diff --git a/Modules/_io/fileio.c b/Modules/_io/fileio.c
--- a/Modules/_io/fileio.c
+++ b/Modules/_io/fileio.c
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ fileio_readall(fileio *self)
         if (PyBytes_GET_SIZE(result) < (Py_ssize_t)newsize) {
             if (_PyBytes_Resize(&result, newsize) < 0) {
                 if (total == 0) {
-                    Py_DECREF(result);
+                    Py_CLEAR(result);
                     return NULL;
                 }
                 PyErr_Clear();
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ fileio_readall(fileio *self)
     if (PyBytes_GET_SIZE(result) > total) {
         if (_PyBytes_Resize(&result, total) < 0) {
             /* This should never happen, but just in case */
-            Py_DECREF(result);
+            Py_CLEAR(result);
             return NULL;
         }
     }
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ fileio_read(fileio *self, PyObject *args
 
     if (n != size) {
         if (_PyBytes_Resize(&bytes, n) < 0) {
-            Py_DECREF(bytes);
+            Py_CLEAR(bytes);
             return NULL;
         }
     }
diff --git a/Modules/binascii.c b/Modules/binascii.c
--- a/Modules/binascii.c
+++ b/Modules/binascii.c
@@ -361,8 +361,7 @@ binascii_b2a_uu(PyObject *self, PyObject
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv,
                        (ascii_data -
                         (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(rv))) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(rv);
-        rv = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(rv);
     }
     PyBuffer_Release(&pbin);
     return rv;
@@ -491,8 +490,7 @@ binascii_a2b_base64(PyObject *self, PyOb
     */
     if (bin_len > 0) {
         if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv, bin_len) < 0) {
-            Py_DECREF(rv);
-            rv = NULL;
+            Py_CLEAR(rv);
         }
     }
     else {
@@ -563,8 +561,7 @@ binascii_b2a_base64(PyObject *self, PyOb
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv,
                        (ascii_data -
                         (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(rv))) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(rv);
-        rv = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(rv);
     }
     PyBuffer_Release(&pbuf);
     return rv;
@@ -642,8 +639,7 @@ binascii_a2b_hqx(PyObject *self, PyObjec
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv,
                        (bin_data -
                         (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(rv))) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(rv);
-        rv = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(rv);
     }
     if (rv) {
         PyObject *rrv = Py_BuildValue("Oi", rv, done);
@@ -713,8 +709,7 @@ binascii_rlecode_hqx(PyObject *self, PyO
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv,
                        (out_data -
                         (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(rv))) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(rv);
-        rv = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(rv);
     }
     PyBuffer_Release(&pbuf);
     return rv;
@@ -770,8 +765,7 @@ binascii_b2a_hqx(PyObject *self, PyObjec
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv,
                        (ascii_data -
                         (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(rv))) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(rv);
-        rv = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(rv);
     }
     PyBuffer_Release(&pbin);
     return rv;
@@ -834,7 +828,7 @@ binascii_rledecode_hqx(PyObject *self, P
              if ( --out_len_left < 0 ) { \
                       if ( out_len > PY_SSIZE_T_MAX / 2) return PyErr_NoMemory(); \
                       if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv, 2*out_len) < 0) \
-                        { Py_DECREF(rv); PyBuffer_Release(&pin); return NULL; } \
+                        { Py_CLEAR(rv); PyBuffer_Release(&pin); return NULL; } \
                       out_data = (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(rv) \
                                                              + out_len; \
                       out_len_left = out_len-1; \
@@ -887,8 +881,7 @@ binascii_rledecode_hqx(PyObject *self, P
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&rv,
                        (out_data -
                         (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(rv))) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(rv);
-        rv = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(rv);
     }
     PyBuffer_Release(&pin);
     return rv;
diff --git a/Modules/zlibmodule.c b/Modules/zlibmodule.c
--- a/Modules/zlibmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/zlibmodule.c
@@ -698,10 +698,10 @@ PyZlib_objdecompress(compobject *self, P
             length = max_length;
 
         if (_PyBytes_Resize(&RetVal, length) < 0) {
-            Py_DECREF(RetVal);
-            RetVal = NULL;
+            Py_CLEAR(RetVal);
             goto error;
         }
+
         self->zst.next_out =
             (unsigned char *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(RetVal) + old_length;
         self->zst.avail_out = length - old_length;
@@ -733,8 +733,7 @@ PyZlib_objdecompress(compobject *self, P
     }
 
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&RetVal, self->zst.total_out - start_total_out) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(RetVal);
-        RetVal = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(RetVal);
     }
 
  error:
@@ -787,8 +786,7 @@ PyZlib_flush(compobject *self, PyObject 
        so extend the output buffer and try again */
     while (err == Z_OK && self->zst.avail_out == 0) {
         if (_PyBytes_Resize(&RetVal, length << 1) < 0) {
-            Py_DECREF(RetVal);
-            RetVal = NULL;
+            Py_CLEAR(RetVal);
             goto error;
         }
         self->zst.next_out =
@@ -827,8 +825,7 @@ PyZlib_flush(compobject *self, PyObject 
     }
 
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&RetVal, self->zst.total_out - start_total_out) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(RetVal);
-        RetVal = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(RetVal);
     }
 
  error:
@@ -988,8 +985,7 @@ PyZlib_unflush(compobject *self, PyObjec
        so extend the output buffer and try again */
     while ((err == Z_OK || err == Z_BUF_ERROR) && self->zst.avail_out == 0) {
         if (_PyBytes_Resize(&retval, length << 1) < 0) {
-            Py_DECREF(retval);
-            retval = NULL;
+            Py_CLEAR(retval);
             goto error;
         }
         self->zst.next_out = (Byte *)PyBytes_AS_STRING(retval) + length;
@@ -1021,8 +1017,7 @@ PyZlib_unflush(compobject *self, PyObjec
     }
 
     if (_PyBytes_Resize(&retval, self->zst.total_out - start_total_out) < 0) {
-        Py_DECREF(retval);
-        retval = NULL;
+        Py_CLEAR(retval);
     }
 
 error: