diff --git a/src/pl/plpython/plpython.c b/src/pl/plpython/plpython.c
index b748af1d358..2340d47891f 100644
--- a/src/pl/plpython/plpython.c
+++ b/src/pl/plpython/plpython.c
@@ -657,9 +657,7 @@ PLy_modify_tuple(PLyProcedure *proc, PyObject *pltd, TriggerData *tdata,
 {
 	PyObject   *volatile plntup;
 	PyObject   *volatile plkeys;
-	PyObject   *volatile platt;
 	PyObject   *volatile plval;
-	PyObject   *volatile plstr;
 	HeapTuple	rtup;
 	int			natts,
 				i,
@@ -675,7 +673,7 @@ PLy_modify_tuple(PLyProcedure *proc, PyObject *pltd, TriggerData *tdata,
 	plerrcontext.previous = error_context_stack;
 	error_context_stack = &plerrcontext;
 
-	plntup = plkeys = platt = plval = plstr = NULL;
+	plntup = plkeys = plval = NULL;
 	modattrs = NULL;
 	modvalues = NULL;
 	modnulls = NULL;
@@ -685,10 +683,10 @@ PLy_modify_tuple(PLyProcedure *proc, PyObject *pltd, TriggerData *tdata,
 		if ((plntup = PyDict_GetItemString(pltd, "new")) == NULL)
 			ereport(ERROR,
 					(errmsg("TD[\"new\"] deleted, cannot modify row")));
+		Py_INCREF(plntup);
 		if (!PyDict_Check(plntup))
 			ereport(ERROR,
 					(errmsg("TD[\"new\"] is not a dictionary")));
-		Py_INCREF(plntup);
 
 		plkeys = PyDict_Keys(plntup);
 		natts = PyList_Size(plkeys);
@@ -701,6 +699,7 @@ PLy_modify_tuple(PLyProcedure *proc, PyObject *pltd, TriggerData *tdata,
 
 		for (i = 0; i < natts; i++)
 		{
+			PyObject   *platt;
 			char	   *plattstr;
 
 			platt = PyList_GetItem(plkeys, i);
@@ -767,7 +766,6 @@ PLy_modify_tuple(PLyProcedure *proc, PyObject *pltd, TriggerData *tdata,
 		Py_XDECREF(plntup);
 		Py_XDECREF(plkeys);
 		Py_XDECREF(plval);
-		Py_XDECREF(plstr);
 
 		if (modnulls)
 			pfree(modnulls);