diff --git a/crates/capi/src/lib.rs b/crates/capi/src/lib.rs
index 374fd3301d6..2aff75fe15b 100644
--- a/crates/capi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/capi/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #![allow(clippy::missing_safety_doc)]
 
 use crate::pyerrors::init_exception_statics;
-use crate::pylifecycle::MAIN_INTERP;
+use crate::pylifecycle::{MAIN_INTERP, MAIN_INTERP_PTR};
+use core::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 pub use rustpython_vm::PyObject;
 use rustpython_vm::{Context, Interpreter};
 use std::sync::MutexGuard;
@@ -61,4 +62,8 @@ pub fn init_main_interpreter(interpreter: Interpreter) {
     // Safety: Interpreter was not initialized before, so we can safely assume the statics are not used
     unsafe { init_exception_statics(&Context::genesis().exceptions) };
     *interp = Some(interpreter);
+    MAIN_INTERP_PTR.store(
+        interp.as_ref().unwrap() as *const _ as *mut _,
+        Ordering::Release,
+    );
 }
diff --git a/crates/capi/src/pylifecycle.rs b/crates/capi/src/pylifecycle.rs
index 534c97956fe..7255a0e34a5 100644
--- a/crates/capi/src/pylifecycle.rs
+++ b/crates/capi/src/pylifecycle.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use crate::pyerrors::init_exception_statics;
 use crate::pystate::ensure_thread_has_vm_attached;
 use alloc::ffi::CString;
 use core::ffi::{c_char, c_int, c_ulong};
+use core::sync::atomic::{AtomicPtr, Ordering};
 use rustpython_vm::common::rc::PyRc;
 use rustpython_vm::stdlib::sys;
 use rustpython_vm::version::{MAJOR, MICRO, MINOR, RUSTPYTHON_BUILD_INFO, VERSION_HEX};
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ use rustpython_vm::{Context, Interpreter};
 use std::sync::{LazyLock, Mutex};
 
 pub(crate) static MAIN_INTERP: Mutex<Option<Interpreter>> = Mutex::new(None);
+pub(crate) static MAIN_INTERP_PTR: AtomicPtr<Interpreter> = AtomicPtr::new(core::ptr::null_mut());
 
 /// Request a thread local vm from the main interpreter
 pub(crate) fn request_vm_from_interpreter() -> ThreadedVirtualMachine {
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ pub static Py_Version: c_ulong = VERSION_HEX as c_ulong;
 
 #[unsafe(no_mangle)]
 pub extern "C" fn Py_IsInitialized() -> c_int {
-    get_main_interpreter().is_some() as c_int
+    !MAIN_INTERP_PTR.load(Ordering::Acquire).is_null() as c_int
 }
 
 #[unsafe(no_mangle)]
@@ -52,6 +54,10 @@ pub extern "C" fn Py_InitializeEx(_initsigs: c_int) {
             })
             .build()
             .into();
+        MAIN_INTERP_PTR.store(
+            interp.as_ref().unwrap() as *const _ as *mut _,
+            Ordering::Release,
+        );
         drop(interp);
         ensure_thread_has_vm_attached();
     }
diff --git a/crates/capi/src/pystate.rs b/crates/capi/src/pystate.rs
index 173c26088cf..865a116443b 100644
--- a/crates/capi/src/pystate.rs
+++ b/crates/capi/src/pystate.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-use crate::get_main_interpreter;
-use crate::pylifecycle::request_vm_from_interpreter;
+use crate::pylifecycle::{MAIN_INTERP_PTR, request_vm_from_interpreter};
 use crate::util::FfiResult;
 use core::ffi::c_int;
+use core::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use rustpython_vm::vm::thread::{
     CurrentVmAttachState, SavedThreadState, attach_current_thread, release_current_thread,
     restore_current_thread, save_current_thread, with_current_vm,
@@ -67,11 +67,12 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn PyEval_RestoreThread(state: *mut PyThreadState) {
 
 #[unsafe(no_mangle)]
 pub extern "C" fn PyInterpreterState_Get() -> *mut PyInterpreterState {
-    get_main_interpreter()
-        .as_ref()
-        .map(|interp| interp as *const PyInterpreterState)
-        .expect("PyInterpreterState_Get called but no main interpreter was found")
-        .cast_mut()
+    let ptr = MAIN_INTERP_PTR.load(Ordering::Acquire);
+    assert!(
+        !ptr.is_null(),
+        "PyInterpreterState_Get() called but the interpreter is not initialized"
+    );
+    ptr
 }
 
 #[unsafe(no_mangle)]