diff --git a/python/cell_object.cpp b/python/cell_object.cpp
index a1c341f42..951d77e5c 100644
--- a/python/cell_object.cpp
+++ b/python/cell_object.cpp
@@ -20,19 +20,19 @@ static void cell_object_dealloc(CellObject* self) {
     Cell* cell = self->cell;
     if (cell) {
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < cell->polygon_array.count; i++)
-            Py_DECREF(cell->polygon_array[i]->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(cell->polygon_array[i]->owner);
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < cell->reference_array.count; i++)
-            Py_DECREF(cell->reference_array[i]->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(cell->reference_array[i]->owner);
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < cell->flexpath_array.count; i++)
-            Py_DECREF(cell->flexpath_array[i]->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(cell->flexpath_array[i]->owner);
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < cell->robustpath_array.count; i++)
-            Py_DECREF(cell->robustpath_array[i]->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(cell->robustpath_array[i]->owner);
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < cell->label_array.count; i++)
-            Py_DECREF(cell->label_array[i]->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(cell->label_array[i]->owner);
         cell->clear();
         free_allocation(cell);
     }
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int cell_object_init(CellObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ static int cell_object_init(CellObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
     cell->name = copy_string(name, &len);
     cell->owner = self;
     if (len <= 1) {
+        free_allocation(cell->name);
+        free_allocation(cell);
+        self->cell = NULL;
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Empty cell name.");
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/python/curve_object.cpp b/python/curve_object.cpp
index 4f19cc220..dcd026a18 100644
--- a/python/curve_object.cpp
+++ b/python/curve_object.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ static void curve_object_dealloc(CurveObject* self) {
         self->curve->clear();
         free_allocation(self->curve);
     }
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int curve_object_init(CurveObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/flexpath_object.cpp b/python/flexpath_object.cpp
index 45bb4e6cc..e2b45d1d2 100644
--- a/python/flexpath_object.cpp
+++ b/python/flexpath_object.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ static void flexpath_cleanup(FlexPathObject* self) {
 
 static void flexpath_object_dealloc(FlexPathObject* self) {
     if (self->flexpath) flexpath_cleanup(self);
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int flexpath_object_init(FlexPathObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/gdswriter_object.cpp b/python/gdswriter_object.cpp
index 378d533e6..f91b5b41c 100644
--- a/python/gdswriter_object.cpp
+++ b/python/gdswriter_object.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ static PyObject* gdswriter_object_str(GdsWriterObject* self) {
 
 static void gdswriter_object_dealloc(GdsWriterObject* self) {
     free_allocation(self->gdswriter);
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int gdswriter_object_init(GdsWriterObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/label_object.cpp b/python/label_object.cpp
index 4a2a356db..c01b72432 100644
--- a/python/label_object.cpp
+++ b/python/label_object.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ static void label_object_dealloc(LabelObject* self) {
         self->label->clear();
         free_allocation(self->label);
     }
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int label_object_init(LabelObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/library_object.cpp b/python/library_object.cpp
index d60fc30bf..40b5be75c 100644
--- a/python/library_object.cpp
+++ b/python/library_object.cpp
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ static void library_object_dealloc(LibraryObject* self) {
     Library* library = self->library;
     if (library) {
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < library->cell_array.count; i++)
-            Py_DECREF(library->cell_array[i]->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(library->cell_array[i]->owner);
         for (uint64_t i = 0; i < library->rawcell_array.count; i++)
-            Py_DECREF(library->rawcell_array[i]->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(library->rawcell_array[i]->owner);
         library->clear();
         free_allocation(library);
     }
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int library_object_init(LibraryObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/polygon_object.cpp b/python/polygon_object.cpp
index c057a302c..f40dc61f9 100644
--- a/python/polygon_object.cpp
+++ b/python/polygon_object.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ static void polygon_object_dealloc(PolygonObject* self) {
         self->polygon->clear();
         free_allocation(self->polygon);
     }
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int polygon_object_init(PolygonObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/rawcell_object.cpp b/python/rawcell_object.cpp
index 85b9c328e..3c06c7f6b 100644
--- a/python/rawcell_object.cpp
+++ b/python/rawcell_object.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ static void rawcell_object_dealloc(RawCellObject* self) {
         rawcell->clear();
         free_allocation(rawcell);
     }
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int rawcell_object_init(RawCellObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/reference_object.cpp b/python/reference_object.cpp
index ef2dcc1a5..1047fbda5 100644
--- a/python/reference_object.cpp
+++ b/python/reference_object.cpp
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ static void reference_object_dealloc(ReferenceObject* self) {
     Reference* reference = self->reference;
     if (reference) {
         if (reference->type == ReferenceType::Cell) {
-            Py_DECREF(reference->cell->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(reference->cell->owner);
         } else if (reference->type == ReferenceType::RawCell) {
-            Py_DECREF(reference->rawcell->owner);
+            Py_XDECREF(reference->rawcell->owner);
         }
         reference->clear();
         free_allocation(reference);
     }
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int reference_object_init(ReferenceObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ static int reference_object_init(ReferenceObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject
         reference->name = (char*)allocate(++len);
         memcpy(reference->name, name, len);
     } else {
+        free_allocation(reference);
+        self->reference = NULL;
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "Argument cell must be a Cell, RawCell, or string.");
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/python/repetition_object.cpp b/python/repetition_object.cpp
index 127af6084..04530f3b1 100644
--- a/python/repetition_object.cpp
+++ b/python/repetition_object.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ static PyObject* repetition_object_str(RepetitionObject* self) {
 static void repetition_object_dealloc(RepetitionObject* self) {
     Repetition repetition = self->repetition;
     repetition.clear();
-
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int repetition_object_init(RepetitionObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {
diff --git a/python/robustpath_object.cpp b/python/robustpath_object.cpp
index d70a56ab0..b8d9cf52e 100644
--- a/python/robustpath_object.cpp
+++ b/python/robustpath_object.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static void robustpath_cleanup(RobustPathObject* self) {
 
 static void robustpath_object_dealloc(RobustPathObject* self) {
     if (self->robustpath) robustpath_cleanup(self);
-    PyObject_Del(self);
+    Py_TYPE(self)->tp_free((PyObject*)self);
 }
 
 static int robustpath_object_init(RobustPathObject* self, PyObject* args, PyObject* kwds) {