--- a/src/if_python.c
+++ b/src/if_python.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 #undef main /* Defined in python.h - aargh */
 #undef HAVE_FCNTL_H /* Clash with os_win32.h */
 
+static void init_structs(void);
+
 #if !defined(FEAT_PYTHON) && defined(PROTO)
 /* Use this to be able to generate prototypes without python being used. */
 # define PyObject Py_ssize_t
@@ -412,6 +414,12 @@ get_exceptions()
 }
 #endif /* DYNAMIC_PYTHON */
 
+/*
+ * Include the code shared with if_python3.c
+ */
+#include "if_py_both.h"
+
+
 /******************************************************
  * Internal function prototypes.
  */
@@ -437,8 +445,6 @@ static int InsertBufferLines(buf_T *, Py
 static PyObject *LineToString(const char *);
 static char *StringToLine(PyObject *);
 
-static int VimErrorCheck(void);
-
 #define PyErr_SetVim(str) PyErr_SetString(VimError, str)
 
 /******************************************************
@@ -486,20 +492,6 @@ Python_RestoreThread(void)
 #endif
 }
 
-/*
- * obtain a lock on the Vim data structures
- */
-static void Python_Lock_Vim(void)
-{
-}
-
-/*
- * release a lock on the Vim data structures
- */
-static void Python_Release_Vim(void)
-{
-}
-
     void
 python_end()
 {
@@ -550,6 +542,8 @@ Python_Init(void)
 	}
 #endif
 
+	init_structs();
+
 #if !defined(MACOS) || defined(MACOS_X_UNIX)
 	Py_Initialize();
 #else
@@ -743,52 +737,6 @@ ex_pyfile(exarg_T *eap)
 static PyObject *OutputGetattr(PyObject *, char *);
 static int OutputSetattr(PyObject *, char *, PyObject *);
 
-static PyObject *OutputWrite(PyObject *, PyObject *);
-static PyObject *OutputWritelines(PyObject *, PyObject *);
-
-typedef void (*writefn)(char_u *);
-static void writer(writefn fn, char_u *str, PyInt n);
-
-/* Output object definition
- */
-
-typedef struct
-{
-    PyObject_HEAD
-    long softspace;
-    long error;
-} OutputObject;
-
-static struct PyMethodDef OutputMethods[] = {
-    /* name,	    function,		calling,    documentation */
-    {"write",	    OutputWrite,	1,	    "" },
-    {"writelines",  OutputWritelines,	1,	    "" },
-    { NULL,	    NULL,		0,	    NULL }
-};
-
-static PyTypeObject OutputType = {
-	PyObject_HEAD_INIT(0)
-	0,
-	"message",
-	sizeof(OutputObject),
-	0,
-
-	(destructor) 0,
-	(printfunc) 0,
-	(getattrfunc) OutputGetattr,
-	(setattrfunc) OutputSetattr,
-	(cmpfunc) 0,
-	(reprfunc) 0,
-
-	0, /* as number */
-	0, /* as sequence */
-	0, /* as mapping */
-
-	(hashfunc) 0,
-	(ternaryfunc) 0,
-	(reprfunc) 0
-};
-
 /*************/
 
     static PyObject *
@@ -823,186 +771,15 @@ OutputSetattr(PyObject *self, char *name
     return -1;
 }
 
