diff --git a/pandas/lib.pyx b/pandas/lib.pyx
index 761969491cfc7..e3ee468e1a23b 100644
--- a/pandas/lib.pyx
+++ b/pandas/lib.pyx
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ from cpython cimport (PyDict_New, PyDict_GetItem, PyDict_SetItem,
                       PyBytes_GET_SIZE,
                       PyUnicode_GET_SIZE)
 
-try:
+IF PY_MAJOR_VERSION == 2:
     from cpython cimport PyString_GET_SIZE
-except ImportError:
+ELSE:
     from cpython cimport PyUnicode_GET_SIZE as PyString_GET_SIZE
 
 cdef extern from "Python.h":
diff --git a/pandas/src/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in b/pandas/src/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in
index b26839599ef38..6bf94c9366c8a 100644
--- a/pandas/src/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in
+++ b/pandas/src/hashtable_class_helper.pxi.in
@@ -691,7 +691,11 @@ cdef class PyObjectHashTable(HashTable):
 
     def __dealloc__(self):
         if self.table is not NULL:
-            self.destroy()
+            # cython documentation -
+            # "don’t call any other methods of the object"
+            # self.destroy()
+            kh_destroy_pymap(self.table)
+            self.table = NULL
 
     def __len__(self):
         return self.table.size
diff --git a/pandas/src/ujson/python/JSONtoObj.c b/pandas/src/ujson/python/JSONtoObj.c
index b0132532c16af..6be4584b854f5 100644
--- a/pandas/src/ujson/python/JSONtoObj.c
+++ b/pandas/src/ujson/python/JSONtoObj.c
@@ -427,7 +427,11 @@ int Object_npyObjectAddKey(void *prv, JSOBJ obj, JSOBJ name, JSOBJ value) {
 
     // only fill label array once, assumes all column labels are the same
     // for 2-dimensional arrays.
+#ifdef PYPY_VERSION
+    if (PyObject_GET_SIZE(npyarr->labels[labelidx]) <= npyarr->elcount) {
+#else
     if (PyList_GET_SIZE(npyarr->labels[labelidx]) <= npyarr->elcount) {
+#endif
         PyList_Append(npyarr->labels[labelidx], label);
     }
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 0a84cf527bfb1..015db43afada0 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -150,6 +150,12 @@ def build_extensions(self):
                 with open(outfile, "w") as f:
                     f.write(pyxcontent)
 
+            # used in lib.pyx, assumes old_build_ext
+            if not self.cython_compile_time_env:
+                self.cython_compile_time_env = {}
+            major = sys.version_info.major
+            self.cython_compile_time_env['PY_MAJOR_VERSION'] = major
+
         numpy_incl = pkg_resources.resource_filename('numpy', 'core/include')
 
         for ext in self.extensions: