diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 203972d5108..a53fdaf5a48 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ Core and builtins
 Extension modules
 -----------------
 
+- The pwd module incorrectly advertised its struct type as
+  struct_pwent; this has been renamed to struct_passwd.  (The old name
+  is still supported for backwards compatibility.)
+
 - The xml.parsers.expat module now provides Expat 1.95.7.
 
 - socket.IPPROTO_IPV6 was added.
diff --git a/Modules/pwdmodule.c b/Modules/pwdmodule.c
index 7e3c3ae170a..6bbea33c38d 100644
--- a/Modules/pwdmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/pwdmodule.c
@@ -184,5 +184,7 @@ initpwd(void)
 
 	PyStructSequence_InitType(&StructPwdType, &struct_pwd_type_desc);
 	Py_INCREF((PyObject *) &StructPwdType);
+	PyModule_AddObject(m, "struct_passwd", (PyObject *) &StructPwdType);
+	/* And for b/w compatibility (this was defined by mistake): */
 	PyModule_AddObject(m, "struct_pwent", (PyObject *) &StructPwdType);
 }