--- shelve.py.orig	2007-12-12 12:27:07.000000000 +0200
+++ shelve.py	2007-12-12 12:44:15.000000000 +0200
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 
 __all__ = ["Shelf","BsdDbShelf","DbfilenameShelf","open"]
 
+
 class Shelf(UserDict.DictMixin):
     """Base class for shelf implementations.
 
@@ -81,13 +82,21 @@
     """
 
     def __init__(self, dict, protocol=None, writeback=False):
-        self.dict = dict
+        self._dict = dict
         if protocol is None:
             protocol = 0
         self._protocol = protocol
         self.writeback = writeback
         self.cache = {}
 
+    def getdict(self):
+        if self._dict is None:
+            raise IOError, 'shelf has been closed'
+        else:
+            return self._dict
+
+    dict = property(getdict)
+
     def keys(self):
         return self.dict.keys()
 
@@ -136,7 +145,8 @@
             self.dict.close()
         except AttributeError:
             pass
-        self.dict = 0
+
+        self._dict = None
 
     def __del__(self):
         if not hasattr(self, 'writeback'):