diff --git a/Modules/_elementtree.c b/Modules/_elementtree.c
--- a/Modules/_elementtree.c
+++ b/Modules/_elementtree.c
@@ -166,22 +166,22 @@ list_join(PyObject* list)
         return NULL;
 
     function = PyObject_GetAttrString(joiner, "join");
-    if (!function) {
-        Py_DECREF(joiner);
+    Py_DECREF(joiner);
+    if (!function)
+        return NULL;
+
+    args = PyTuple_New(1);
+    if (!args) {
+        Py_DECREF(function);
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    args = PyTuple_New(1);
-    if (!args)
-        return NULL;
-
     PyTuple_SET_ITEM(args, 0, list);
 
     result = PyObject_CallObject(function, args);
 
     Py_DECREF(args); /* also removes list */
     Py_DECREF(function);
-    Py_DECREF(joiner);
 
     return result;
 }
@@ -399,6 +399,7 @@ element_init(PyObject *self, PyObject *a
             return -1;
         if (kwds) {
             if (PyDict_Update(attrib, kwds) < 0) {
+                Py_DECREF(attrib);
                 return -1;
             }
         }
@@ -407,38 +408,34 @@ element_init(PyObject *self, PyObject *a
         attrib = get_attrib_from_keywords(kwds);
         if (!attrib)
             return -1;
-    } else {
-        /* no attrib arg, no kwds, so no attributes */
-        Py_INCREF(Py_None);
-        attrib = Py_None;
     }
 
     self_elem = (ElementObject *)self;
 
-    if (attrib != Py_None && !is_empty_dict(attrib)) {
+    if (attrib != NULL && !is_empty_dict(attrib)) {
         if (create_extra(self_elem, attrib) < 0) {
-            PyObject_Del(self_elem);
+            Py_DECREF(attrib);
             return -1;
         }
     }
 
     /* We own a reference to attrib here and it's no longer needed. */
-    Py_DECREF(attrib);
+    Py_XDECREF(attrib);
 
     /* Replace the objects already pointed to by tag, text and tail. */
     tmp = self_elem->tag;
+    Py_INCREF(tag);
     self_elem->tag = tag;
-    Py_INCREF(tag);
     Py_DECREF(tmp);
 
     tmp = self_elem->text;
+    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
     self_elem->text = Py_None;
+    Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(tmp));
+
+    tmp = self_elem->tail;
     Py_INCREF(Py_None);
-    Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(tmp));
-
-    tmp = self_elem->tail;
     self_elem->tail = Py_None;
-    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
     Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(tmp));
 
     return 0;
@@ -824,7 +821,7 @@ element_deepcopy(ElementObject* self, Py
     }
 
     /* add object to memo dictionary (so deepcopy won't visit it again) */
-    id = PyLong_FromLong((Py_uintptr_t) self);
+    id = PyLong_FromSsize_t((Py_uintptr_t) self);
     if (!id)
         goto error;
 
@@ -2081,6 +2078,7 @@ treebuilder_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyOb
         if (!t->stack) {
             Py_DECREF(t->this);
             Py_DECREF(t->last);
+            Py_DECREF((PyObject *) t);
             return NULL;
         }
         t->index = 0;
@@ -2098,6 +2096,7 @@ treebuilder_init(PyObject *self, PyObjec
     static char *kwlist[] = {"element_factory", 0};
     PyObject *element_factory = NULL;
     TreeBuilderObject *self_tb = (TreeBuilderObject *)self;
+    PyObject *tmp;
 
     if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwds, "|O:TreeBuilder", kwlist,
                                      &element_factory)) {
@@ -2106,8 +2105,9 @@ treebuilder_init(PyObject *self, PyObjec
 
     if (element_factory) {
         Py_INCREF(element_factory);
-        Py_XDECREF(self_tb->element_factory);
+        tmp = self_tb->element_factory;
         self_tb->element_factory = element_factory;
+        Py_XDECREF(tmp);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -2128,17 +2128,17 @@ treebuilder_gc_traverse(TreeBuilderObjec
 static int
 treebuilder_gc_clear(TreeBuilderObject *self)
 {
-    Py_XDECREF(self->end_ns_event_obj);
-    Py_XDECREF(self->start_ns_event_obj);
-    Py_XDECREF(self->end_event_obj);
-    Py_XDECREF(self->start_event_obj);
-    Py_XDECREF(self->events);
-    Py_DECREF(self->stack);
-    Py_XDECREF(self->data);
-    Py_DECREF(self->last);
-    Py_DECREF(self->this);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->end_ns_event_obj);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->start_ns_event_obj);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->end_event_obj);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->start_event_obj);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->events);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->stack);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->data);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->last);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->this);
     Py_CLEAR(self->element_factory);
-    Py_XDECREF(self->root);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->root);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2717,13 +2717,7 @@ expat_start_handler(XMLParserObject* sel
             attrib_in += 2;
         }
     } else {
-        Py_INCREF(Py_None);
-        attrib = Py_None;
-    }
-
-    /* If we get None, pass an empty dictionary on */
-    if (attrib == Py_None) {
-        Py_DECREF(attrib);
+        /* Pass an empty dictionary on */
         attrib = PyDict_New();
         if (!attrib)
             return;