diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg b/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
index 0a717d1b3..ccac7e968 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/pycontainer.swg
@@ -273,9 +273,7 @@ namespace swig
 {
   %ignore stop_iteration;
   %typemap(throws) stop_iteration {
-    SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;
-    PyErr_SetObject(PyExc_StopIteration, SWIG_Py_Void());
-    SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK;
+    SWIG_SetErrorObj(PyExc_StopIteration, SWIG_Py_Void());
     SWIG_fail;
   }
 }
@@ -494,7 +492,6 @@ namespace swig
       try {
 	return swig::as<T>(item, true);
       } catch (std::exception& e) {
-	SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; 
 	char msg[1024];
 	snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "in sequence element %d ", _index);
 	if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
@@ -502,7 +499,6 @@ namespace swig
 	}
 	SWIG_Python_AddErrorMsg(msg);
 	SWIG_Python_AddErrorMsg(e.what());
-	SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; 
 	throw;
       }
     }
@@ -913,11 +909,9 @@ namespace swig
 	    }
 	  } catch (std::exception& e) {
 	    if (seq) {
-	      SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; 
 	      if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, e.what());
 	      }
-	      SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; 
 	    }
 	    return 0;
 	  }
@@ -955,10 +949,8 @@ namespace swig
 	  }
 	  return obj;
 	} else {
-	  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; 
 	  PyErr_SetString(PyExc_OverflowError,
 			  "sequence size not valid in python");
-	  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; 
 	  return NULL;
 	}
       }
diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/pyinit.swg b/SWIG/Lib/python/pyinit.swg
index c3b9ff411..bcac1beb6 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/python/pyinit.swg
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/pyinit.swg
@@ -61,36 +61,36 @@ swig_varlink_dealloc(swig_varlinkobject *v) {
 
 SWIGINTERN PyObject *
 swig_varlink_getattr(swig_varlinkobject *v, char *n) {
-  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; 
+  PyObject *res = NULL;
   swig_globalvar *var = v->vars;
   while (var) {
     if (strcmp(var->name,n) == 0) {
-      PyObject *obj = (*var->get_attr)();
-      SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK;
-      return obj;
+      res = (*var->get_attr)();
+      break;
     }
     var = var->next;
   }
-  PyErr_SetString(PyExc_NameError,"Unknown C global variable");
-  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; 
-  return NULL;
+  if (res == NULL && !PyErr_Occurred()) {
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_NameError,"Unknown C global variable");
+  }
+  return res;
 }
 
 SWIGINTERN int
 swig_varlink_setattr(swig_varlinkobject *v, char *n, PyObject *p) {
-  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; 
+  int res = 1;
   swig_globalvar *var = v->vars;
   while (var) {
     if (strcmp(var->name,n) == 0) {
-      int res = (*var->set_attr)(p);
-      SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK;
-      return res;
+      res = (*var->set_attr)(p);
+      break;
     }
     var = var->next;
   }
-  PyErr_SetString(PyExc_NameError,"Unknown C global variable");
-  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; 
-  return 1;
+  if (res == 1 && !PyErr_Occurred()) {
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_NameError,"Unknown C global variable");
+  }
+  return res;
 }
 
 SWIGINTERN PyTypeObject*
diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/pyrun.swg b/SWIG/Lib/python/pyrun.swg
index 84b260f58..a01b20aa5 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/python/pyrun.swg
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/pyrun.swg
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@
 
 #define SWIG_ErrorType(code)                            SWIG_Python_ErrorType(code)                       
 #define SWIG_Error(code, msg)            		{SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; PyErr_SetString(SWIG_Python_ErrorType(code), msg); SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; }
+#define SWIG_SetErrorObj(type, obj)            		{SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; PyErr_SetObject(type, obj); SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; }
+#define SWIG_SetErrorMsg(type, msg)            		{SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK; PyErr_SetString(type, msg); SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK; }
+
+
 #define SWIG_fail                        		goto fail					   
 
