Index: Modules/threadmodule.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/threadmodule.c	(revision 60075)
+++ Modules/threadmodule.c	(working copy)
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@
 	PyObject *key;
 	PyObject *args;
 	PyObject *kw;
-	PyObject *dict;
 } localobject;
 
 static PyObject *
@@ -172,6 +171,7 @@
 {
 	localobject *self;
 	PyObject *tdict;
+	PyObject *localdict;
 
 	if (type->tp_init == PyBaseObject_Type.tp_init
 	    && ((args && PyObject_IsTrue(args))
@@ -189,13 +189,12 @@
 	self->args = args;
 	Py_XINCREF(kw);
 	self->kw = kw;
-	self->dict = NULL;	/* making sure */
 	self->key = PyString_FromFormat("thread.local.%p", self);
 	if (self->key == NULL) 
 		goto err;
 
-	self->dict = PyDict_New();
-	if (self->dict == NULL)
+	localdict = PyDict_New();
+	if (localdict == NULL)
 		goto err;
 
 	tdict = PyThreadState_GetDict();
@@ -205,8 +204,9 @@
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	if (PyDict_SetItem(tdict, self->key, self->dict) < 0)
+	if (PyDict_SetItem(tdict, self->key, localdict) < 0)
 		goto err;
+	Py_DECREF(localdict);
 
 	return (PyObject *)self;
 
@@ -220,7 +220,6 @@
 {
 	Py_VISIT(self->args);
 	Py_VISIT(self->kw);
-	Py_VISIT(self->dict);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -230,7 +229,6 @@
 	Py_CLEAR(self->key);
 	Py_CLEAR(self->args);
 	Py_CLEAR(self->kw);
-	Py_CLEAR(self->dict);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -253,6 +251,7 @@
 	Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
+/* Return borrowed reference to the local dict */
 static PyObject *
 _ldict(localobject *self)
 {
@@ -278,10 +277,6 @@
 				return NULL;
 		}
 
-		Py_CLEAR(self->dict);
-		Py_INCREF(ldict);
-		self->dict = ldict; /* still borrowed */
-
 		if (Py_TYPE(self)->tp_init != PyBaseObject_Type.tp_init &&
 		    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_init((PyObject*)self, 
 					   self->args, self->kw) < 0) {
@@ -293,11 +288,6 @@
 		}
 		
 	}
-	else if (self->dict != ldict) {
-		Py_CLEAR(self->dict);
-		Py_INCREF(ldict);
-		self->dict = ldict;
-	}
 
 	return ldict;
 }
@@ -305,25 +295,32 @@
 static int
 local_setattro(localobject *self, PyObject *name, PyObject *v)
 {
-	PyObject *ldict;
-	
-	ldict = _ldict(self);
-	if (ldict == NULL) 
-		return -1;
+	int res = PyObject_GenericSetAttr((PyObject *)self, name, v);
 
-	return PyObject_GenericSetAttr((PyObject *)self, name, v);
+	if (res < 0 && PyErr_ExceptionMatches(PyExc_AttributeError)) {
+		PyObject *ldict = _ldict(self);
+		if (ldict == NULL) 
+			return -1;
+
+		PyErr_Clear();
+
+		res = PyDict_SetItem(ldict, name, v);
+	}
+
+	return res;
 }
 
 static PyObject *
 local_getdict(localobject *self, void *closure)
 {
-	if (self->dict == NULL) {
+	PyObject *ldict = _ldict(self);
+	if (ldict == NULL) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_AttributeError, "__dict__");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	Py_INCREF(self->dict);
-	return self->dict;
+	Py_INCREF(ldict);
+	return ldict;
 }
 
 static PyGetSetDef local_getset[] = {
@@ -369,7 +366,7 @@
 	/* tp_dict           */ 0, /* internal use */
 	/* tp_descr_get      */ 0,
 	/* tp_descr_set      */ 0,
-	/* tp_dictoffset     */ offsetof(localobject, dict),
+	/* tp_dictoffset     */ 0,
 	/* tp_init           */ 0,
 	/* tp_alloc          */ 0,
 	/* tp_new            */ local_new,