diff --git a/Objects/typeobject.c b/Objects/typeobject.c
index e88f5f59248..d2e9b87be72 100644
--- a/Objects/typeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/typeobject.c
@@ -640,8 +640,11 @@ subtype_dealloc(PyObject *self)
 	/* We get here only if the type has GC */
 
 	/* UnTrack and re-Track around the trashcan macro, alas */
+	/* See explanation at end of funtion for full disclosure */
 	PyObject_GC_UnTrack(self);
+	++_PyTrash_delete_nesting;
 	Py_TRASHCAN_SAFE_BEGIN(self);
+	--_PyTrash_delete_nesting;
 	_PyObject_GC_TRACK(self); /* We'll untrack for real later */
 
 	/* Maybe call finalizer; exit early if resurrected */
@@ -689,7 +692,97 @@ subtype_dealloc(PyObject *self)
 	Py_DECREF(type);
 
   endlabel:
+	++_PyTrash_delete_nesting;
 	Py_TRASHCAN_SAFE_END(self);
+	--_PyTrash_delete_nesting;
+
+	/* Explanation of the weirdness around the trashcan macros:
+
+	   Q. What do the trashcan macros do?
+
+	   A. Read the comment titled "Trashcan mechanism" in object.h.
+	      For one, this explains why there must be a call to GC-untrack
+	      before the trashcan begin macro.  Without understanding the
+	      trashcan code, the answers to the following questions don't make
+	      sense.
+
+	   Q. Why do we GC-untrack before the trashcan and then immediately
+	      GC-track again afterward?
+
+	   A. In the case that the base class is GC-aware, the base class
+	      probably GC-untracks the object.  If it does that using the
+	      UNTRACK macro, this will crash when the object is already
+	      untracked.  Because we don't know what the base class does, the
+	      only safe thing is to make sure the object is tracked when we
+	      call the base class dealloc.  But...  The trashcan begin macro
+	      requires that the object is *untracked* before it is called.  So
+	      the dance becomes:
+
+	         GC untrack
+		 trashcan begin
+		 GC track
+
+	   Q. Why the bizarre (net-zero) manipulation of
+	      _PyTrash_delete_nesting around the trashcan macros?
+
+	   A. Some base classes (e.g. list) also use the trashcan mechanism.
+	      The following scenario used to be possible:
+
+	      - suppose the trashcan level is one below the trashcan limit
+
+	      - subtype_dealloc() is called
+
+	      - the trashcan limit is not yet reached, so the trashcan level
+	        is incremented and the code between trashcan begin and end is
+	        executed
+
+	      - this destroys much of the object's contents, including its
+	        slots and __dict__
+
+	      - basedealloc() is called; this is really list_dealloc(), or
+	        some other type which also uses the trashcan macros
+
+	      - the trashcan limit is now reached, so the object is put on the
+	        trashcan's to-be-deleted-later list
+
+	      - basedealloc() returns
+
+	      - subtype_dealloc() decrefs the object's type
+
+	      - subtype_dealloc() returns
+
+	      - later, the trashcan code starts deleting the objects from its
+	        to-be-deleted-later list
+
+	      - subtype_dealloc() is called *AGAIN* for the same object
+
+	      - at the very least (if the destroyed slots and __dict__ don't
+	        cause problems) the object's type gets decref'ed a second
+	        time, which is *BAD*!!!
+
+	      The remedy is to make sure that if the code between trashcan
+	      begin and end in subtype_dealloc() is called, the code between
+	      trashcan begin and end in basedealloc() will also be called.
+	      This is done by decrementing the level after passing into the
+	      trashcan block, and incrementing it just before leaving the
+	      block.
+
+	      But now it's possible that a chain of objects consisting solely
+	      of objects whose deallocator is subtype_dealloc() will defeat
+	      the trashcan mechanism completely: the decremented level means
+	      that the effective level never reaches the limit.  Therefore, we
+	      *increment* the level *before* entering the trashcan block, and
+	      matchingly decrement it after leaving.  This means the trashcan
+	      code will trigger a little early, but that's no big deal.
+
+	   Q. Are there any live examples of code in need of all this
+	      complexity?
+
+	   A. Yes.  See SF bug 668433 for code that crashed (when Python was
+	      compiled in debug mode) before the trashcan level manipulations
+	      were added.  For more discussion, see SF patches 581742, 575073
+	      and bug 574207.
+	*/
 }
 
 static PyTypeObject *solid_base(PyTypeObject *type);