diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 6e5b59662..46b678acf 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+28 February 2019: Wouter
+	- Remove memory leak on pythonmod python2 script file init.
+	- Remove swig gcc8 python function cast warnings, they are ignored.
+
 27 February 2019: Wouter
 	- Fix #4229: Unbound man pages lack information, about access-control
 	  order and local zone tags, and elements in views.
diff --git a/libunbound/python/libunbound.i b/libunbound/python/libunbound.i
index 4af75637c..6196a3979 100644
--- a/libunbound/python/libunbound.i
+++ b/libunbound/python/libunbound.i
@@ -33,8 +33,16 @@
  * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
  * POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
+%begin %{
+/* store state of warning output, restored at later pop */
+#pragma GCC diagnostic push
+/* ignore gcc8 METH_NOARGS function cast warnings for swig function pointers */
+#pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wcast-function-type"
+%}
 %module unbound
 %{
+/* restore state of warning output, remove the functioncast ignore */
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
    #include <sys/types.h>
    #ifdef HAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H
    #include <sys/socket.h>
diff --git a/pythonmod/interface.i b/pythonmod/interface.i
index 9b5e15a4a..f9fd07b51 100644
--- a/pythonmod/interface.i
+++ b/pythonmod/interface.i
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 /*
  * interface.i: unbound python module
  */
+%begin %{
+/* store state of warning output, restored at later pop */
+#pragma GCC diagnostic push
+/* ignore gcc8 METH_NOARGS function cast warnings for swig function pointers */
+#pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wcast-function-type"
+%}
 %module unboundmodule
 %{
+/* restore state of warning output, remove the functioncast ignore */
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 /**
  * \file
  * This is the interface between the unbound server and a python module
diff --git a/pythonmod/pythonmod.c b/pythonmod/pythonmod.c
index 459ae1e8c..9009a28da 100644
--- a/pythonmod/pythonmod.c
+++ b/pythonmod/pythonmod.c
@@ -354,7 +354,11 @@ int pythonmod_init(struct module_env* env, int id)
       PyGILState_Release(gil);
       return 0;
    }
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION < 3
+   Py_XDECREF(PyFileObject);
+#else
    fclose(script_py);
+#endif
 
    if ((pe->func_init = PyDict_GetItemString(pe->dict, "init_standard")) == NULL)
    {