diff --git a/spidev_module.c b/spidev_module.c
index 4502664..162b7cb 100644
--- a/spidev_module.c
+++ b/spidev_module.c
@@ -267,8 +267,8 @@ SpiDev_readbytes(SpiDevObject *self, PyObject *args)
 	list = PyList_New(len);
 
 	for (ii = 0; ii < len; ii++) {
-		PyObject *val = Py_BuildValue("l", (long)rxbuf[ii]);
-		PyList_SET_ITEM(list, ii, val);
+		PyObject *val = PyLong_FromLong((long)rxbuf[ii]);
+		PyList_SET_ITEM(list, ii, val);  // Steals reference, no need to Py_DECREF(val)
 	}
 
 	return list;
@@ -586,8 +586,9 @@ SpiDev_xfer(SpiDevObject *self, PyObject *args)
 #endif
 
 	for (ii = 0; ii < len; ii++) {
-		PyObject *val = Py_BuildValue("l", (long)rxbuf[ii]);
+		PyObject *val = PyLong_FromLong((long)rxbuf[ii]);
 		PySequence_SetItem(seq, ii, val);
+		Py_DECREF(val); // PySequence_SetItem does not steal reference, must Py_DECREF(val)
 	}
 
 	// WA:
@@ -696,8 +697,9 @@ SpiDev_xfer2(SpiDevObject *self, PyObject *args)
 	}
 
 	for (ii = 0; ii < len; ii++) {
-		PyObject *val = Py_BuildValue("l", (long)rxbuf[ii]);
+		PyObject *val = PyLong_FromLong((long)rxbuf[ii]);
 		PySequence_SetItem(seq, ii, val);
+		Py_DECREF(val); // PySequence_SetItem does not steal reference, must Py_DECREF(val)
 	}
 	// WA:
 	// in CS_HIGH mode CS isnt pulled to low after transfer
@@ -844,8 +846,8 @@ SpiDev_xfer3(SpiDevObject *self, PyObject *args)
 			return NULL;
 		}
 		for (ii = 0, jj = block_start; ii < block_size; ii++, jj++) {
-			PyObject *val = Py_BuildValue("l", (long)rxbuf[ii]);
-			PyTuple_SetItem(rx_tuple, jj, val);
+			PyObject *val = PyLong_FromLong((long)rxbuf[ii]);
+			PyTuple_SetItem(rx_tuple, jj, val);  // Steals reference, no need to Py_DECREF(val)
 		}
 
 		block_start += block_size;