diff --git a/Doc/api/abstract.tex b/Doc/api/abstract.tex
index f19928f9fc2..b38bc91064c 100644
--- a/Doc/api/abstract.tex
+++ b/Doc/api/abstract.tex
@@ -830,6 +830,13 @@ determination.
   and that \var{i} is within bounds.
 \end{cfuncdesc}
 
+\begin{cfuncdesc}{PyObject**}{PySequence_Fast_ITEMS}{PyObject *o}
+  Return the underlying array of PyObject pointers.  Assumes that
+  \var{o} was returned by \cfunction{PySequence_Fast()} and
+  \var{o} is not \NULL.
+  \versionadded{2.4}  
+\end{cfuncdesc}
+
 \begin{cfuncdesc}{PyObject*}{PySequence_ITEM}{PyObject *o, int i}
   Return the \var{i}th element of \var{o} or \NULL{} on failure.
   Macro form of \cfunction{PySequence_GetItem()} but without checking
diff --git a/Include/abstract.h b/Include/abstract.h
index 46aee297d00..bc9df05d84d 100644
--- a/Include/abstract.h
+++ b/Include/abstract.h
@@ -1016,6 +1016,12 @@ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx*/
 	  need to be corrected for a negative index
        */     
 
+#define _PySequence_Fast_ITEMS(sf) \
+	(PyList_Check(sf) ? ((PyListObject *)(sf))->ob_item \
+			  : ((PyTupleObject *)(sf))->ob_item)
+	/* Return a pointer to the underlying item array for
+           an object retured by PySequence_Fast */
+
      PyAPI_FUNC(int) PySequence_Count(PyObject *o, PyObject *value);
 
        /*
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 21114d4e4cd..9c5d80ac596 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -412,6 +412,9 @@ Build
 C API
 -----
 
+- Added a new macro, PySequence_Fast_ITEMS, which retrieves a fast sequence's
+  underlying array of PyObject pointers.  Useful for high speed looping.
+
 - Created a new method flag, METH_COEXIST, which causes a method to be loaded
   even if already defined by a slot wrapper.  This allows a __contains__
   method, for example, to co-exist with a defined sq_contains slot.  This
diff --git a/Objects/listobject.c b/Objects/listobject.c
index 2f2097d0d5a..78def29bd1b 100644
--- a/Objects/listobject.c
+++ b/Objects/listobject.c
@@ -491,12 +491,7 @@ list_ass_slice(PyListObject *a, int ilow, int ihigh, PyObject *v)
 		if(v_as_SF == NULL)
 			return -1;
 		n = PySequence_Fast_GET_SIZE(v_as_SF);
-		if (PyList_Check(v_as_SF))
-			vitem = ((PyListObject *)v_as_SF)->ob_item;
-		else {
-			assert (PyTuple_Check(v_as_SF));
-			vitem = ((PyTupleObject *)v_as_SF)->ob_item;
-		}
+		vitem = _PySequence_Fast_ITEMS(v_as_SF);
 	}
 	if (ilow < 0)
 		ilow = 0;
@@ -691,12 +686,7 @@ listextend_internal(PyListObject *self, PyObject *b)
 	}
 
 	/* populate the end of self with b's items */
-	if (PyList_Check(b)) 
-		src = ((PyListObject *)b)->ob_item;
-	else {
-		assert (PyTuple_Check(b));
-		src = ((PyTupleObject *)b)->ob_item;
-	}
+	src = _PySequence_Fast_ITEMS(b);
 	dest = self->ob_item + selflen;
 	for (i = 0; i < blen; i++) {
 		PyObject *o = src[i];
@@ -2571,10 +2561,7 @@ list_ass_subscript(PyListObject* self, PyObject* item, PyObject* value)
 				PyMem_MALLOC(slicelength*sizeof(PyObject*));
 
 			selfitems = self->ob_item;
-			if (PyList_Check(seq))
-				seqitems = ((PyListObject *)seq)->ob_item;
-			else
-				seqitems = ((PyTupleObject *)seq)->ob_item;
+			seqitems = _PySequence_Fast_ITEMS(seq);
 			for (cur = start, i = 0; i < slicelength;
 			     cur += step, i++) {
 				garbage[i] = selfitems[cur];