diff --git a/Modules/_elementtree.c b/Modules/_elementtree.c
index 2cda98e..e3350d1 100644
--- a/Modules/_elementtree.c
+++ b/Modules/_elementtree.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
 LOCAL(PyObject*)
 list_join(PyObject* list)
 {
-    /* join list elements (destroying the list in the process) */
+    /* join list elements */
     PyObject* joiner;
     PyObject* result;
 
@@ -140,8 +140,6 @@
         return NULL;
     result = PyUnicode_Join(joiner, list);
     Py_DECREF(joiner);
-    if (result)
-        Py_DECREF(list);
     return result;
 }
 
@@ -508,15 +506,17 @@
 {
     /* return borrowed reference to text attribute */
 
-    PyObject* res = self->text;
+    PyObject *res = self->text;
 
     if (JOIN_GET(res)) {
         res = JOIN_OBJ(res);
         if (PyList_CheckExact(res)) {
-            res = list_join(res);
-            if (!res)
+            PyObject *tmp = list_join(res);
+            if (!tmp)
                 return NULL;
-            self->text = res;
+            self->text = tmp;
+            Py_DECREF(res);
+            res = tmp;
         }
     }
 
@@ -528,15 +528,17 @@
 {
     /* return borrowed reference to text attribute */
 
-    PyObject* res = self->tail;
+    PyObject *res = self->tail;
 
     if (JOIN_GET(res)) {
         res = JOIN_OBJ(res);
         if (PyList_CheckExact(res)) {
-            res = list_join(res);
-            if (!res)
+            PyObject *tmp = list_join(res);
+            if (!tmp)
                 return NULL;
-            self->tail = res;
+            self->tail = tmp;
+            Py_DECREF(res);
+            res = tmp;
         }
     }
 
@@ -2147,6 +2149,12 @@
                 continue;
             }
 
+            if (!PyObject_TypeCheck(extra->children[child_index], &Element_Type)) {
+                PyErr_Format(PyExc_AttributeError,
+                             "'%.100s' object has no attribute 'iter'",
+                             Py_TYPE(extra->children[child_index])->tp_name);
+                return NULL;
+            }
             elem = (ElementObject *)extra->children[child_index];
             item->child_index++;
             Py_INCREF(elem);
@@ -2396,40 +2404,51 @@
 /* helpers for handling of arbitrary element-like objects */
 
 static int
-treebuilder_set_element_text_or_tail(PyObject *element, PyObject *data,
+treebuilder_set_element_text_or_tail(PyObject *element, PyObject **data,
                                      PyObject **dest, _Py_Identifier *name)
 {
     if (Element_CheckExact(element)) {
-        Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(*dest));
-        *dest = JOIN_SET(data, PyList_CheckExact(data));
+        PyObject *tmp = JOIN_OBJ(*dest);
+        *dest = JOIN_SET(*data, PyList_CheckExact(*data));
+        *data = NULL;
+        Py_DECREF(tmp);
         return 0;
     }
     else {
-        PyObject *joined = list_join(data);
+        PyObject *joined = list_join(*data);
         int r;
         if (joined == NULL)
             return -1;
         r = _PyObject_SetAttrId(element, name, joined);
         Py_DECREF(joined);
-        return r;
+        if (r < 0)
+            return -1;
+        Py_CLEAR(*data);
+        return 0;
     }
 }
 
-/* These two functions steal a reference to data */
-static int
-treebuilder_set_element_text(PyObject *element, PyObject *data)
+LOCAL(int)
+treebuilder_flush_data(TreeBuilderObject* self)
 {
-    _Py_IDENTIFIER(text);
-    return treebuilder_set_element_text_or_tail(
-        element, data, &((ElementObject *) element)->text, &PyId_text);
-}
+    PyObject *element = self->last;
 
-static int
-treebuilder_set_element_tail(PyObject *element, PyObject *data)
-{
-    _Py_IDENTIFIER(tail);
-    return treebuilder_set_element_text_or_tail(
-        element, data, &((ElementObject *) element)->tail, &PyId_tail);
+    if (!self->data) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (self->this == element) {
+        _Py_IDENTIFIER(text);
+        return treebuilder_set_element_text_or_tail(
+                element, &self->data,
+                &((ElementObject *) element)->text, &PyId_text);
+    }
+    else {
+        _Py_IDENTIFIER(tail);
+        return treebuilder_set_element_text_or_tail(
+                element, &self->data,
+                &((ElementObject *) element)->tail, &PyId_tail);
+    }
 }
 
 static int
@@ -2479,16 +2498,8 @@
     PyObject* this;
     elementtreestate *st = ET_STATE_GLOBAL;
 
-    if (self->data) {
-        if (self->this == self->last) {
-            if (treebuilder_set_element_text(self->last, self->data))
-                return NULL;
-        }
-        else {
-            if (treebuilder_set_element_tail(self->last, self->data))
-                return NULL;
-        }
-        self->data = NULL;
+    if (treebuilder_flush_data(self) < 0) {
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     if (!self->element_factory || self->element_factory == Py_None) {
@@ -2591,15 +2602,8 @@
 {
     PyObject* item;
 
-    if (self->data) {
-        if (self->this == self->last) {
-            if (treebuilder_set_element_text(self->last, self->data))
-                return NULL;
-        } else {
-            if (treebuilder_set_element_tail(self->last, self->data))
-                return NULL;
-        }
-        self->data = NULL;
+    if (treebuilder_flush_data(self) < 0) {
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     if (self->index == 0) {