--- _elementtree.c.orig	2013-09-09 11:51:43.000000000 -0500
+++ _elementtree.c	2013-09-10 11:44:18.000000000 -0500
@@ -757,13 +757,13 @@
     text = deepcopy(JOIN_OBJ(self->text), memo);
     if (!text)
         goto error;
-    Py_DECREF(element->text);
+    Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(element->text));
     element->text = JOIN_SET(text, JOIN_GET(self->text));
 
     tail = deepcopy(JOIN_OBJ(self->tail), memo);
     if (!tail)
         goto error;
-    Py_DECREF(element->tail);
+    Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(element->tail));
     element->tail = JOIN_SET(tail, JOIN_GET(self->tail));
 
     if (self->extra) {
@@ -852,15 +852,15 @@
                                      PICKLED_TAG, self->tag,
                                      PICKLED_CHILDREN, children,
                                      PICKLED_ATTRIB,
-                                     PICKLED_TEXT, self->text,
-                                     PICKLED_TAIL, self->tail);
+                                     PICKLED_TEXT, JOIN_OBJ(self->text),
+                                     PICKLED_TAIL, JOIN_OBJ(self->tail));
     else
         instancedict = Py_BuildValue("{sOsOsOsOsO}",
                                      PICKLED_TAG, self->tag,
                                      PICKLED_CHILDREN, children,
                                      PICKLED_ATTRIB, self->extra->attrib,
-                                     PICKLED_TEXT, self->text,
-                                     PICKLED_TAIL, self->tail);
+                                     PICKLED_TEXT, JOIN_OBJ(self->text),
+                                     PICKLED_TAIL, JOIN_OBJ(self->tail));
     if (instancedict) {
         Py_DECREF(children);
         return instancedict;
@@ -893,12 +893,12 @@
     self->tag = tag;
     Py_INCREF(self->tag);
 
-    Py_CLEAR(self->text);
-    self->text = text ? text : Py_None;
+    Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(self->text));
+    self->text =  text ? JOIN_SET(text, PyList_CheckExact(text)) : Py_None;
     Py_INCREF(self->text);
 
-    Py_CLEAR(self->tail);
-    self->tail = tail ? tail : Py_None;
+    Py_DECREF(JOIN_OBJ(self->tail));
+    self->tail =  tail ? JOIN_SET(tail, PyList_CheckExact(tail)) : Py_None;
     Py_INCREF(self->tail);
 
     /* Handle ATTRIB and CHILDREN. */