Faster startup

Benchmark of  1000 times python -c ''

3.4dev -> patched
-----------------
### normal_startup ###
Min: 0.564252 -> 0.338379: 1.67x faster
Avg: 0.705161 -> 0.443613: 1.59x faster
Significant (t=24.02)
Stddev: 0.05314 -> 0.05571: 1.0485x larger

2.7 -> 3.4dev
-------------

### normal_startup ###
Min: 0.208580 -> 0.551483: 2.64x slower
Avg: 0.316177 -> 0.669330: 2.12x slower
Significant (t=-32.97)
Stddev: 0.02805 -> 0.07035: 2.5085x larger


2.7 -> 3.4dev patched
---------------------

### normal_startup ###
Min: 0.201418 -> 0.352130: 1.75x slower
Avg: 0.314879 -> 0.449556: 1.43x slower
Significant (t=-19.22)
Stddev: 0.03668 -> 0.03333: 1.1007x smaller