diff -r 9d9c2b4850fc Include/pythonrun.h
--- a/Include/pythonrun.h	Fri Dec 27 14:06:15 2013 -0500
+++ b/Include/pythonrun.h	Sat Jan 04 03:58:52 2014 +0400
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@
 /* Internal -- various one-time initializations */
 #ifndef Py_LIMITED_API
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PyBuiltin_Init(void);
+PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyBuiltins_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp);
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PySys_Init(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyImport_Init(void);
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyExc_Init(PyObject * bltinmod);
diff -r 9d9c2b4850fc Python/pystate.c
--- a/Python/pystate.c	Fri Dec 27 14:06:15 2013 -0500
+++ b/Python/pystate.c	Sat Jan 04 03:58:52 2014 +0400
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@
     Py_CLEAR(interp->sysdict);
     Py_CLEAR(interp->builtins);
     Py_CLEAR(interp->importlib);
+
+    /* See issue19255, don't "wipe" builtins on shutdown */
+    _PyBuiltins_Init(interp);
 }
 
 
diff -r 9d9c2b4850fc Python/pythonrun.c
--- a/Python/pythonrun.c	Fri Dec 27 14:06:15 2013 -0500
+++ b/Python/pythonrun.c	Sat Jan 04 03:58:52 2014 +0400
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@
 {
     PyInterpreterState *interp;
     PyThreadState *tstate;
-    PyObject *bimod, *sysmod, *pstderr;
+    PyObject *sysmod, *pstderr;
     char *p;
     extern void _Py_ReadyTypes(void);
 
@@ -389,27 +389,7 @@
     if (!_PyFloat_Init())
         Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't init float");
 
-    interp->modules = PyDict_New();
-    if (interp->modules == NULL)
-        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't make modules dictionary");
-
-    /* Init Unicode implementation; relies on the codec registry */
-    if (_PyUnicode_Init() < 0)
-        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize unicode");
-    if (_PyStructSequence_Init() < 0)
-        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize structseq");
-
-    bimod = _PyBuiltin_Init();
-    if (bimod == NULL)
-        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize builtins modules");
-    _PyImport_FixupBuiltin(bimod, "builtins");
-    interp->builtins = PyModule_GetDict(bimod);
-    if (interp->builtins == NULL)
-        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize builtins dict");
-    Py_INCREF(interp->builtins);
-
-    /* initialize builtin exceptions */
-    _PyExc_Init(bimod);
+    _PyBuiltins_Init(interp);
 
     sysmod = _PySys_Init();
     if (sysmod == NULL)
@@ -2985,6 +2965,38 @@
     return PyRun_InteractiveLoopFlags(f, p, NULL);
 }
 
+/*
+   Initializes builtins module and assigns it to the interpreter.
+*/
+void
+_PyBuiltins_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp) {
+    interp->modules = PyDict_New();
+    if (interp->modules == NULL)
+        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't make modules dictionary");
+
+    /* Init Unicode implementation; relies on the codec registry */
+    if (_PyUnicode_Init() < 0)
+        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize unicode");
+
+    if (_PyStructSequence_Init() < 0)
+        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize structseq");
+
+    PyObject *bimod = _PyBuiltin_Init();
+
+    if (bimod == NULL)
+        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize builtins modules");
+
+    _PyImport_FixupBuiltin(bimod, "builtins");
+
+    interp->builtins = PyModule_GetDict(bimod);
+    if (interp->builtins == NULL)
+        Py_FatalError("Py_Initialize: can't initialize builtins dict");
+
+    Py_INCREF(interp->builtins);
+
+    _PyExc_Init(bimod);
+}
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif