--- src/pyvorbisinfo.c
+++ src/pyvorbisinfo.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@
 static void
 py_ov_info_dealloc(PyObject *self)
 {
-  PyMem_DEL(self);
+  PyObject_Del(self);
 }
 
 #define CMP_RET(x) \
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@
     free(ovc_self->vc);
   }
 
-  PyMem_DEL(self);
+  PyObject_Del(self);
 }
 
 static PyObject*
@@ -905,6 +905,7 @@
 #if PY_UNICODE
       item = PyUnicode_DecodeUTF8(val, vallen, NULL);
       if (!item) {
+        PyErr_Clear();
         /* To deal with non-UTF8 comments (against the standard) */
         item = PyString_FromStringAndSize(val, vallen); 
       } 
--- src/pyvorbiscodec.c
+++ src/pyvorbiscodec.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
 {
   vorbis_dsp_clear(PY_DSP(self));
   Py_XDECREF(((py_dsp *)self)->parent);
-  PyMem_DEL(self);
+  PyObject_Del(self);
 }
 
 static PyObject*
--- src/pyvorbisfile.c
+++ src/pyvorbisfile.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
 
   ret = py_ov_open(newobj, args);
   if (ret == NULL) {
-    PyMem_DEL(newobj);
+    PyObject_Del(newobj);
     return NULL;
   } else
     Py_DECREF(ret);
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@
   /* If file was opened from a file object, decref it, so it can close */
   Py_XDECREF(((py_vorbisfile *) self)->py_file);
 
-  PyMem_DEL(self);
+  PyObject_Del(self);
 }
 
 static PyObject *