diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.c b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.c
index d92ec5d31b8..4c8a9042f64 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.c
@@ -294,13 +294,6 @@ void unlink_object(Object *ob)
 		
 		if ELEM(obt->type, OB_CURVE, OB_FONT) {
 			cu= obt->data;
-			/* this test is for a bug in the Python API with Object.New():
-			 * objects can be created without any obdata; when deleted,
-			 * a segfault occurs since obt->data == NULL */
-			if (!cu) {
-				printf ("ERROR: found curve object with no obdata!\n");
-				break;
-			}
 
 			if(cu->bevobj==ob) {
 				cu->bevobj= NULL;
diff --git a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.c b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.c
index 9c529bd8652..01bc08436e6 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.c
@@ -790,6 +790,8 @@ PyObject *M_Object_New( PyObject * self_unused, PyObject * args )
 	char *str_type;
 	char *name = NULL;
 	Object *add_only_object(int type, char *name);
+	PyObject *py_object;
+	BPy_Object *blen_object;
 
 	if( !PyArg_ParseTuple( args, "s|s", &str_type, &name ) )
 		return EXPP_ReturnPyObjError( PyExc_TypeError,
@@ -835,7 +837,15 @@ PyObject *M_Object_New( PyObject * self_unused, PyObject * args )
 	object->id.us = 0;
 
 	/* Create a Python object from it. */
-	return Object_CreatePyObject( object );
+	py_object = Object_CreatePyObject( object );
+	blen_object = (BPy_Object *)py_object;
+
+	/* store the real object type in the PyObject, treat this as an Empty
+	 * until it has some obdata */
+	blen_object->realtype = object->type;
+	object->type = OB_EMPTY;
+
+	return py_object;
 }
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
@@ -1370,7 +1380,13 @@ static PyObject *Object_getTracked( BPy_Object * self )
 static PyObject *Object_getType( BPy_Object * self )
 {
 	char *str;
-	switch ( self->object->type ) {
+	int type = self->object->type;
+
+	/* if object not yet linked to data, return the stored type */
+	if( self->realtype != OB_EMPTY )
+		type = self->realtype;
+
+	switch ( type ) {
 	case OB_ARMATURE:
 		str = "Armature";
 		break;
@@ -1408,6 +1424,7 @@ static PyObject *Object_getType( BPy_Object * self )
 		str = "unknown";
 		break;
 	}
+
 	return PyString_FromString( str );
 }
 
@@ -1568,6 +1585,13 @@ static PyObject *Object_link( BPy_Object * self, PyObject * args )
 	id = ( ID * ) data;
 	obj_id = MAKE_ID2( id->name[0], id->name[1] );
 
+	/* if the object object has not been linked to real data before, we
+	 * can now let it assume its real type */
+	if( self->realtype != OB_EMPTY ) {
+		self->object->type = self->realtype;
+		self->realtype = OB_EMPTY;
+	}
+
 	ok = 1;
 	switch ( obj_id ) {
 	case ID_AR:
@@ -3123,10 +3147,10 @@ Object *GetObjectByName( char *name )
 /*****************************************************************************/
 static void Object_dealloc( BPy_Object * self )
 {
-	if( self->object->data )
-		self->object->id.us--;
-	else
+	if( self->realtype != OB_EMPTY ) 
 		free_libblock_us( &G.main->object, self->object );
+	else 
+		self->object->id.us--;
 
 #if 0	/* this will adjust the ID and if zero delete the object */
 	free_libblock_us( &G.main->object, self->object );
diff --git a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.h b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.h
index 79783db619f..5d9951c13c3 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.h
+++ b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Object.h
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ extern PyTypeObject Object_Type;
 typedef struct {
 	PyObject_HEAD 
 	struct Object *object;
+	short realtype;
 } BPy_Object;
 
-
 PyObject *Object_Init( void );
 PyObject *Object_CreatePyObject( struct Object *obj );
 Object *Object_FromPyObject( PyObject * py_obj );
diff --git a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Scene.c b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Scene.c
index eb204619f2a..7502c292753 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Scene.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Scene.c
@@ -809,8 +809,16 @@ static PyObject *Scene_link( BPy_Scene * self, PyObject * args )
 			return EXPP_ReturnPyObjError( PyExc_MemoryError,
 						      "couldn't allocate new Base for object" );
 
+		/*  if the object has not yet been linked to object data, then
+		 *  set the real type before we try creating data */
+
+		if( bpy_obj->realtype != OB_EMPTY ) {
+			object->type = bpy_obj->realtype;
+			bpy_obj->realtype = OB_EMPTY;
+		}
+
 		/* check if this object has obdata, case not, try to create it */
-		
+
 		if( !object->data && ( object->type != OB_EMPTY ) )
 			EXPP_add_obdata( object ); /* returns -1 on error, defined in Object.c */
 
diff --git a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/doc/Object.py b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/doc/Object.py
index 46b65f43b5e..595f9c7c7c7 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/doc/Object.py
+++ b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/doc/Object.py
@@ -108,14 +108,14 @@ Example::
 
 def New (type, name='type'):
   """
-  Creates a new Object.
+  Creates a new Object.  Deprecated; instead use Scene.objects.new().
   @type type: string
   @param type: The Object type: 'Armature', 'Camera', 'Curve', 'Lamp', 'Lattice',
       'Mball', 'Mesh', 'Surf' or 'Empty'.
   @type name: string
   @param name: The name of the object. By default, the name will be the same
       as the object type.
-      If the name is alredy in use, this new object will have a number at the end of the name.
+      If the name is already in use, this new object will have a number at the end of the name.
   @return: The created Object.
 
   I{B{Example:}}
@@ -131,6 +131,11 @@ def New (type, name='type'):
     scene.link(object)
 
     Blender.Redraw()
+  @Note: if an object is created but is not linked to object data, and the
+  object is not linked to a scene, it will be deleted when the Python
+  object is deallocated.  This is because Blender does not allow objects
+  to exist without object data unless they are Empty objects.  Scene.link()
+  will automatically create object data for an object if it has none.
   """
 
 def Get (name = None):