diff -r 009fed42c918 Lib/test/test_re.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_re.py	Fri Mar 02 07:41:23 2012 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_re.py	Fri Mar 02 18:21:49 2012 +0100
@@ -813,6 +813,12 @@
         self.assertIsNotNone(re.search("123.*-", '123\U0010ffff-'))
         self.assertIsNotNone(re.search("123.*-", '123\xe9\u20ac\U0010ffff-'))
 
+    def test_compile(self):
+        pattern = re.compile('')
+        same_pattern = re.compile(pattern)
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(same_pattern, re._pattern_type))
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, re.compile, 0)
+
 def run_re_tests():
     from test.re_tests import tests, SUCCEED, FAIL, SYNTAX_ERROR
     if verbose: