diff --git a/Include/object.h b/Include/object.h
index 0b679d544d0..0b85fd3f4b8 100644
--- a/Include/object.h
+++ b/Include/object.h
@@ -306,17 +306,17 @@ extern void inc_count Py_PROTO((PyTypeObject *));
 #endif
 
 #ifdef Py_REF_DEBUG
-extern long ref_total;
+extern long _Py_RefTotal;
 #ifndef Py_TRACE_REFS
 #ifdef COUNT_ALLOCS
-#define _Py_NewReference(op) (inc_count((op)->ob_type), ref_total++, (op)->ob_refcnt = 1)
+#define _Py_NewReference(op) (inc_count((op)->ob_type), _Py_RefTotal++, (op)->ob_refcnt = 1)
 #else
-#define _Py_NewReference(op) (ref_total++, (op)->ob_refcnt = 1)
+#define _Py_NewReference(op) (_Py_RefTotal++, (op)->ob_refcnt = 1)
 #endif
 #endif
-#define Py_INCREF(op) (ref_total++, (op)->ob_refcnt++)
+#define Py_INCREF(op) (_Py_RefTotal++, (op)->ob_refcnt++)
 #define Py_DECREF(op) \
-	if (--ref_total, --(op)->ob_refcnt != 0) \
+	if (--_Py_RefTotal, --(op)->ob_refcnt != 0) \
 		; \
 	else \
 		_Py_Dealloc(op)
diff --git a/Objects/object.c b/Objects/object.c
index d93d28b3e8d..fc8d525d7dd 100644
--- a/Objects/object.c
+++ b/Objects/object.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 
 #include "allobjects.h"
 
-#ifdef REF_DEBUG
+#if defined( Py_TRACE_REFS ) || defined( Py_REF_DEBUG )
 long ref_total;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/Objects/stringobject.c b/Objects/stringobject.c
index b09fc2546df..54f161f3faa 100644
--- a/Objects/stringobject.c
+++ b/Objects/stringobject.c
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ resizestring(pv, newsize)
 	}
 	/* XXX UNREF/NEWREF interface should be more symmetrical */
 #ifdef REF_DEBUG
-	--ref_total;
+	--_Py_RefTotal;
 #endif
 	UNREF(v);
 	*pv = (object *)
diff --git a/Objects/tupleobject.c b/Objects/tupleobject.c
index 69c4f959376..7fae2647b0d 100644
--- a/Objects/tupleobject.c
+++ b/Objects/tupleobject.c
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ resizetuple(pv, newsize, last_is_sticky)
 		return 0;
 	/* XXX UNREF/NEWREF interface should be more symmetrical */
 #ifdef REF_DEBUG
-	--ref_total;
+	--_Py_RefTotal;
 #endif
 	UNREF(v);
 	if (last_is_sticky && sizediff < 0) {
diff --git a/Python/ceval.c b/Python/ceval.c
index 041ae4dfc3d..3fa03c0afd4 100644
--- a/Python/ceval.c
+++ b/Python/ceval.c
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ eval_code(co, globals, locals, owner, arg)
 #ifdef LLTRACE
 	int lltrace;
 #endif
-#ifdef DEBUG
+#if defined( DEBUG ) || defined( LLTRACE )
 	/* Make it easier to find out where we are with dbx */
 	char *filename = getstringvalue(co->co_filename);
 #endif
diff --git a/Python/pythonrun.c b/Python/pythonrun.c
index 96f385f9e28..734b72b0c44 100644
--- a/Python/pythonrun.c
+++ b/Python/pythonrun.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ run_tty_loop(fp, filename)
 	for (;;) {
 		ret = run_tty_1(fp, filename);
 #ifdef REF_DEBUG
-		fprintf(stderr, "[%ld refs]\n", ref_total);
+		fprintf(stderr, "[%ld refs]\n", _Py_RefTotal);
 #endif
 		if (ret == E_EOF)
 			return 0;
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ goaway(sts)
 	err_clear();
 
 #ifdef REF_DEBUG
-	fprintf(stderr, "[%ld refs]\n", ref_total);
+	fprintf(stderr, "[%ld refs]\n", _Py_RefTotal);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef TRACE_REFS