diff -Naur pycairo-1.8.0-old/cairo/pycairo-surface.c pycairo-1.8.0/cairo/pycairo-surface.c
--- pycairo-1.8.0-old/cairo/pycairo-surface.c	2008-12-10 17:41:16.000000000 +1000
+++ pycairo-1.8.0/cairo/pycairo-surface.c	2009-01-10 15:08:36.000000000 +1000
@@ -310,10 +310,10 @@
 	    return NULL;
 	}
 	Py_DECREF(writer);
-	Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+	/*Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS*/ /*seg faults reported*/
 	status = cairo_surface_write_to_png_stream (o->surface, _write_func,
 						    file);
-	Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+	/*Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS*/
     }
     RETURN_NULL_IF_CAIRO_ERROR(status);
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
@@ -505,9 +505,9 @@
     }
     Py_DECREF(reader);
 
-    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS*/ /*seg faults reported*/
     is = cairo_image_surface_create_from_png_stream (_read_func, file);
-    Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS*/
     return PycairoSurface_FromSurface (is, NULL);
 }
 #endif /* CAIRO_HAS_PNG_FUNCTIONS */
@@ -712,10 +712,10 @@
     }
     Py_DECREF(writer);
 
-    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS*/ /*seg faults reported*/
     sfc = cairo_pdf_surface_create_for_stream (_write_func, file,
 					       width_in_points, height_in_points);
-    Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS*/
     return PycairoSurface_FromSurface (sfc, file);
 }
 
@@ -818,10 +818,10 @@
     }
     Py_DECREF(writer);
 
-    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS*/ /*seg faults reported*/
     sfc = cairo_ps_surface_create_for_stream (_write_func, file,
 					width_in_points, height_in_points);
-    Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS*/
     return PycairoSurface_FromSurface (sfc, file);
 }
 
@@ -1010,10 +1010,10 @@
     }
     Py_DECREF(writer);
 
-    Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS*/ /*seg faults reported*/
     sfc = cairo_svg_surface_create_for_stream (_write_func, file,
 					 width_in_points, height_in_points);
-    Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+    /*Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS*/
     return PycairoSurface_FromSurface (sfc, file);
 }