Index: Modules/_sre.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/_sre.c	(revision 58376)
+++ Modules/_sre.c	(working copy)
@@ -1674,6 +1674,15 @@
     void* ptr;
     Py_buffer view;
 
+    /* Unicode objects do not support the buffer API. So, get the data
+       directly instead. */
+    if (PyUnicode_Check(string)) {
+        ptr = (void *)PyUnicode_AS_DATA(string);
+        *p_length = PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(string);
+        *p_charsize = sizeof(Py_UNICODE);
+        return ptr;
+    }
+
     /* get pointer to string buffer */
     view.len = -1;
     buffer = Py_Type(string)->tp_as_buffer;
Index: Objects/unicodeobject.c
===================================================================
--- Objects/unicodeobject.c	(revision 58376)
+++ Objects/unicodeobject.c	(working copy)
@@ -8113,19 +8113,6 @@
 };
 
 
-static int
-unicode_buffer_getbuffer(PyUnicodeObject *self, Py_buffer *view, int flags)
-{
-
-    if (flags & PyBUF_CHARACTER) {
-        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_SystemError, "can't use str as char buffer");
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return PyBuffer_FillInfo(view, (void *)self->str,
-                             PyUnicode_GET_DATA_SIZE(self), 1, flags);
-}
-
-
 /* Helpers for PyUnicode_Format() */
 
 static PyObject *
@@ -8819,11 +8806,6 @@
     return NULL;
 }
 
-static PyBufferProcs unicode_as_buffer = {
-    (getbufferproc) unicode_buffer_getbuffer,
-    NULL,
-};
-
 static PyObject *
 unicode_subtype_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds);
 
@@ -8907,7 +8889,7 @@
     (reprfunc) unicode_str,	 	/* tp_str */
     PyObject_GenericGetAttr, 		/* tp_getattro */
     0,			 		/* tp_setattro */
-    &unicode_as_buffer,			/* tp_as_buffer */
+    0, 					/* tp_as_buffer */
     Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT | Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE | 
         Py_TPFLAGS_UNICODE_SUBCLASS,	/* tp_flags */
     unicode_doc,			/* tp_doc */