Index: Python/pythonrun.c
===================================================================
--- Python/pythonrun.c	(revision 54668)
+++ Python/pythonrun.c	(working copy)
@@ -189,7 +189,8 @@
 	if (!_PyInt_Init())
 		Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't init ints");
 
-	_PyFloat_Init();
+	if (!_PyFloat_Init())
+		Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't init floats");
 
 	interp->modules = PyDict_New();
 	if (interp->modules == NULL)
Index: Include/pythonrun.h
===================================================================
--- Include/pythonrun.h	(revision 54668)
+++ Include/pythonrun.h	(working copy)
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyImportHooks_Init(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(int) _PyFrame_Init(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(int) _PyInt_Init(void);
-PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyFloat_Init(void);
+PyAPI_FUNC(int) _PyFloat_Init(void);
 
 /* Various internal finalizers */
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyExc_Fini(void);
Index: Objects/floatobject.c
===================================================================
--- Objects/floatobject.c	(revision 54668)
+++ Objects/floatobject.c	(working copy)
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 static PyFloatBlock *block_list = NULL;
 static PyFloatObject *free_list = NULL;
+static PyFloatObject *zero_float = NULL;
 
 static PyFloatObject *
 fill_free_list(void)
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@
 PyFloat_FromDouble(double fval)
 {
 	register PyFloatObject *op;
+	if (fval == 0.0) {
+	    Py_INCREF(zero_float);
+	    return (PyObject *)zero_float;
+	}
 	if (free_list == NULL) {
 		if ((free_list = fill_free_list()) == NULL)
 			return NULL;
@@ -1205,7 +1210,7 @@
 	float_new,				/* tp_new */
 };
 
-void
+int
 _PyFloat_Init(void)
 {
 	/* We attempt to determine if this machine is using IEEE
@@ -1253,6 +1258,15 @@
 
 	double_format = detected_double_format;
 	float_format = detected_float_format;
+
+	/* Initialize zero_float */
+	if (!free_list && (free_list = fill_free_list()) == NULL)
+		return 0;
+	/* PyObject_New is inlined */
+	zero_float = free_list;
+	free_list = (PyFloatObject *)zero_float->ob_type;
+	PyObject_INIT(zero_float, &PyFloat_Type);
+	zero_float->ob_fval = 0.0;
 }
 
 void
@@ -1264,6 +1278,9 @@
 	int bc, bf;	/* block count, number of freed blocks */
 	int frem, fsum;	/* remaining unfreed floats per block, total */
 
+	Py_XDECREF(zero_float);
+	zero_float = NULL;
+
 	bc = 0;
 	bf = 0;
 	fsum = 0;