diff --git a/greenlet.c b/greenlet.c
index b858b8de..4934fb94 100644
--- a/greenlet.c
+++ b/greenlet.c
@@ -98,6 +98,16 @@ The running greenlet's stack_start is undefined but not NULL.
 	} while (0)
 #endif /* !Py_CLEAR */
 
+/* Python < 2.4 support */
+#if PY_VERSION_HEX < 0x02040000
+#ifndef Py_RETURN_TRUE
+#  define Py_RETURN_TRUE return Py_INCREF(Py_True), Py_True
+#endif
+#ifndef Py_RETURN_FALSE
+#  define Py_RETURN_FALSE return Py_INCREF(Py_False), Py_False
+#endif
+#endif
+
 /* Python <= 2.5 support */
 #if PY_MAJOR_VERSION < 3
 #ifndef Py_REFCNT
@@ -1229,13 +1239,10 @@ static int green_setdict(PyGreenlet* self, PyObject* val, void* c)
 
 static PyObject* green_getdead(PyGreenlet* self, void* c)
 {
-	PyObject* res;
 	if (PyGreenlet_ACTIVE(self) || !PyGreenlet_STARTED(self))
-		res = Py_False;
+		Py_RETURN_FALSE;
 	else
-		res = Py_True;
-	Py_INCREF(res);
-	return res;
+		Py_RETURN_TRUE;
 }
 
 static PyObject* green_getrun(PyGreenlet* self, void* c)