diff --git a/src/python/recoll/pyrclextract.cpp b/src/python/recoll/pyrclextract.cpp
index b0126a14..d38f4543 100644
--- a/src/python/recoll/pyrclextract.cpp
+++ b/src/python/recoll/pyrclextract.cpp
@@ -291,5 +291,17 @@ initrclextract(void)
     Py_INCREF(&rclx_ExtractorType);
     PyModule_AddObject(m, "Extractor", (PyObject *)&rclx_ExtractorType);
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 2 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >= 7
     recoll_DocType = (PyObject*)PyCapsule_Import(PYRECOLL_PACKAGE "recoll.doctypeptr", 0);
+#else
+    PyObject *module = PyImport_ImportModule(PYRECOLL_PACKAGE "recoll");
+    if (module != NULL) {
+        PyObject *cobject = PyObject_GetAttrString(module, "_C_API");
+        if (cobject == NULL)
+            return;
+        if (PyCObject_Check(cobject))
+            recoll_DocType = (PyObject*)PyCObject_AsVoidPtr(cobject);
+        Py_DECREF(cobject);
+    }
+#endif
 }
diff --git a/src/python/recoll/pyrecoll.cpp b/src/python/recoll/pyrecoll.cpp
index 0a56d605..b83879f8 100644
--- a/src/python/recoll/pyrecoll.cpp
+++ b/src/python/recoll/pyrecoll.cpp
@@ -1857,8 +1857,14 @@ initrecoll(void)
     PyModule_AddStringConstant(m, "__doc__",
                                pyrecoll_doc_string);
 
+    PyObject *doctypecobject;
+
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 2 && PY_MINOR_VERSION >=	7
     // Export a few pointers for the benefit of other recoll python modules
-    PyObject* doctypecapsule = 
+    doctypecobject= 
 	PyCapsule_New(&recoll_DocType, PYRECOLL_PACKAGE "recoll.doctypeptr", 0);
-    PyModule_AddObject(m, "doctypeptr", doctypecapsule);
+#else
+    doctypecobject = PyCObject_FromVoidPtr(&recoll_DocType, NULL);
+#endif
+    PyModule_AddObject(m, "doctypeptr", doctypecobject);
 }