diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_global_objects.h b/Include/internal/pycore_global_objects.h
index e3f7ac707f0c37..611f01d1c32710 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_global_objects.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_global_objects.h
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ struct _Py_static_objects {
     (interp)->cached_objects.NAME
 
 struct _Py_interp_cached_objects {
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    PyMutex interned_mutex;
+#endif
     PyObject *interned_strings;
 
     /* object.__reduce__ */
diff --git a/Objects/unicodeobject.c b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
index 75967d69ed374d..fc9a0aee7c3dcd 100644
--- a/Objects/unicodeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
@@ -112,6 +112,14 @@ NOTE: In the interpreter's initialization phase, some globals are currently
 #  define _PyUnicode_CHECK(op) PyUnicode_Check(op)
 #endif
 
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+#  define LOCK_INTERNED(interp) PyMutex_Lock(&_Py_INTERP_CACHED_OBJECT(interp, interned_mutex))
+#  define UNLOCK_INTERNED(interp) PyMutex_Unlock(&_Py_INTERP_CACHED_OBJECT(interp, interned_mutex))
+#else
+#  define LOCK_INTERNED(interp)
+#  define UNLOCK_INTERNED(interp)
+#endif
+
 static inline char* _PyUnicode_UTF8(PyObject *op)
 {
     return FT_ATOMIC_LOAD_PTR_ACQUIRE(_PyCompactUnicodeObject_CAST(op)->utf8);
@@ -15815,11 +15823,13 @@ intern_common(PyInterpreterState *interp, PyObject *s /* stolen */,
     PyObject *interned = get_interned_dict(interp);
     assert(interned != NULL);
 
+    LOCK_INTERNED(interp);
     PyObject *t;
     {
         int res = PyDict_SetDefaultRef(interned, s, s, &t);
         if (res < 0) {
             PyErr_Clear();
+            UNLOCK_INTERNED(interp);
             return s;
         }
         else if (res == 1) {
@@ -15829,6 +15839,7 @@ intern_common(PyInterpreterState *interp, PyObject *s /* stolen */,
                     PyUnicode_CHECK_INTERNED(t) == SSTATE_INTERNED_MORTAL) {
                 immortalize_interned(t);
             }
+            UNLOCK_INTERNED(interp);
             return t;
         }
         else {
@@ -15845,12 +15856,8 @@ intern_common(PyInterpreterState *interp, PyObject *s /* stolen */,
     if (!_Py_IsImmortal(s)) {
         /* The two references in interned dict (key and value) are not counted.
         unicode_dealloc() and _PyUnicode_ClearInterned() take care of this. */
-        Py_SET_REFCNT(s, Py_REFCNT(s) - 2);
-#ifdef Py_REF_DEBUG
-        /* let's be pedantic with the ref total */
-        _Py_DecRefTotal(_PyThreadState_GET());
-        _Py_DecRefTotal(_PyThreadState_GET());
-#endif
+        Py_DECREF(s);
+        Py_DECREF(s);
     }
     FT_ATOMIC_STORE_UINT16_RELAXED(_PyUnicode_STATE(s).interned, SSTATE_INTERNED_MORTAL);
 
@@ -15865,6 +15872,7 @@ intern_common(PyInterpreterState *interp, PyObject *s /* stolen */,
         immortalize_interned(s);
     }
 
+    UNLOCK_INTERNED(interp);
     return s;
 }