diff -r 3bec2d0fb668 Lib/test/test_csv.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_csv.py	Thu Dec 19 22:31:23 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_csv.py	Fri Dec 20 15:35:45 2013 +0800
@@ -895,6 +895,12 @@
         self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
                          '"quotechar" must be string, not int')
 
+        mydialect.quotechar = ""
+        with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
+            mydialect()
+        self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                         '"quotechar" must be an 1-character string')
+
     def test_delimiter(self):
         class mydialect(csv.Dialect):
             delimiter = ";"
@@ -930,6 +936,42 @@
         self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
                          '"delimiter" must be string, not int')
 
+    def test_escapechar(self):
+        class mydialect(csv.Dialect):
+            delimiter = ";"
+            escapechar = '\\'
+            doublequote = False
+            skipinitialspace = True
+            lineterminator = '\r\n'
+            quoting = csv.QUOTE_NONE
+        d = mydialect()
+        self.assertEqual(d.escapechar, "\\")
+
+        mydialect.escapechar = ""
+        with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
+            mydialect()
+        self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                         '"escapechar" must be an 1-character string')
+
+        mydialect.escapechar = "**"
+        with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
+            mydialect()
+        self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                         '"escapechar" must be an 1-character string')
+
+        if test_support.have_unicode:
+            mydialect.escapechar = unicode("*")
+            with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
+                mydialect()
+            self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                             '"escapechar" must be string, not unicode')
+
+        mydialect.escapechar = 4
+        with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
+            mydialect()
+        self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                         '"escapechar" must be string, not int')
+
     def test_lineterminator(self):
         class mydialect(csv.Dialect):
             delimiter = ";"
diff -r 3bec2d0fb668 Modules/_csv.c
--- a/Modules/_csv.c	Thu Dec 19 22:31:23 2013 +0200
+++ b/Modules/_csv.c	Fri Dec 20 15:35:45 2013 +0800
@@ -249,13 +249,13 @@
                 return -1;
             }
             len = PyString_GET_SIZE(src);
-            if (len > 1) {
+            if (len != 1) {
                 PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
                     "\"%s\" must be an 1-character string",
                     name);
                 return -1;
             }
-            if (len > 0)
+            else
                 *target = *PyString_AS_STRING(src);
         }
     }
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@
         goto err;
     if (self->delimiter == 0) {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
-                        "\"delimiter\" must be an 1-character string");
+                        "delimiter must be set");
         goto err;
     }
     if (quotechar == Py_None && quoting == NULL)