 /*
diff --git a/SWIG/Lib/python/pythreads.swg b/SWIG/Lib/python/pythreads.swg
index f1dba7946..a7552f1fe 100644
--- a/SWIG/Lib/python/pythreads.swg
+++ b/SWIG/Lib/python/pythreads.swg
@@ -10,24 +10,24 @@
 #    endif
 #  endif
 #  if defined(SWIG_PYTHON_USE_GIL) /* Use PyGILState threads calls */
-#    define SWIG_PYTHON_INITIALIZE_THREADS     PyEval_InitThreads()
+#    ifndef SWIG_PYTHON_INITIALIZE_THREADS
+#     define SWIG_PYTHON_INITIALIZE_THREADS  PyEval_InitThreads() 
+#    endif
 #    ifdef __cplusplus /* C++ code */
        class SWIG_Python_Thread_Block {
          bool status;
          PyGILState_STATE state;
-         void begin() { if (!status) { state = PyGILState_Ensure(); status = true;} }
        public:
          void end() { if (status) { PyGILState_Release(state); status = false;} }
-         SWIG_Python_Thread_Block() : status(false)  { begin(); }
+         SWIG_Python_Thread_Block() : status(true), state(PyGILState_Ensure()) {}
          ~SWIG_Python_Thread_Block() { end(); }
        };
        class SWIG_Python_Thread_Allow {
          bool status;
          PyThreadState *save;
-         void begin() { if (!status) { status = true; save = PyEval_SaveThread(); } }
        public:
          void end() { if (status) { PyEval_RestoreThread(save); status = false; }}
-         SWIG_Python_Thread_Allow() : status(false) { begin(); }
+         SWIG_Python_Thread_Allow() : status(true), save(PyEval_SaveThread()) {}
          ~SWIG_Python_Thread_Allow() { end(); }
        };
 #      define SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK   SWIG_Python_Thread_Block _swig_thread_block
diff --git a/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx b/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx
index 336d963b6..82d67fce5 100644
--- a/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx
+++ b/SWIG/Source/Modules/python.cxx
@@ -102,10 +102,7 @@ public:
 	   "if ( $comparison ) { /* subclassed */\n",
 	   "  $director_new \n",
 	   "} else {\n",
-	   "  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;\n",
-	   "  PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError,",
-	   "    \"accessing abstract class or protected constructor\"); \n",
-	   "  SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK;\n",
+	   "  SWIG_SetErrorMsg(PyExc_RuntimeError,\"accessing abstract class or protected constructor\"); \n",
 	   "  SWIG_fail;\n",
 	   "}\n", NIL);
     director_multiple_inheritance = 1;
@@ -1214,9 +1211,7 @@ public:
       Printf(f->code,"Py_INCREF(Py_NotImplemented);\n");
       Printf(f->code,"return Py_NotImplemented;\n");
     } else {
-      Printf(f->code,"SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;\n");
-      Printf(f->code,"PyErr_SetString(PyExc_NotImplementedError,\"No matching function for overloaded '%s'\");\n", symname);
-      Printf(f->code,"SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK;\n");
+      Printf(f->code,"SWIG_SetErrorMsg(PyExc_NotImplementedError,\"No matching function for overloaded '%s'\");\n", symname);
       Printf(f->code,"return NULL;\n");
     }
     Printv(f->code,"}\n",NIL);
@@ -1517,9 +1512,7 @@ public:
           Printf(f->code, "director = SWIG_DIRECTOR_CAST(arg1);\n");
 	  if (dirprot_mode() && !is_public(n)) {      
             Printf(f->code, "if (!director || !(director->swig_get_inner(\"%s\"))) {\n", name);
-	    Printf(f->code,"SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_BEGIN_BLOCK;\n");
-	    Printf(f->code, "PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError,\"accessing protected member %s\");\n", name);
-	    Printf(f->code,"SWIG_PYTHON_THREAD_END_BLOCK;\n");
+	    Printf(f->code, "SWIG_SetErrorMsg(PyExc_RuntimeError,\"accessing protected member %s\");\n", name);
 	    Printf(f->code, "SWIG_fail;\n");
 	    Printf(f->code, "}\n");
 	  }
@@ -1541,7 +1534,6 @@ public:
      
     /* Emit the function call */
     if (director_method) {
-      if (allow_thread) thread_end_block(n, f);
       Printf(f->code, "try {\n");
       Printf(f->code, "  Swig::UnknownExceptionHandler dh;\n");
     } else {
@@ -1563,8 +1555,6 @@ public:
 	Printf(f->code, "}\n");
       }
     }
-    
-    
 
     /* This part below still needs cleanup */