diff --git a/Lib/test/regrtest.py b/Lib/test/regrtest.py
index cb55b476854..8ab9973cedb 100755
--- a/Lib/test/regrtest.py
+++ b/Lib/test/regrtest.py
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@
 import time
 import traceback
 import warnings
+# keep a reference to the ascii module to workaround #7140 bug
+# (see issue #7027)
+import encodings.ascii
 
 # I see no other way to suppress these warnings;
 # putting them in test_grammar.py has no effect:
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index fdec90d75ce..f24a188ee50 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ Build
 Tests
 -----
 
+- Issue #7027: regrtest.py keeps a reference to the encodings.ascii module as a
+  workaround to #7140 bug
+
 - Issue #3864: Skip three test_signal tests on freebsd6 because they fail
   if any thread was previously started, most likely due to a platform bug.