diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 84f6e2c9bbb..06483aa3e5d 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ Projected release date: 2013-11-24
 Core and Builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Issue #18603: Ensure that PyOS_mystricmp and PyOS_mystrnicmp are in the
+  Python executable and not removed by the linker's optimizer.
+
 - Issue #19306: Add extra hints to the faulthandler module's stack
   dumps that these are "upside down".
 
@@ -67,6 +70,9 @@ Core and Builtins
   PyMem_Realloc().
 
 - Issue #19199: Remove ``PyThreadState.tick_counter`` field
+=======
+- Issue #19279: UTF-7 decoder no more produces illegal strings.
+>>>>>>> other
 
 - Fix macro expansion of _PyErr_OCCURRED(), and make sure to use it in at
   least one place so as to avoid regressions.
diff --git a/Python/pythonrun.c b/Python/pythonrun.c
index b963ce11326..15a48f9947c 100644
--- a/Python/pythonrun.c
+++ b/Python/pythonrun.c
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ int Py_IsolatedFlag = 0; /* for -I, isolate from user's env */
 
 PyThreadState *_Py_Finalizing = NULL;
 
+/* Hack to force loading of object files */
+int (*_PyOS_mystrnicmp_hack)(const char *, const char *, Py_ssize_t) = \
+    PyOS_mystrnicmp; /* Python/pystrcmp.o */
+
 /* PyModule_GetWarningsModule is no longer necessary as of 2.6
 since _warnings is builtin.  This API should not be used. */
 PyObject *