diff -ur blender-2.68a.py3-success/source/blender/python/generic/py_capi_utils.c blender-2.68a/source/blender/python/generic/py_capi_utils.c
--- blender-2.68a.py3-success/source/blender/python/generic/py_capi_utils.c	2019-03-08 22:30:02.407153492 +0100
+++ blender-2.68a/source/blender/python/generic/py_capi_utils.c	2019-03-08 22:32:16.228452644 +0100
@@ -601,7 +601,8 @@
 
 bool PyC_IsInterpreterActive(void)
 {
-	return (((PyThreadState *)_Py_atomic_load_relaxed(&_PyThreadState_Current)) != NULL);
+	/* instead of PyThreadState_Get, which calls Py_FatalError */
+	return (PyThreadState_GetDict() != NULL);
 }
 
 /* Would be nice if python had this built in