diff -dur .\libs\python\src\object_bak/function.cpp .\libs\python\src\object/function.cpp
--- .\libs\python\src\object_bak/function.cpp	2009-12-04 11:22:42.906250000 -0500
+++ .\libs\python\src\object/function.cpp	2009-12-04 11:43:06.281250000 -0500
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     return this->min_arity();
 }
 
-extern PyTypeObject function_type;
+extern PyTypeObject function_type_skel;
+extern PyTypeObject * function_type_ptr;
 
 function::function(
     py_function const& implementation
@@ -105,14 +106,15 @@
     }
     
     PyObject* p = this;
-    if (Py_TYPE(&function_type) == 0)
+    if ( function_type_ptr == NULL )
     {
-        Py_TYPE(&function_type) = &PyType_Type;
-        ::PyType_Ready(&function_type);
+        function_type_ptr = PyObject_New( PyTypeObject, &PyType_Type );
+        *function_type_ptr = function_type_skel;
+        ::PyType_Ready(function_type_ptr);
     }
     
     (void)(     // warning suppression for GCC
-        PyObject_INIT(p, &function_type)
+        PyObject_INIT(p, function_type_ptr)
     );
 }
 
@@ -430,7 +432,7 @@
     str const name(name_);
     PyObject* const ns = name_space.ptr();
     
-    if (attribute.ptr()->ob_type == &function_type)
+    if (attribute.ptr()->ob_type == function_type_ptr)
     {
         function* new_func = downcast<function>(attribute.ptr());
         PyObject* dict = 0;
@@ -453,7 +455,7 @@
         
         if (existing)
         {
-            if (existing->ob_type == &function_type)
+            if (existing->ob_type == function_type_ptr)
             {
                 new_func->add_overload(
                     handle<function>(
@@ -681,8 +683,9 @@
     {NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0} /* Sentinel */
 };
 
-PyTypeObject function_type = {
-    PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL, 0)
+PyTypeObject * function_type_ptr = NULL;
+PyTypeObject function_type_skel = {
+    PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(&PyType_Type, 0)
     const_cast<char*>("Boost.Python.function"),
     sizeof(function),
     0,