--- Downloads/Python-2.4.3/Modules/cPickle.c	2004-07-26 22:22:33.000000000 -0700
+++ cPickle.c	2009-01-26 23:30:31.000000000 -0800
@@ -4258,6 +4258,8 @@
 	PyObject *state, *inst, *slotstate;
 	PyObject *__setstate__;
 	PyObject *d_key, *d_value;
+	PyObject *name;
+	char * key_str;
 	int i;
 	int res = -1;
 
@@ -4319,8 +4321,24 @@
 
 		i = 0;
 		while (PyDict_Next(state, &i, &d_key, &d_value)) {
-			if (PyObject_SetItem(dict, d_key, d_value) < 0)
-				goto finally;
+			/* normally the keys for instance attributes are
+			   interned.  we should try to do that here. */
+			if (PyString_CheckExact(d_key)) {
+				key_str = PyString_AsString(d_key);
+				name = PyString_FromString(key_str);
+				if (! name) 
+					goto finally;
+
+				PyString_InternInPlace(&name);
+				if (PyObject_SetItem(dict, name, d_value) < 0) {
+					Py_DECREF(name);
+					goto finally;
+				}
+				Py_DECREF(name);
+			} else {
+				if (PyObject_SetItem(dict, d_key, d_value) < 0)
+					goto finally;
+			}
 		}
 		Py_DECREF(dict);
 	}