-/*************/
-
-    static PyObject *
-OutputWrite(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
-{
-    int len;
-    char *str;
-    int error = ((OutputObject *)(self))->error;
-
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s#", &str, &len))
-	return NULL;
-
-    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-    Python_Lock_Vim();
-    writer((writefn)(error ? emsg : msg), (char_u *)str, len);
-    Python_Release_Vim();
-    Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-
-    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
-    return Py_None;
-}
-
-    static PyObject *
-OutputWritelines(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
-{
-    PyInt n;
-    PyInt i;
-    PyObject *list;
-    int error = ((OutputObject *)(self))->error;
-
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O", &list))
-	return NULL;
-    Py_INCREF(list);
-
-    if (!PyList_Check(list)) {
-	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, _("writelines() requires list of strings"));
-	Py_DECREF(list);
-	return NULL;
-    }
-
-    n = PyList_Size(list);
-
-    for (i = 0; i < n; ++i)
-    {
-	PyObject *line = PyList_GetItem(list, i);
-	char *str;
-	PyInt len;
-
-	if (!PyArg_Parse(line, "s#", &str, &len)) {
-	    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, _("writelines() requires list of strings"));
-	    Py_DECREF(list);
-	    return NULL;
-	}
-
-	Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-	Python_Lock_Vim();
-	writer((writefn)(error ? emsg : msg), (char_u *)str, len);
-	Python_Release_Vim();
-	Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-    }
-
-    Py_DECREF(list);
-    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
-    return Py_None;
-}
-
-/* Output buffer management
- */
-
-static char_u *buffer = NULL;
-static PyInt buffer_len = 0;
-static PyInt buffer_size = 0;
-
-static writefn old_fn = NULL;
-
-    static void
-buffer_ensure(PyInt n)
-{
-    PyInt new_size;
-    char_u *new_buffer;
-
-    if (n < buffer_size)
-	return;
-
-    new_size = buffer_size;
-    while (new_size < n)
-	new_size += 80;
-
-    if (new_size != buffer_size)
-    {
-	new_buffer = alloc((unsigned)new_size);
-	if (new_buffer == NULL)
-	    return;
-
-	if (buffer)
-	{
-	    memcpy(new_buffer, buffer, buffer_len);
-	    vim_free(buffer);
-	}
-
-	buffer = new_buffer;
-	buffer_size = new_size;
-    }
-}
-
-    static void
-PythonIO_Flush(void)
-{
-    if (old_fn && buffer_len)
-    {
-	buffer[buffer_len] = 0;
-	old_fn(buffer);
-    }
-
-    buffer_len = 0;
-}
-
-    static void
-writer(writefn fn, char_u *str, PyInt n)
-{
-    char_u *ptr;
-
-    if (fn != old_fn && old_fn != NULL)
-	PythonIO_Flush();
-
-    old_fn = fn;
-
-    while (n > 0 && (ptr = memchr(str, '\n', n)) != NULL)
-    {
-	PyInt len = ptr - str;
-
-	buffer_ensure(buffer_len + len + 1);
-
-	memcpy(buffer + buffer_len, str, len);
-	buffer_len += len;
-	buffer[buffer_len] = 0;
-	fn(buffer);
-	str = ptr + 1;
-	n -= len + 1;
-	buffer_len = 0;
-    }
-
-    /* Put the remaining text into the buffer for later printing */
-    buffer_ensure(buffer_len + n + 1);
-    memcpy(buffer + buffer_len, str, n);
-    buffer_len += n;
-}
-
 /***************/
 
-static OutputObject Output =
-{
-    PyObject_HEAD_INIT(&OutputType)
-    0,
-    0
-};
-
-static OutputObject Error =
-{
-    PyObject_HEAD_INIT(&OutputType)
-    0,
-    1
-};
-
     static int
 PythonIO_Init(void)
 {
     /* Fixups... */
     OutputType.ob_type = &PyType_Type;
 
-    PySys_SetObject("stdout", (PyObject *)(void *)&Output);
-    PySys_SetObject("stderr", (PyObject *)(void *)&Error);
-
-    if (PyErr_Occurred())
-    {
-	EMSG(_("E264: Python: Error initialising I/O objects"));
-	return -1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
+    return PythonIO_Init_io();
 }
 
 /******************************************************
@@ -1013,8 +790,6 @@ PythonIO_Init(void)
  * -------------------------------------
  */
 
-static PyObject *VimError;
-
 static PyObject *VimCommand(PyObject *, PyObject *);
 static PyObject *VimEval(PyObject *, PyObject *);
 
@@ -1326,6 +1101,7 @@ VimEval(PyObject *self UNUSED, PyObject 
 /* Common routines for buffers and line ranges
  * -------------------------------------------
  */
+
     static int
 CheckBuffer(BufferObject *this)
 {
@@ -3018,26 +2794,6 @@ StringToLine(PyObject *obj)
     return save;
 }
 
-/* Check to see whether a Vim error has been reported, or a keyboard
- * interrupt has been detected.
- */
-    static int
-VimErrorCheck(void)
-{
-    if (got_int)
-    {
-	PyErr_SetNone(PyExc_KeyboardInterrupt);
-	return 1;
-    }
-    else if (did_emsg && !PyErr_Occurred())
-    {
-	PyErr_SetNone(VimError);
-	return 1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 
 /* Don't generate a prototype for the next function, it generates an error on
  * newer Python versions. */
@@ -3049,3 +2805,13 @@ Py_GetProgramName(void)
     return "vim";
 }
 #endif /* Python 1.4 */
+
+    static void
+init_structs(void)
+{
+    vim_memset(&OutputType, 0, sizeof(OutputType));
+    OutputType.tp_name = "message";
+    OutputType.tp_basicsize = sizeof(OutputObject);
+    OutputType.tp_getattr = OutputGetattr;
+    OutputType.tp_setattr = OutputSetattr;
+}