diff --git a/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py b/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
index 465013dc331..eced0524b80 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ class MSVCCompiler(CCompiler) :
         self.__version = VERSION
         self.__root = r"Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio"
         # self.__macros = MACROS
-        self.__path = []
+        self.__paths = []
         # target platform (.plat_name is consistent with 'bdist')
         self.plat_name = None
         self.__arch = None # deprecated name
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 0ff809cbc8d..6c1a0f1cd54 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #3741: DISTUTILS_USE_SDK set causes msvc9compiler.py to raise an
+  exception.
+
 - Issue #4433: Fixed an access violation when garbage collecting
   _ctypes.COMError instances.