diff -r f39fac22ca9a Python/dynload_shlib.c
--- a/Python/dynload_shlib.c	Fri Nov 15 17:35:31 2013 +0100
+++ b/Python/dynload_shlib.c	Fri Nov 15 18:13:17 2013 +0000
@@ -60,6 +60,36 @@
 static int nhandles = 0;
 
 
+static void _PyErr_SetFromDlerror(const char *error,
+                                  const char *shortname,
+                                  const char *pathname)
+{
+    PyObject *mod_name;
+    PyObject *path;
+    PyObject *error_ob;
+    if (error == NULL)
+        error = "unknown dlopen() error";
+    error_ob = PyUnicode_FromString(error);
+    if (error_ob == NULL)
+        return;
+    mod_name = PyUnicode_FromString(shortname);
+    if (mod_name == NULL) {
+        Py_DECREF(error_ob);
+        return;
+    }
+    path = PyUnicode_FromString(pathname);
+    if (path == NULL) {
+        Py_DECREF(error_ob);
+        Py_DECREF(mod_name);
+        return;
+    }
+    PyErr_SetImportError(error_ob, mod_name, path);
+    Py_DECREF(error_ob);
+    Py_DECREF(mod_name);
+    Py_DECREF(path);
+}
+
+
 dl_funcptr _PyImport_GetDynLoadFunc(const char *shortname,
                                     const char *pathname, FILE *fp)
 {
@@ -90,6 +120,10 @@
                 statb.st_ino == handles[i].ino) {
                 p = (dl_funcptr) dlsym(handles[i].handle,
                                        funcname);
+                if (p == NULL) {
+                    _PyErr_SetFromDlerror(dlerror(), shortname, pathname);
+                    return NULL;
+                }
                 return p;
             }
         }
@@ -121,34 +155,15 @@
     handle = dlopen(pathname, dlopenflags);
 
     if (handle == NULL) {
-        PyObject *mod_name;
-        PyObject *path;
-        PyObject *error_ob;
-        const char *error = dlerror();
-        if (error == NULL)
-            error = "unknown dlopen() error";
-        error_ob = PyUnicode_FromString(error);
-        if (error_ob == NULL)
-            return NULL;
-        mod_name = PyUnicode_FromString(shortname);
-        if (mod_name == NULL) {
-            Py_DECREF(error_ob);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        path = PyUnicode_FromString(pathname);
-        if (path == NULL) {
-            Py_DECREF(error_ob);
-            Py_DECREF(mod_name);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        PyErr_SetImportError(error_ob, mod_name, path);
-        Py_DECREF(error_ob);
-        Py_DECREF(mod_name);
-        Py_DECREF(path);
+        _PyErr_SetFromDlerror(dlerror(), shortname, pathname);
         return NULL;
     }
     if (fp != NULL && nhandles < 128)
         handles[nhandles++].handle = handle;
     p = (dl_funcptr) dlsym(handle, funcname);
+    if (p == NULL) {
+        _PyErr_SetFromDlerror(dlerror(), shortname, pathname);
+        return NULL;
+    }
     return p;
 }