diff --git a/src/auto/configure b/src/auto/configure
index 6130945..0559ce2 100755
--- a/src/auto/configure
+++ b/src/auto/configure
@@ -5289,10 +5289,10 @@
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $vi_cv_var_python_version" >&5
 $as_echo "$vi_cv_var_python_version" >&6; }
 
-        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking Python is 1.4 or better" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking Python is 1.4 or better... " >&6; }
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking Python is 2.2 or better" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking Python is 2.2 or better... " >&6; }
     if ${vi_cv_path_python} -c \
-	"import sys; sys.exit(${vi_cv_var_python_version} < 1.4)"
+	"import sys; sys.exit(${vi_cv_var_python_version} < 2.2)"
     then
       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yep" >&5
 $as_echo "yep" >&6; }
diff --git a/src/configure.in b/src/configure.in
index 34a75b3..886c5f3 100644
--- a/src/configure.in
+++ b/src/configure.in
@@ -863,10 +863,10 @@
 	    ${vi_cv_path_python} -c 'import sys; print sys.version[:3]'`
     ]])
 
-    dnl -- it must be at least version 1.4
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING(Python is 1.4 or better)
+    dnl -- it must be at least version 2.2
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING(Python is 2.2 or better)
     if ${vi_cv_path_python} -c \
-	"import sys; sys.exit(${vi_cv_var_python_version} < 1.4)"
+	"import sys; sys.exit(${vi_cv_var_python_version} < 2.2)"
     then
       AC_MSG_RESULT(yep)
 
diff --git a/src/if_py_both.h b/src/if_py_both.h
index 6370bd1..6f91669 100644
--- a/src/if_py_both.h
+++ b/src/if_py_both.h
@@ -564,6 +564,7 @@
     return (PyObject *)(self);
 }
 
+#if 0 /* unused */
     static void
 IterDestructor(PyObject *self)
 {
@@ -573,6 +574,7 @@
 
     DESTRUCTOR_FINISH(self);
 }
+#endif
 
     static PyObject *
 IterNext(PyObject *self)
@@ -696,13 +698,7 @@
 	}
 	else
 	{
-	    if (!PyBool_Check(val))
-	    {
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, _("Only boolean objects are allowed"));
-		return -1;
-	    }
-
-	    if (val == Py_True)
+	    if (PyObject_IsTrue(val))
 		this->dict->dv_lock = VAR_LOCKED;
 	    else
 		this->dict->dv_lock = 0;
@@ -1202,13 +1198,7 @@
 	}
 	else
 	{
-	    if (!PyBool_Check(val))
-	    {
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, _("Only boolean objects are allowed"));
-		return -1;
-	    }
-
-	    if (val == Py_True)
+	    if (PyObject_IsTrue(val))
 		this->list->lv_lock = VAR_LOCKED;
 	    else
 		this->list->lv_lock = 0;
@@ -1484,14 +1474,8 @@
 
     if (flags & SOPT_BOOL)
     {
-	if (!PyBool_Check(valObject))
-	{
-	    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Object must be boolean");
-	    return -1;
-	}
-
-	r = set_option_value_for(key, (valObject == Py_True), NULL, opt_flags,
-				this->opt_type, this->from);
+	r = set_option_value_for(key, PyObject_IsTrue(valObject), NULL,
+				opt_flags, this->opt_type, this->from);
     }
     else if (flags & SOPT_NUM)
     {
diff --git a/src/if_python.c b/src/if_python.c
index 56db2b2..575f822 100644
--- a/src/if_python.c
+++ b/src/if_python.c
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@
 # define _Py_TrueStruct (*dll__Py_TrueStruct)
 # define PyObject_Init dll__PyObject_Init
 # define PyObject_GetIter dll_PyObject_GetIter
+# define PyObject_IsTrue dll_PyObject_IsTrue
 # if defined(PY_VERSION_HEX) && PY_VERSION_HEX >= 0x02020000
 #  define PyType_IsSubtype dll_PyType_IsSubtype
 # endif
@@ -324,6 +325,7 @@
 static PyObject*(*dll__PyObject_New)(PyTypeObject *, PyObject *);
 static PyObject*(*dll__PyObject_Init)(PyObject *, PyTypeObject *);
 static PyObject* (*dll_PyObject_GetIter)(PyObject *);
+static int (*dll_PyObject_IsTrue)(PyObject *);
 # if defined(PY_VERSION_HEX) && PY_VERSION_HEX >= 0x02070000
 static iternextfunc dll__PyObject_NextNotImplemented;
 # endif
@@ -459,6 +461,7 @@
     {"_PyObject_New", (PYTHON_PROC*)&dll__PyObject_New},
     {"PyObject_Init", (PYTHON_PROC*)&dll__PyObject_Init},
     {"PyObject_GetIter", (PYTHON_PROC*)&dll_PyObject_GetIter},
+    {"PyObject_IsTrue", (PYTHON_PROC*)&dll_PyObject_IsTrue},
 # if defined(PY_VERSION_HEX) && PY_VERSION_HEX >= 0x02070000
     {"_PyObject_NextNotImplemented", (PYTHON_PROC*)&dll__PyObject_NextNotImplemented},
 # endif
@@ -787,7 +790,10 @@
 	 * so the following does both: unlock GIL and save thread state in TLS
 	 * without deleting thread state
 	 */
-	PyEval_SaveThread();
+#ifndef PY_CAN_RECURSE
+	saved_python_thread =
+#endif
+	    PyEval_SaveThread();
 
