diff --git a/Lib/site.py b/Lib/site.py
index 9865cc940e0..f22e1d10009 100644
--- a/Lib/site.py
+++ b/Lib/site.py
@@ -76,7 +76,11 @@ USER_BASE = None
 
 
 def makepath(*paths):
-    dir = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(*paths))
+    dir = os.path.join(*paths)
+    try:
+        dir = os.path.abspath(dir)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
     return dir, os.path.normcase(dir)
 
 
@@ -87,8 +91,8 @@ def abs__file__():
             continue   # don't mess with a PEP 302-supplied __file__
         try:
             m.__file__ = os.path.abspath(m.__file__)
-        except AttributeError:
-            continue
+        except (AttributeError, OSError):
+            pass
 
 
 def removeduppaths():
diff --git a/Lib/sysconfig.py b/Lib/sysconfig.py
index b8880f53555..5d5d5c0100a 100644
--- a/Lib/sysconfig.py
+++ b/Lib/sysconfig.py
@@ -93,21 +93,28 @@ _PREFIX = os.path.normpath(sys.prefix)
 _EXEC_PREFIX = os.path.normpath(sys.exec_prefix)
 _CONFIG_VARS = None
 _USER_BASE = None
+
+def _safe_realpath(path):
+    try:
+        return realpath(path)
+    except OSError:
+        return path
+
 if sys.executable:
-    _PROJECT_BASE = os.path.dirname(realpath(sys.executable))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = os.path.dirname(_safe_realpath(sys.executable))
 else:
     # sys.executable can be empty if argv[0] has been changed and Python is
     # unable to retrieve the real program name
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.getcwd())
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.getcwd())
 
 if os.name == "nt" and "pcbuild" in _PROJECT_BASE[-8:].lower():
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir))
 # PC/VS7.1
 if os.name == "nt" and "\\pc\\v" in _PROJECT_BASE[-10:].lower():
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
 # PC/AMD64
 if os.name == "nt" and "\\pcbuild\\amd64" in _PROJECT_BASE[-14:].lower():
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
 
 def is_python_build():
     for fn in ("Setup.dist", "Setup.local"):
@@ -319,7 +326,7 @@ def _init_non_posix(vars):
     vars['SO'] = '.pyd'
     vars['EXE'] = '.exe'
     vars['VERSION'] = _PY_VERSION_SHORT_NO_DOT
-    vars['BINDIR'] = os.path.dirname(realpath(sys.executable))
+    vars['BINDIR'] = os.path.dirname(_safe_realpath(sys.executable))
 
 #
 # public APIs
@@ -439,8 +446,12 @@ def get_config_vars(*args):
         # from a different directory.
         if _PYTHON_BUILD and os.name == "posix":
             base = _PROJECT_BASE
+            try:
+                cwd = os.getcwd()
+            except OSError:
+                cwd = None
             if (not os.path.isabs(_CONFIG_VARS['srcdir']) and
-                base != os.getcwd()):
+                base != cwd):
                 # srcdir is relative and we are not in the same directory
                 # as the executable. Assume executable is in the build
                 # directory and make srcdir absolute.
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index ea7d9daaf66..982af4cc4f1 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ Vivek Khera
 Akira Kitada
 Mads Kiilerich
 Taek Joo Kim
+W. Trevor King
 Paul Kippes
 Steve Kirsch
 Sebastian Kirsche
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index d86f34f9ee6..a19b47895c1 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #6612: Fix site and sysconfig to catch os.getcwd() error, eg. if the
+  current directory was deleted. Patch written by W. Trevor King.
+
 - Issue #10045: Improved performance when writing after seeking past the
   end of the "file" in cStringIO.
 
@@ -108,7 +111,7 @@ Library
   to zero.
 
 - Issue #9816: random.Random.jumpahead(n) did not produce a sufficiently
-  different internal state for small values of n.  Fixed by salting the 
+  different internal state for small values of n.  Fixed by salting the
   value.
 
 - Issue #9792: In case of connection failure, socket.create_connection()
@@ -319,7 +322,7 @@ Extension Modules
 -----------------
 
 - Issue #10003: Allow handling of SIGBREAK on Windows. Fixes a regression
-  introduced by issue #9324. 
+  introduced by issue #9324.
 
 - Issue #8734: Avoid crash in msvcrt.get_osfhandle() when an invalid file
   descriptor is provided.  Patch by Pascal Chambon.