diff --git a/PyRainmeter.cpp b/PyRainmeter.cpp
index 7fcc59c..6db0d51 100644
--- a/PyRainmeter.cpp
+++ b/PyRainmeter.cpp
@@ -193,10 +193,10 @@ PyObject* CreateRainmeterObject(void *rm)
 {
 	if (!(rainmeterType.tp_flags & Py_TPFLAGS_READY))
 	{
+		rainmeterType.tp_new = PyType_GenericNew;
 		PyType_Ready(&rainmeterType);
 	}
-	Py_INCREF(&rainmeterType);
-	RainmeterObject *obj = PyObject_New(RainmeterObject, &rainmeterType);
-	obj->rm = rm;
+	PyObject *obj = PyObject_CallObject((PyObject*) &rainmeterType, NULL);
+	((RainmeterObject*)obj)->rm = rm;
 	return (PyObject*) obj;
 }
diff --git a/PythonPlugin.cpp b/PythonPlugin.cpp
index 0f67224..b61ed36 100644
--- a/PythonPlugin.cpp
+++ b/PythonPlugin.cpp
@@ -169,12 +169,12 @@ PLUGIN_EXPORT double Update(void* data)
 	if (resultObj != NULL)
 	{
 		result = PyFloat_Check(resultObj) ? PyFloat_AsDouble(resultObj) : 0.0;
+		Py_DECREF(resultObj);
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		PyErr_Clear();
 	}
-	Py_XDECREF(resultObj);
 	PyEval_SaveThread();
 	return result;
 }