--- /usr/src/python2.4-2.4.4/Lib/xmlrpclib.py   2005-02-11 19:00:16.000000000 +0100
+++ /usr/lib/python2.4/xmlrpclib.py     2007-07-04 11:44:48.000000000 +0200
@@ -168,7 +168,10 @@
     def _stringify(string):
         # convert to 7-bit ascii if possible
         try:
-            return string.encode("ascii")
+            if isinstance(string, unicode):
+                return string.encode("ascii")
+            else:
+                return string
         except UnicodeError:
             return string
 else:
@@ -771,7 +774,14 @@
         except KeyError:
             pass # unknown tag ?
         else:
-            return f(self, join(self._data, ""))
+            # Avoid a data copy if only one item
+            if len(self._data) != 1:
+                data = join(self._data, "")
+            else:
+                data = self._data[0]
+            # Free _data as soon as we can, to avoid keeping memory too long
+            self._data = []
+            return f(self, data)
 
     #
     # accelerator support