diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
index a713679e8..ddb4ca0e0 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
@@ -4728,7 +4728,7 @@ static struct PyModuleDef moduledef = {
 
 /* Initialization function for the module */
 #if defined(NPY_PY3K)
-#define RETVAL m
+#define RETVAL retval 
 PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit_multiarray(void) {
 #else
 #define RETVAL
@@ -4736,6 +4736,7 @@ PyMODINIT_FUNC initmultiarray(void) {
 #endif
     PyObject *m, *d, *s;
     PyObject *c_api;
+    PyObject *retval = NULL;
 
     /* Create the module and add the functions */
 #if defined(NPY_PY3K)
@@ -4761,6 +4762,10 @@ PyMODINIT_FUNC initmultiarray(void) {
     /* Initialize access to the PyDateTime API */
     numpy_pydatetime_import();
 
+    if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
+      goto err;
+    }
+
     /* Add some symbolic constants to the module */
     d = PyModule_GetDict(m);
     if (!d) {
@@ -4888,6 +4893,8 @@ PyMODINIT_FUNC initmultiarray(void) {
     if (set_typeinfo(d) != 0) {
         goto err;
     }
+    retval = m;
+    
     return RETVAL;
 
  err:
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/umath/umathmodule.c b/numpy/core/src/umath/umathmodule.c
index 1a6cee030..0706d2bad 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/umath/umathmodule.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/umath/umathmodule.c
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ static struct PyModuleDef moduledef = {
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #if defined(NPY_PY3K)
-#define RETVAL m
+#define RETVAL retval 
 PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit_umath(void)
 #else
 #define RETVAL
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ PyMODINIT_FUNC initumath(void)
 #endif
 {
     PyObject *m, *d, *s, *s2, *c_api;
+    PyObject *retval = NULL;
     int UFUNC_FLOATING_POINT_SUPPORT = 1;
 
 #ifdef NO_UFUNC_FLOATING_POINT_SUPPORT
@@ -428,6 +429,8 @@ PyMODINIT_FUNC initumath(void)
         goto err;
     }
 
+    retval = m;
+
     return RETVAL;
 
  err: