diff --git a/Lib/test/test_re.py b/Lib/test/test_re.py
index 1bfbcb853c4ed1..c1d02cfaf0dcb6 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_re.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_re.py
@@ -2197,6 +2197,10 @@ def test_overlap_table(self):
         self.assertEqual(f("ababba"), [0, 0, 1, 2, 0, 1])
         self.assertEqual(f("abcabdac"), [0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 0, 1, 0])
 
+    def test_signedness(self):
+        self.assertGreaterEqual(sre_compile.MAXREPEAT, 0)
+        self.assertGreaterEqual(sre_compile.MAXGROUPS, 0)
+
 
 class ExternalTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
diff --git a/Modules/_sre.c b/Modules/_sre.c
index fbabeb7c9f3054..3aa69752a997bb 100644
--- a/Modules/_sre.c
+++ b/Modules/_sre.c
@@ -2773,11 +2773,20 @@ static struct PyModuleDef sremodule = {
         NULL
 };
 
+#define ADD_ULONG_CONSTANT(module, name, value)            \
+    do {                                                   \
+        PyObject *o = PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(value);      \
+        if (!o)                                            \
+            return NULL;                                   \
+        if (PyModule_AddObject(module, name, o) < 0) {     \
+            Py_DECREF(o);                                  \
+            return NULL;                                   \
+        }                                                  \
+} while (0)
+
 PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit__sre(void)
 {
     PyObject* m;
-    PyObject* d;
-    PyObject* x;
 
     /* Patch object types */
     if (PyType_Ready(&Pattern_Type) || PyType_Ready(&Match_Type) ||
@@ -2787,37 +2796,22 @@ PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit__sre(void)
     m = PyModule_Create(&sremodule);
     if (m == NULL)
         return NULL;
-    d = PyModule_GetDict(m);
 
-    x = PyLong_FromLong(SRE_MAGIC);
-    if (x) {
-        PyDict_SetItemString(d, "MAGIC", x);
-        Py_DECREF(x);
+    if (PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "MAGIC", SRE_MAGIC) < 0) {
+        return NULL;
     }
 
-    x = PyLong_FromLong(sizeof(SRE_CODE));
-    if (x) {
-        PyDict_SetItemString(d, "CODESIZE", x);
-        Py_DECREF(x);
+    if (PyModule_AddIntConstant(m, "CODESIZE", sizeof(SRE_CODE)) < 0) {
+        return NULL;
     }
 
-    x = PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(SRE_MAXREPEAT);
-    if (x) {
-        PyDict_SetItemString(d, "MAXREPEAT", x);
-        Py_DECREF(x);
-    }
+    ADD_ULONG_CONSTANT(m, "MAXREPEAT", SRE_MAXREPEAT);
+    ADD_ULONG_CONSTANT(m, "MAXGROUPS", SRE_MAXGROUPS);
 
-    x = PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(SRE_MAXGROUPS);
-    if (x) {
-        PyDict_SetItemString(d, "MAXGROUPS", x);
-        Py_DECREF(x);
+    if (PyModule_AddStringConstant(m, "copyright", copyright) < 0) {
+        return NULL;
     }
 
-    x = PyUnicode_FromString(copyright);
-    if (x) {
-        PyDict_SetItemString(d, "copyright", x);
-        Py_DECREF(x);
-    }
     return m;
 }