diff --git a/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c b/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c
index 8309b35a624..f762e7e8860 100644
--- a/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c
+++ b/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c
@@ -3026,8 +3026,10 @@ static PyObject *File_pathname(PyObject *_self, PyObject *_args)
 
 	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(_args, "O", &obj))
 		return NULL;
-	if (PyString_Check(obj))
+	if (PyString_Check(obj)) {
+		Py_INCREF(obj);
 		return obj;
+	}
 	if (PyUnicode_Check(obj))
 		return PyUnicode_AsEncodedString(obj, "utf8", "strict");
 	_res = PyObject_CallMethod(obj, "as_pathname", NULL);
diff --git a/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py b/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py
index 26821ddd69a..9d6005cef6b 100644
--- a/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py
+++ b/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py
@@ -874,8 +874,10 @@ PyObject *obj;
 
 if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(_args, "O", &obj))
 	return NULL;
-if (PyString_Check(obj))
+if (PyString_Check(obj)) {
+	Py_INCREF(obj);
 	return obj;
+}
 if (PyUnicode_Check(obj))
 	return PyUnicode_AsEncodedString(obj, "utf8", "strict");
 _res = PyObject_CallMethod(obj, "as_pathname", NULL);