diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h b/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h
index b78e0419139..88dad3e7291 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_lazyimportobject.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ PyAPI_DATA(PyTypeObject) PyLazyImport_Type;
 
 typedef struct {
     PyObject_HEAD
-    PyObject *lz_import_func;
+    PyObject *lz_builtins;
     PyObject *lz_from;
     PyObject *lz_attr;
     /* Frame information for the original import location */
diff --git a/Objects/lazyimportobject.c b/Objects/lazyimportobject.c
index bcd2a5f6e15..20e4d833a9d 100644
--- a/Objects/lazyimportobject.c
+++ b/Objects/lazyimportobject.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include "pycore_interpframe.h"
 
 PyObject *
-_PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *import_func, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr)
+_PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *builtins, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr)
 {
     PyLazyImportObject *m;
     if (!from || !PyUnicode_Check(from)) {
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ _PyLazyImport_New(PyObject *import_func, PyObject *from, PyObject *attr)
     if (m == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }
-    Py_XINCREF(import_func);
-    m->lz_import_func = import_func;
+    Py_XINCREF(builtins);
+    m->lz_builtins = builtins;
     Py_INCREF(from);
     m->lz_from = from;
     Py_XINCREF(attr);
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ static void
 lazy_import_dealloc(PyLazyImportObject *m)
 {
     PyObject_GC_UnTrack(m);
-    Py_XDECREF(m->lz_import_func);
+    Py_XDECREF(m->lz_builtins);
     Py_XDECREF(m->lz_from);
     Py_XDECREF(m->lz_attr);
     Py_XDECREF(m->lz_code);
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ lazy_import_repr(PyLazyImportObject *m)
 static int
 lazy_import_traverse(PyLazyImportObject *m, visitproc visit, void *arg)
 {
-    Py_VISIT(m->lz_import_func);
+    Py_VISIT(m->lz_builtins);
     Py_VISIT(m->lz_from);
     Py_VISIT(m->lz_attr);
     Py_VISIT(m->lz_code);
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ lazy_import_traverse(PyLazyImportObject *m, visitproc visit, void *arg)
 static int
 lazy_import_clear(PyLazyImportObject *m)
 {
-    Py_CLEAR(m->lz_import_func);
+    Py_CLEAR(m->lz_builtins);
     Py_CLEAR(m->lz_from);
     Py_CLEAR(m->lz_attr);
     Py_CLEAR(m->lz_code);
diff --git a/Python/ceval.c b/Python/ceval.c
index 4a0929c6992..1865b7bc6c5 100644
--- a/Python/ceval.c
+++ b/Python/ceval.c
@@ -3089,14 +3089,6 @@ _PyEval_LazyImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *builtins, PyObject *glob
         return _PyEval_ImportName(tstate, builtins, globals, locals, name, fromlist, level);
     }
 
-    PyObject *import_func;
-    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;
-    }
-
     PyObject *lazy_import_func;
     if (PyMapping_GetOptionalItem(builtins, &_Py_ID(__lazy_import__), &lazy_import_func) < 0) {
         goto error;
@@ -3116,16 +3108,15 @@ _PyEval_LazyImportName(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *builtins, PyObject *glob
         }
 
         res = _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(
-            tstate, name, import_func, globals, locals, fromlist, ilevel
+            tstate, name, builtins, globals, locals, fromlist, ilevel
         );
         goto error;
     }
 
-    PyObject* args[6] = {name, globals, locals, fromlist, level, import_func};
+    PyObject* args[6] = {name, globals, locals, fromlist, level, builtins};
     res = PyObject_Vectorcall(lazy_import_func, args, 6, NULL);
 error:
     Py_XDECREF(lazy_import_func);
-    Py_XDECREF(import_func);
     return res;
 }
 
