diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_ceval.h b/Include/internal/pycore_ceval.h
index fd8c3aafee0..2346048c57d 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_ceval.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_ceval.h
@@ -302,6 +302,9 @@ PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PyEval_LazyImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *b
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PyEval_LazyImportFrom(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *v, PyObject *name);
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PyEval_ImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *builtins, PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals,
             PyObject *name, PyObject *fromlist, PyObject *level);
+PyObject *
+_PyEval_ImportNameWithImport(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *import_func, PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals,
+                             PyObject *name, PyObject *fromlist, PyObject *level);
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *)_PyEval_MatchClass(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *subject, PyObject *type, Py_ssize_t nargs, PyObject *kwargs);
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *)_PyEval_MatchKeys(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *map, PyObject *keys);
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyEval_MonitorRaise(PyThreadState *tstate, _PyInterpreterFrame *frame, _Py_CODEUNIT *instr);
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h b/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h
index 5a2138d3ac7..8825f6327f4 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ PyAPI_DATA(PyTypeObject) PyLazyImport_Type;
 
 typedef struct {
     PyObject_HEAD
-    PyObject *lz_builtins;
+    PyObject *lz_import_func;
     PyObject *lz_from;
     PyObject *lz_attr;
 } PyLazyImportObject;
 
 
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PyLazyImport_GetName(PyObject *lazy_import);
-PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *builtins, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr);
+PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) _PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *import_func, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/Objects/lazyimportobject.c b/Objects/lazyimportobject.c
index 6754b238f52..cca09dcb49e 100644
--- a/Objects/lazyimportobject.c
+++ b/Objects/lazyimportobject.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #include "pycore_lazyimportobject.h"
 
 PyObject *
-_PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *builtins, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr)
+_PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *import_func, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr)
 {
     PyLazyImportObject *m;
     if (!from || !PyUnicode_Check(from)) {
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ _PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *builtins, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr)
     if (m == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }
-    Py_XINCREF(builtins);
-    m->lz_builtins = builtins;
+    Py_XINCREF(import_func);
+    m->lz_import_func = import_func;
     Py_INCREF(from);
     m->lz_from = from;
     Py_XINCREF(attr);
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ static void
 lazy_import_dealloc(PyLazyImportObject *m)
 {
     PyObject_GC_UnTrack(m);
-    Py_XDECREF(m->lz_builtins);
+    Py_XDECREF(m->lz_import_func);
     Py_XDECREF(m->lz_from);
     Py_XDECREF(m->lz_attr);
     Py_TYPE(m)->tp_free((PyObject *)m);
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ lazy_import_repr(PyLazyImportObject *m)
 static int
 lazy_import_traverse(PyLazyImportObject *m, visitproc visit, void *arg)
 {
-    Py_VISIT(m->lz_builtins);
+    Py_VISIT(m->lz_import_func);
     Py_VISIT(m->lz_from);
     Py_VISIT(m->lz_attr);
     return 0;
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ lazy_import_traverse(PyLazyImportObject *m, visitproc visit, void *arg)
 static int
 lazy_import_clear(PyLazyImportObject *m)
 {
-    Py_CLEAR(m->lz_builtins);
+    Py_CLEAR(m->lz_import_func);
     Py_CLEAR(m->lz_from);
     Py_CLEAR(m->lz_attr);
     return 0;
diff --git a/Python/ceval.c b/Python/ceval.c
index 28a814ebace..0a2aa88acde 100644
--- a/Python/ceval.c
+++ b/Python/ceval.c
@@ -2999,13 +2999,21 @@ _PyEval_ImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *builtins, PyObject *globals,
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    PyObject *res = _PyEval_ImportNameWithImport(tstate, import_func, globals, locals, name, fromlist, level);
+    Py_DECREF(import_func);
+    return res;
+}
+
+PyObject *
+_PyEval_ImportNameWithImport(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *import_func, PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals,
+                             PyObject *name, PyObject *fromlist, PyObject *level)
+{
     if (locals == NULL) {
         locals = Py_None;
     }
 
     /* Fast path for not overloaded __import__. */
     if (_PyImport_IsDefaultImportFunc(tstate->interp, import_func)) {
-        Py_DECREF(import_func);
         int ilevel = PyLong_AsInt(level);
         if (ilevel == -1 && _PyErr_Occurred(tstate)) {
             return NULL;
@@ -3020,7 +3028,6 @@ _PyEval_ImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *builtins, PyObject *globals,
 
     PyObject* args[5] = {name, globals, locals, fromlist, level};
     PyObject *res = PyObject_Vectorcall(import_func, args, 5, NULL);
-    Py_DECREF(import_func);
     return res;
 }
 
@@ -3029,6 +3036,7 @@ PyObject *
 _PyEval_LazyImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *builtins, PyObject *globals,
             PyObject *locals, PyObject *name, PyObject *fromlist, PyObject *level, int lazy)
 {
+    PyObject *res = NULL;
     // Check if global policy overrides the local syntax
     switch (PyImport_LazyImportsEnabled()) {
         case PyLazyImportsMode_ForcedOff:
@@ -3047,34 +3055,42 @@ _PyEval_LazyImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *builtins, PyObject *glob
     }
 