 	initialised = 1;
     }
diff --git a/src/if_python3.c b/src/if_python3.c
index cae18c2..477c367 100644
--- a/src/if_python3.c
+++ b/src/if_python3.c
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@
 # define PyMapping_Items py3_PyMapping_Items
 # define PyIter_Next py3_PyIter_Next
 # define PyObject_GetIter py3_PyObject_GetIter
+# define PyObject_IsTrue py3_PyObject_IsTrue
 # define PyModule_GetDict py3_PyModule_GetDict
 #undef PyRun_SimpleString
 # define PyRun_SimpleString py3_PyRun_SimpleString
@@ -264,6 +265,7 @@
 static PyObject* (*py3_PyDict_New)(void);
 static PyObject* (*py3_PyIter_Next)(PyObject *);
 static PyObject* (*py3_PyObject_GetIter)(PyObject *);
+static int (*py3_PyObject_IsTrue)(PyObject *);
 static PyObject* (*py3_Py_BuildValue)(char *, ...);
 static int (*py3_PyType_Ready)(PyTypeObject *type);
 static int (*py3_PyDict_SetItemString)(PyObject *dp, char *key, PyObject *item);
@@ -392,6 +394,7 @@
     {"PyMapping_Items", (PYTHON_PROC*)&py3_PyMapping_Items},
     {"PyIter_Next", (PYTHON_PROC*)&py3_PyIter_Next},
     {"PyObject_GetIter", (PYTHON_PROC*)&py3_PyObject_GetIter},
+    {"PyObject_IsTrue", (PYTHON_PROC*)&py3_PyObject_IsTrue},
     {"PyLong_FromLong", (PYTHON_PROC*)&py3_PyLong_FromLong},
     {"PyDict_New", (PYTHON_PROC*)&py3_PyDict_New},
     {"PyType_Ready", (PYTHON_PROC*)&py3_PyType_Ready},
diff --git a/src/testdir/test86.in b/src/testdir/test86.in
index 5b87633..8ef7e05 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test86.in
+++ b/src/testdir/test86.in
@@ -183,38 +183,21 @@
 :   $put ='[0.0, 0.0]'
 :endif
 :let messages=[]
-:py <<EOF
+py <<EOF
 d=vim.bindeval('{}')
 m=vim.bindeval('messages')
-try:
-    d['abc']
-except Exception as e:
-    m.extend([e.__class__.__name__])
+def em(expr, g=globals(), l=locals()):
+    try:
+        exec(expr, g, l)
+    except:
+        m.extend([sys.exc_type.__name__])
 
-try:
-    d['abc']="\0"
-except Exception as e:
-    m.extend([e.__class__.__name__])
-
-try:
-    d['abc']=vim
-except Exception as e:
-    m.extend([e.__class__.__name__])
-
-try:
-    d['']=1
-except Exception as e:
-    m.extend([e.__class__.__name__])
-
-try:
-    d['a\0b']=1
-except Exception as e:
-    m.extend([e.__class__.__name__])
-
-try:
-    d[b'a\0b']=1
-except Exception as e:
-    m.extend([e.__class__.__name__])
+em('d["abc"]')
+em('d["abc"]="\\0"')
+em('d["abc"]=vim')
+em('d[""]=1')
+em('d["a\\0b"]=1')
+em('d[u"a\\0b"]=1')
 EOF
 :$put =messages
 :unlet messages
@@ -394,14 +377,14 @@
 def e(s, g=globals(), l=locals()):
     try:
         exec(s, g, l)
-    except Exception as e:
-        vim.command('throw ' + repr(e.__class__.__name__))
+    except:
+        vim.command('throw ' + repr(sys.exc_type.__name__))
 
 def ev(s, g=globals(), l=locals()):
     try:
         return eval(s, g, l)
-    except Exception as e:
-        vim.command('throw ' + repr(e.__class__.__name__))
+    except:
+        vim.command('throw ' + repr(sys.exc_type.__name__))
         return 0
 EOF
 :function E(s)
diff --git a/src/testdir/test86.ok b/src/testdir/test86.ok
index 4b54d98..481acae 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test86.ok
+++ b/src/testdir/test86.ok
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@
 bar
 >>> paste
   p/gopts1: False
-  inv: 2! ValueError
   p/wopts1! KeyError
   inv: 2! KeyError
   wopts1! KeyError
@@ -224,7 +223,6 @@
   wopts2! KeyError
   wopts3! KeyError
   p/bopts1: False
-  inv: 2! ValueError
   G: 0
   W: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
   B: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
@@ -280,7 +278,6 @@
   wopts2! KeyError
   wopts3! KeyError
   p/bopts1: False
-  inv: 2! ValueError
   G: 0
   W: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
   B: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
diff --git a/src/testdir/test87.ok b/src/testdir/test87.ok
index e7d031b..3addec8 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test87.ok
+++ b/src/testdir/test87.ok
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@
 bar
 >>> paste
   p/gopts1: False
-  inv: 2! ValueError
   p/wopts1! KeyError
   inv: 2! KeyError
   wopts1! KeyError
@@ -213,7 +212,6 @@
   wopts2! KeyError
   wopts3! KeyError
   p/bopts1: False
-  inv: 2! ValueError
   G: 0
   W: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
   B: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
@@ -269,7 +267,6 @@
   wopts2! KeyError
   wopts3! KeyError
   p/bopts1: False
-  inv: 2! ValueError
   G: 0
   W: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
   B: 1:0 2:1 3:0 4:1
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 3e4c310..a6ebcab 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -729,6 +729,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    948,
+/**/
     947,
 /**/
     946,