@@ -3323,7 +3314,7 @@ _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_import_func, from, name);
+            ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_builtins, from, name);
             Py_DECREF(from);
             return ret;
         }
@@ -3331,12 +3322,12 @@ _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_import_func, from, name);
+            ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_builtins, from, name);
             Py_DECREF(from);
             return ret;
         }
     }
-    ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_import_func, d->lz_from, name);
+    ret = _PyLazyImport_New(d->lz_builtins, d->lz_from, name);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/Python/import.c b/Python/import.c
index abd734a29a1..a8919e61a89 100644
--- a/Python/import.c
+++ b/Python/import.c
@@ -3766,9 +3766,13 @@ _PyImport_LoadLazyImportTstate(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *lazy_import)
 
     PyObject *globals = PyEval_GetGlobals();
 
+    PyObject *import_func;
+    if (PyMapping_GetOptionalItem(lz->lz_builtins, &_Py_ID(__import__), &import_func) < 0) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
     if (full) {
         obj = _PyEval_ImportNameWithImport(tstate,
-                                   lz->lz_import_func,
+                                   import_func,
                                    globals,
                                    globals,
                                    lz->lz_from,
@@ -3777,10 +3781,11 @@ _PyImport_LoadLazyImportTstate(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *lazy_import)
     } else {
         PyObject *name = PyUnicode_Substring(lz->lz_from, 0, dot);
         if (name == NULL) {
+            Py_DECREF(import_func);
             goto error;
         }
         obj = _PyEval_ImportNameWithImport(tstate,
-                                   lz->lz_import_func,
+                                   import_func,
                                    globals,
                                    globals,
                                    name,
@@ -3788,7 +3793,7 @@ _PyImport_LoadLazyImportTstate(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *lazy_import)
                                    _PyLong_GetZero());
         Py_DECREF(name);
     }
-
+    Py_DECREF(import_func);
     if (obj == NULL) {
         goto error;
     }
@@ -4113,7 +4118,7 @@ get_mod_dict(PyObject *module)
 }
 
 static int
-register_lazy_on_parent(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *name, PyObject *import_func)
+register_lazy_on_parent(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *name, PyObject *builtins)
 {
     int ret = -1;
     PyObject *parent = NULL;
@@ -4183,7 +4188,7 @@ register_lazy_on_parent(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *name, PyObject *import_
                 goto done;
             }
             if (PyDict_CheckExact(parent_dict) && !PyDict_Contains(parent_dict, child)) {
-                PyObject *lazy_module_attr = _PyLazyImport_New(import_func, parent, child);
+                PyObject *lazy_module_attr = _PyLazyImport_New(builtins, parent, child);
                 if (lazy_module_attr == NULL) {
                     goto done;
                 }
@@ -4211,7 +4216,7 @@ register_lazy_on_parent(PyThreadState *tstate, PyObject *name, PyObject *import_
 
 PyObject *
 _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(PyThreadState *tstate,
-                                      PyObject *name, PyObject *import_func,
+                                      PyObject *name, PyObject *builtins,
                                       PyObject *globals, PyObject *locals,
                                       PyObject *fromlist, int level)
 {
@@ -4253,8 +4258,8 @@ _PyImport_LazyImportModuleLevelObject(PyThreadState *tstate,
         }
     }
 
-    PyObject *res = _PyLazyImport_New(import_func, abs_name, fromlist);
-    if (register_lazy_on_parent(tstate, abs_name, import_func) < 0) {
+    PyObject *res = _PyLazyImport_New(builtins, abs_name, fromlist);
+    if (register_lazy_on_parent(tstate, abs_name, builtins) < 0) {
         Py_DECREF(res);
         res = NULL;
     }
@@ -5302,15 +5307,7 @@ _imp__set_lazy_attributes_impl(PyObject *module, PyObject *child_module,
                 continue;
             }
             PyObject *builtins = _PyEval_GetBuiltins(tstate);
-            PyObject *import_func;
-            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;
-            }
-
-            PyObject *lazy_module_attr = _PyLazyImport_New(import_func, name, attr_name);
+            PyObject *lazy_module_attr = _PyLazyImport_New(builtins, name, attr_name);
             if (lazy_module_attr == NULL) {
                 goto error;
             }