diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp
index a3ceac38d1..0a364f0f17 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/mtp/windows/device_enumeration.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ get_device_information(CComPtr<IPortableDevice> &device, CComPtr<IPortableDevice
 
 #define S(what, key) { \
 	com_wchar_raii temp; \
-    if (SUCCEEDED(values->GetStringValue(what, &temp))) { \
+    if (SUCCEEDED(values->GetStringValue(what, temp.unsafe_address()))) { \
         pyobject_raii t(PyUnicode_FromWideChar(temp.ptr(), -1)); \
         if (t) if (PyDict_SetItemString(ans, key, t.ptr()) != 0) PyErr_Clear(); \
     }}
@@ -305,9 +305,9 @@ get_device_information(CComPtr<IPortableDevice> &device, CComPtr<IPortableDevice
         pyobject_raii storage(get_storage_info(device));
         if (!storage) {
 			pyobject_raii exc_type, exc_value, exc_tb;
-            PyErr_Fetch(&exc_type, &exc_value, &exc_tb);
+            PyErr_Fetch(exc_type.unsafe_address(), exc_value.unsafe_address(), exc_tb.unsafe_address());
             if (exc_type) {
-                PyErr_NormalizeException(&exc_type, &exc_value, &exc_tb);
+                PyErr_NormalizeException(exc_type.unsafe_address(), exc_value.unsafe_address(), exc_tb.unsafe_address());
                 PyDict_SetItemString(ans, "storage_error", exc_value.ptr());
             } else {
 				pyobject_raii t(PyUnicode_FromString("get_storage_info() failed without an error set"));
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/cpp_binding.h b/src/calibre/utils/cpp_binding.h
index 0fe721b49a..9ae216d10b 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/cpp_binding.h
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/cpp_binding.h
@@ -35,9 +35,8 @@ class generic_raii {
 		T ptr() noexcept { return handle; }
 		T detach() noexcept { T ans = handle; handle = null; return ans; }
 		void attach(T val) noexcept { release(); handle = val; }
-		T* address() noexcept { return &handle; }
+		T* unsafe_address() noexcept { return &handle; }
 		explicit operator bool() const noexcept { return handle != null; }
-		T* operator &() noexcept { return &handle; }
 };
 
 typedef generic_raii<wchar_t*, PyMem_Free> wchar_raii;
@@ -46,26 +45,26 @@ typedef generic_raii<PyObject*, python_object_destructor> pyobject_raii;
 
 
 static inline int
-py_to_wchar(PyObject *obj, wchar_t **output) {
+py_to_wchar(PyObject *obj, wchar_raii *output) {
 	if (!PyUnicode_Check(obj)) {
-		if (obj == Py_None) { *output = NULL; return 1; }
+		if (obj == Py_None) { output->release(); return 1; }
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "unicode object expected");
 		return 0;
 	}
     wchar_t *buf = PyUnicode_AsWideCharString(obj, NULL);
     if (!buf) { PyErr_NoMemory(); return 0; }
-	*output = buf;
+	output->attach(buf);
 	return 1;
 }
 
 static inline int
-py_to_wchar_no_none(PyObject *obj, wchar_t **output) {
+py_to_wchar_no_none(PyObject *obj, wchar_raii *output) {
 	if (!PyUnicode_Check(obj)) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "unicode object expected");
 		return 0;
 	}
     wchar_t *buf = PyUnicode_AsWideCharString(obj, NULL);
     if (!buf) { PyErr_NoMemory(); return 0; }
-	*output = buf;
+	output->attach(buf);
 	return 1;
 }