diff --git a/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.cpp b/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.cpp
index 8287cd17d704c..4d06aff70ccb0 100644
--- a/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,18 @@ namespace PythonBindings
     memset(typeInfo, 0, sizeof(TypeInfo));
   }
 
-  int PyXBMCGetUnicodeString(std::string& buf, PyObject* pObject, bool coerceToString,
-                             const char* argumentName, const char* methodname) throw (XBMCAddon::WrongTypeException)
+  class PyObjectDecrementor
+  {
+    PyObject* obj;
+  public:
+    inline PyObjectDecrementor(PyObject* pyobj) : obj(pyobj) {}
+    inline ~PyObjectDecrementor() { Py_XDECREF(obj); }
+
+    inline PyObject* get() { return obj; }
+  };
+
+  void PyXBMCGetUnicodeString(std::string& buf, PyObject* pObject, bool coerceToString,
+                              const char* argumentName, const char* methodname) throw (XBMCAddon::WrongTypeException)
   {
     // TODO: UTF-8: Does python use UTF-16?
     //              Do we need to convert from the string charset to UTF-8
@@ -50,24 +60,24 @@ namespace PythonBindings
       {
         buf = PyString_AsString(utf8_pyString);
         Py_DECREF(utf8_pyString);
-        return 1;
+        return;
       }
     }
     if (PyString_Check(pObject))
     {
       buf = PyString_AsString(pObject);
-      return 1;
+      return;
     }
 
     // if we got here then we need to coerce the value to a string
     if (coerceToString)
     {
-      PyObject* pyStrCast = PyObject_Str(pObject);
+      PyObjectDecrementor dec(PyObject_Str(pObject));
+      PyObject* pyStrCast = dec.get();
       if (pyStrCast)
       {
-        int ret = PyXBMCGetUnicodeString(buf,pyStrCast,false,argumentName,methodname);
-        Py_DECREF(pyStrCast);
-        return ret;
+        PyXBMCGetUnicodeString(buf,pyStrCast,false,argumentName,methodname);
+        return;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.h b/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.h
index 434515ce6fba4..6f8c9afb2b6d7 100644
--- a/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.h
+++ b/xbmc/interfaces/python/swig.h
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@
 
 namespace PythonBindings
 {
-  int PyXBMCGetUnicodeString(std::string& buf, PyObject* pObject, bool coerceToString = false,
-                             const char* pos = "unknown", 
-                             const char* methodname = "unknown") throw (XBMCAddon::WrongTypeException);
+  void PyXBMCGetUnicodeString(std::string& buf, PyObject* pObject, bool coerceToString = false,
+                              const char* pos = "unknown", 
+                              const char* methodname = "unknown") throw (XBMCAddon::WrongTypeException);
 
   // This is for casting from child class to base class
   struct TypeConverterBase