     PyObject *import_func;
-    if (PyMapping_GetOptionalItem(builtins, &_Py_ID(__lazy_import__), &import_func) < 0) {
-        return NULL;
+    if (PyMapping_GetOptionalItem(builtins, &_Py_ID(__import__), &import_func) < 0) {
+        goto error;
+    } else if (import_func == NULL) {
+        _PyErr_SetString(tstate, PyExc_ImportError, "__import__ not found");
+        goto error;
     }
-    if (import_func == NULL) {
+
+    PyObject *lazy_import_func;
+    if (PyMapping_GetOptionalItem(builtins, &_Py_ID(__lazy_import__), &lazy_import_func) < 0) {
+        goto error;
+    } else if (lazy_import_func == NULL) {
         _PyErr_SetString(tstate, PyExc_ImportError, "__lazy_import__ not found");
-        return NULL;
+        goto error;
     }
 
     if (locals == NULL) {
         locals = Py_None;
     }
 
-    if (_PyImport_IsDefaultLazyImportFunc(tstate->interp, import_func)) {
-        Py_DECREF(import_func);
-
+    if (_PyImport_IsDefaultLazyImportFunc(tstate->interp, lazy_import_func)) {
         int ilevel = PyLong_AsInt(level);
         if (ilevel == -1 && PyErr_Occurred()) {
-            return NULL;
+            goto error;
         }
 
-        return _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(
-            tstate, name, builtins, globals, locals, fromlist, ilevel
+        res = _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(
+            tstate, name, import_func, globals, locals, fromlist, ilevel
         );
+        goto error;
     }
 
-    PyObject* args[5] = {name, globals, locals, fromlist, level};
-    PyObject *res = PyObject_Vectorcall(import_func, args, 5, NULL);
-    Py_DECREF(import_func);
+    PyObject* args[6] = {name, globals, locals, fromlist, level, import_func};
+    res = PyObject_Vectorcall(lazy_import_func, args, 6, NULL);
+error:
+    Py_XDECREF(lazy_import_func);
+    Py_XDECREF(import_func);
     return res;
 }
 
@@ -3256,7 +3272,7 @@ _PyEval_LazyImportFrom(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *v, PyObject *name)
     if (d->lz_attr != NULL) {
         if (PyUnicode_Check(d->lz_attr)) {
             PyObject *from = PyUnicode_FromFormat("%U.%U", d->lz_from, d->lz_attr);
-            ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_builtins, from, name);
+            ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_import_func, from, name);
             Py_DECREF(from);
             return ret;
         }
@@ -3264,12 +3280,12 @@ _PyEval_LazyImportFrom(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *v, PyObject *name)
         Py_ssize_t dot = PyUnicode_FindChar(d->lz_from, '.', 0, PyUnicode_GET_LENGTH(d->lz_from), 1);
         if (dot >= 0) {
             PyObject *from = PyUnicode_Substring(d->lz_from, 0, dot);
-            ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_builtins, from, name);
+            ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_import_func, from, name);
             Py_DECREF(from);
             return ret;
         }
     }
-    ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_builtins, d->lz_from, name);
+    ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_import_func, d->lz_from, name);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/Python/import.c b/Python/import.c
index ac03db2c821..523e7bc80c8 100644
--- a/Python/import.c
+++ b/Python/import.c
@@ -3737,8 +3737,8 @@ _PyImport_LoadLazyImportTstate(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *lazy_import)
     PyObject *globals = PyEval_GetGlobals();
 
     if (full) {
-        obj = _PyEval_ImportName(tstate,
-                                   lz->lz_builtins,
+        obj = _PyEval_ImportNameWithImport(tstate,
+                                   lz->lz_import_func,
                                    globals,
                                    globals,
                                    lz->lz_from,
@@ -3749,8 +3749,8 @@ _PyImport_LoadLazyImportTstate(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *lazy_import)
         if (name == NULL) {
             goto error;
         }
-        obj = _PyEval_ImportName(tstate,
-                                   lz->lz_builtins,
+        obj = _PyEval_ImportNameWithImport(tstate,
+                                   lz->lz_import_func,
                                    globals,
                                    globals,
                                    name,
@@ -3906,8 +3906,20 @@ PyImport_ImportModuleLevelObject(PyObject *name, PyObject *globals,
                 PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "no current frame");
                 goto error;
             }
-            final_mod = _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(tstate, name, frame->f_builtins, globals,
+
+            PyObject *import_func;
+            if (PyMapping_GetOptionalItem(frame->f_builtins, &_Py_ID(__import__), &import_func) < 0) {
+                return NULL;
+            }
+
+            if (import_func == NULL) {
+                _PyErr_SetString(tstate, PyExc_ImportError, "__import__ not found");
+                return NULL;
+            }
+
+            final_mod = _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(tstate, name, import_func, globals, 
                                                               locals, fromlist, level);
+            Py_DECREF(import_func);
             goto error;
         }
     }
@@ -4016,7 +4028,7 @@ PyImport_ImportModuleLevelObject(PyObject *name, PyObject *globals,
 
 PyObject *
 _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(PyThreadState *tstate,
-                                      PyObject *name, PyObject *builtins,
+                                      PyObject *name, PyObject *import_func,
                                       PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals,
                                       PyObject *fromlist, int level)
 {
@@ -4063,7 +4075,7 @@ _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(PyThreadState *tstate,
         }
     }
 
-    PyObject *res = _PyLazyImport_New(builtins, abs_name, fromlist);
+    PyObject *res = _PyLazyImport_New(import_func, abs_name, fromlist);
     Py_DECREF(abs_name);
     return res;
 }