uself = (PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self;
 
-    if (PyUnicodeTranslateError_GetStart(self, &start))
-        return NULL;
-
-    if (PyUnicodeTranslateError_GetEnd(self, &end))
-        return NULL;
-
-    if (end==start+1) {
-        int badchar = (int)PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->object)[start];
+    if (uself->end==uself->start+1) {
+        int badchar = (int)PyUnicode_AS_UNICODE(uself->object)[uself->start];
         char badchar_str[20];
         if (badchar <= 0xff)
             PyOS_snprintf(badchar_str, sizeof(badchar_str), "x%02x", badchar);
@@ -1807,15 +1743,15 @@
         return PyString_FromFormat(
             "can't translate character u'\\%s' in position %zd: %.400s",
             badchar_str,
-            start,
-            PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->reason)
+            uself->start,
+            PyString_AS_STRING(uself->reason)
         );
     }
     return PyString_FromFormat(
         "can't translate characters in position %zd-%zd: %.400s",
-        start,
-        (end-1),
-        PyString_AS_STRING(((PyUnicodeErrorObject *)self)->reason)
+        uself->start,
+        uself->end-1,
+        PyString_AS_STRING(uself->reason)
     );
 }
 
diff --git a/Python/structmember.c b/Python/structmember.c
index 17422d0..4da0c78 100644
--- a/Python/structmember.c
+++ b/Python/structmember.c
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@
 	case T_ULONG:
 		v = PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(*(unsigned long*)addr);
 		break;
+	case T_PYSSIZET:
+		v = PyInt_FromSsize_t(*(Py_ssize_t*)addr);
+		break;
 	case T_FLOAT:
 		v = PyFloat_FromDouble((double)*(float*)addr);
 		break;
@@ -263,6 +266,13 @@
 		}
 		break;
 		}
+	case T_PYSSIZET:{
+		*(Py_ssize_t*)addr = PyInt_AsSsize_t(v);
+		if ((*(Py_ssize_t*)addr == (Py_ssize_t)-1)
+		    && PyErr_Occurred())
+				return -1;
+		break;
+		}
 	case T_FLOAT:{
 		double double_val;
 		double_val = PyFloat_AsDouble(v);