diff -r cd87afe18ff8 Lib/sre_constants.py
--- a/Lib/sre_constants.py	Wed Jan 23 08:38:47 2013 -0500
+++ b/Lib/sre_constants.py	Wed Jan 23 22:12:34 2013 +0200
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 # max code word in this release
 
-MAXREPEAT = 65535
+MAXREPEAT = 0xFFFFFFFF
 
 # SRE standard exception (access as sre.error)
 # should this really be here?
@@ -219,8 +219,7 @@
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     def dump(f, d, prefix):
-        items = d.items()
-        items.sort(key=lambda a: a[1])
+        items = sorted(d.items(), key=lambda a: a[1])
         for k, v in items:
             f.write("#define %s_%s %s\n" % (prefix, k.upper(), v))
     f = open("sre_constants.h", "w")
@@ -241,6 +240,7 @@
 """)
 
     f.write("#define SRE_MAGIC %d\n" % MAGIC)
+    f.write("#define SRE_MAXREPEAT %dlu\n" % MAXREPEAT)
 
     dump(f, OPCODES, "SRE_OP")
     dump(f, ATCODES, "SRE")
diff -r cd87afe18ff8 Lib/sre_parse.py
--- a/Lib/sre_parse.py	Wed Jan 23 08:38:47 2013 -0500
+++ b/Lib/sre_parse.py	Wed Jan 23 22:12:34 2013 +0200
@@ -537,8 +537,12 @@
                     continue
                 if lo:
                     min = int(lo)
+                    if min >= MAXREPEAT:
+                        raise error("too large repeat number")
                 if hi:
                     max = int(hi)
+                    if max >= MAXREPEAT:
+                        raise error("too large repeat number")
                 if max < min:
                     raise error("bad repeat interval")
             else:
diff -r cd87afe18ff8 Modules/_sre.c
--- a/Modules/_sre.c	Wed Jan 23 08:38:47 2013 -0500
+++ b/Modules/_sre.c	Wed Jan 23 22:12:34 2013 +0200
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@
     Py_ssize_t i;
 
     /* adjust end */
-    if (maxcount < (end - ptr) / state->charsize && maxcount != 65535)
+    if (maxcount < (end - ptr) / state->charsize && maxcount != SRE_MAXREPEAT)
         end = ptr + maxcount*state->charsize;
 
     switch (pattern[0]) {
@@ -1109,7 +1109,7 @@
             } else {
                 /* general case */
                 LASTMARK_SAVE();
-                while ((Py_ssize_t)ctx->pattern[2] == 65535
+                while ((Py_ssize_t)ctx->pattern[2] == SRE_MAXREPEAT
                        || ctx->count <= (Py_ssize_t)ctx->pattern[2]) {
                     state->ptr = ctx->ptr;
                     DO_JUMP(JUMP_MIN_REPEAT_ONE,jump_min_repeat_one,
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@
             }
 
             if ((ctx->count < ctx->u.rep->pattern[2] ||
-                ctx->u.rep->pattern[2] == 65535) &&
+                ctx->u.rep->pattern[2] == SRE_MAXREPEAT) &&
                 state->ptr != ctx->u.rep->last_ptr) {
                 /* we may have enough matches, but if we can
                    match another item, do so */
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@
             LASTMARK_RESTORE();
 
             if (ctx->count >= ctx->u.rep->pattern[2]
-                && ctx->u.rep->pattern[2] != 65535)
+                && ctx->u.rep->pattern[2] != SRE_MAXREPEAT)
                 RETURN_FAILURE;
 
             ctx->u.rep->count = ctx->count;
@@ -3037,7 +3037,7 @@
                 GET_ARG; max = arg;
                 if (min > max)
                     FAIL;
-                if (max > 65535)
+                if (max > SRE_MAXREPEAT)
                     FAIL;
                 if (!_validate_inner(code, code+skip-4, groups))
                     FAIL;
@@ -3056,7 +3056,7 @@
                 GET_ARG; max = arg;
                 if (min > max)
                     FAIL;
-                if (max > 65535)
+                if (max > SRE_MAXREPEAT)
                     FAIL;
                 if (!_validate_inner(code, code+skip-3, groups))
                     FAIL;
diff -r cd87afe18ff8 Modules/sre_constants.h
--- a/Modules/sre_constants.h	Wed Jan 23 08:38:47 2013 -0500
+++ b/Modules/sre_constants.h	Wed Jan 23 22:12:34 2013 +0200
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 
 #define SRE_MAGIC 20031017
+#define SRE_MAXREPEAT 4294967295lu
 #define SRE_OP_FAILURE 0
 #define SRE_OP_SUCCESS 1
 #define SRE_OP_ANY 2