diff --git a/Lib/sre.py b/Lib/sre.py
index 390094aaa68..c04576bafa5 100644
--- a/Lib/sre.py
+++ b/Lib/sre.py
@@ -8,3 +8,6 @@
 
 from re import *
 from re import __all__
+
+# old pickles expect the _compile() reconstructor in this module
+from re import _compile
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_re.py b/Lib/test/test_re.py
index 14a0acfc6bd..a8851804e42 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_re.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_re.py
@@ -414,6 +414,15 @@ def test_pickling(self):
         self.pickle_test(pickle)
         import cPickle
         self.pickle_test(cPickle)
+        # old pickles expect the _compile() reconstructor in sre module
+        import warnings
+        original_filters = warnings.filters[:]
+        try:
+            warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", "The sre module is deprecated",
+                                    DeprecationWarning)
+            from sre import _compile
+        finally:
+            warnings.filters = original_filters
 
     def pickle_test(self, pickle):
         oldpat = re.compile('a(?:b|(c|e){1,2}?|d)+?(.)')
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 19b8f1cee84..e526ac332d5 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -217,6 +217,9 @@ Extension Modules
 Library
 -------
 
+- Bug #1675967: re patterns pickled with Python 2.4 and earlier can
+  now be unpickled with Python 2.5.
+
 - Bug #1684254: webbrowser now uses shlex to split any command lines
   given to get(). It also detects when you use '&' as the last argument
   and creates a BackgroundBrowser then.