diff -r 13a505260f17 Lib/test/test_csv.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_csv.py	Thu Dec 19 13:49:32 2013 -0800
+++ b/Lib/test/test_csv.py	Fri Dec 20 15:41:36 2013 +0800
@@ -779,7 +779,13 @@
         with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
             mydialect()
         self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
-                         '"quotechar" must be string, not int')
+                         '"quotechar" must be string or None, 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):
@@ -816,6 +822,41 @@
         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')
+
+        mydialect.escapechar = b"*"
+        with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
+            mydialect()
+        self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                         '"escapechar" must be string or None, not bytes')
+
+        mydialect.escapechar = 4
+        with self.assertRaises(csv.Error) as cm:
+            mydialect()
+        self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                         '"escapechar" must be string or None, not int')
+
     def test_lineterminator(self):
         class mydialect(csv.Dialect):
             delimiter = ";"
diff -r 13a505260f17 Modules/_csv.c
--- a/Modules/_csv.c	Thu Dec 19 13:49:32 2013 -0800
+++ b/Modules/_csv.c	Fri Dec 20 15:41:36 2013 +0800
@@ -240,20 +240,25 @@
         if (src != Py_None) {
             Py_ssize_t len;
             if (!PyUnicode_Check(src)) {
-                PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
-                    "\"%s\" must be string, not %.200s", name,
-                    src->ob_type->tp_name);
+                if (strcmp(name, "delimiter") == 0)
+                    PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
+                        "\"%s\" must be string, not %.200s", name,
+                        src->ob_type->tp_name);
+                else
+                    PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
+                        "\"%s\" must be string or None, not %.200s", name,
+                        src->ob_type->tp_name);
                 return -1;
             }
             len = PyUnicode_GetLength(src);
-            if (len > 1) {
+            if (len != 1) {
                 PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
                     "\"%s\" must be an 1-character string",
                     name);
                 return -1;
             }
             /* PyUnicode_READY() is called in PyUnicode_GetLength() */
-            if (len > 0)
+            else
                 *target = PyUnicode_READ_CHAR(src, 0);
         }
     }
@@ -432,7 +437,7 @@
         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)