diff --git a/Lib/test/test_hotshot.py b/Lib/test/test_hotshot.py
index 4618439867d..2751b3ffd49 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_hotshot.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_hotshot.py
@@ -109,17 +109,20 @@ class HotShotTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_bad_sys_path(self):
         import sys
+        import os
         orig_path = sys.path
         coverage = hotshot._hotshot.coverage
         try:
             # verify we require a list for sys.path
             sys.path = 'abc'
             self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, coverage, test_support.TESTFN)
-            # verify sys.path exists
+            # verify that we require sys.path exists
             del sys.path
             self.assertRaises(RuntimeError, coverage, test_support.TESTFN)
         finally:
             sys.path = orig_path
+            if os.path.exists(test_support.TESTFN):
+                os.remove(test_support.TESTFN)
 
 def test_main():
     test_support.run_unittest(HotShotTestCase)
diff --git a/Modules/_hotshot.c b/Modules/_hotshot.c
index 64dfa913017..d5b4cde8f9e 100644
--- a/Modules/_hotshot.c
+++ b/Modules/_hotshot.c
@@ -1525,9 +1525,11 @@ hotshot_profiler(PyObject *unused, PyObject *args)
             calibrate();
             calibrate();
         }
-        if (write_header(self))
+        if (write_header(self)) {
             /* some error occurred, exception has been set */
+            Py_DECREF(self);
             self = NULL;
+        }
     }
     return (PyObject *) self;
 }