diff -r 181ced5bf0be Lib/test/test_bz2.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_bz2.py	Mon Dec 02 05:53:35 2013 -0800
+++ b/Lib/test/test_bz2.py	Wed Dec 04 12:18:12 2013 +0800
@@ -325,6 +325,18 @@
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, f.readline)
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, f.readlines)
 
+    def testInitNonExistentFile(self):
+        # Issue #19878: Should not segfault when __init__ with non-existent
+        # file for the second time.
+        with BZ2File(self.filename, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(b"xxx")
+        # Bz2File_Dealloc
+        f = bz2.BZ2File(self.filename)
+        self.assertRaises(IOError, f.__init__, "non-existent-file")
+        # Bz2File_Close
+        with BZ2File(self.filename, "wb") as f:
+            self.assertRaises(IOError, f.__init__, "non-existent-file")
+
 class BZ2CompressorTest(BaseTest):
     def testCompress(self):
         # "Test BZ2Compressor.compress()/flush()"
diff -r 181ced5bf0be Modules/bz2module.c
--- a/Modules/bz2module.c	Mon Dec 02 05:53:35 2013 -0800
+++ b/Modules/bz2module.c	Wed Dec 04 12:18:12 2013 +0800
@@ -1207,11 +1207,15 @@
             break;
     }
     if (self->fp) {
-        PyFile_DecUseCount((PyFileObject *)self->file);
+        if (self->file) {
+            PyFile_DecUseCount((PyFileObject *)self->file);
+            ret = PyObject_CallMethod(self->file, "close", NULL);
+        } else {
+            ret = PyLong_FromLong(1);
+        }
         self->fp = NULL;
     }
     self->mode = MODE_CLOSED;
-    ret = PyObject_CallMethod(self->file, "close", NULL);
     if (bzerror != BZ_OK) {
         Util_CatchBZ2Error(bzerror);
         Py_XDECREF(ret);
@@ -1480,7 +1484,8 @@
             break;
     }
     if (self->fp) {
-        PyFile_DecUseCount((PyFileObject *)self->file);
+        if (self->file)
+            PyFile_DecUseCount((PyFileObject *)self->file);
         self->fp = NULL;
     }
     Util_DropReadAhead(self);