@@ -265,6 +265,12 @@ typedef struct {
         // heap types
         PyObject *PyExc_NotShareableError;
     } exceptions;
+
+    // Cached references to pickle.dumps/loads (per-interpreter).
+    struct {
+        PyObject *dumps;
+        PyObject *loads;
+    } pickle;
 } _PyXI_state_t;
 
 #define _PyXI_GET_GLOBAL_STATE(interp) (&(interp)->runtime->xi)
 
@@ -568,20 +568,53 @@ _PyObject_GetXIData(PyThreadState *tstate,
 
 /* pickle C-API */
 
+/* Get a cached reference to pickle.dumps for the current interpreter. */
+static PyObject *
+_get_pickle_dumps(PyThreadState *tstate)
+{
+    _PyXI_state_t *state = _PyXI_GET_STATE(tstate->interp);
+    PyObject *dumps = state->pickle.dumps;
+    if (dumps != NULL) {
+        return dumps;
+    }
+    dumps = PyImport_ImportModuleAttrString("pickle", "dumps");
+    if (dumps == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    state->pickle.dumps = dumps;  // owns the reference
+    return dumps;
+}
+
+/* Get a cached reference to pickle.loads for the current interpreter. */
+static PyObject *
+_get_pickle_loads(PyThreadState *tstate)
+{
+    _PyXI_state_t *state = _PyXI_GET_STATE(tstate->interp);
+    PyObject *loads = state->pickle.loads;
+    if (loads != NULL) {
+        return loads;
+    }
+    loads = PyImport_ImportModuleAttrString("pickle", "loads");
+    if (loads == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    state->pickle.loads = loads;  // owns the reference
+    return loads;
+}
+
 struct _pickle_context {
     PyThreadState *tstate;
 };
 
 static PyObject *
 _PyPickle_Dumps(struct _pickle_context *ctx, PyObject *obj)
 {
-    PyObject *dumps = PyImport_ImportModuleAttrString("pickle", "dumps");
+    PyObject *dumps = _get_pickle_dumps(ctx->tstate);
     if (dumps == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }
-    PyObject *bytes = PyObject_CallOneArg(dumps, obj);
-    Py_DECREF(dumps);
-    return bytes;
+    // dumps is a borrowed reference from the cache.
+    return PyObject_CallOneArg(dumps, obj);
 }
 
 
@@ -636,7 +669,8 @@ _PyPickle_Loads(struct _unpickle_context *ctx, PyObject *pickled)
     PyThreadState *tstate = ctx->tstate;
 
     PyObject *exc = NULL;
-    PyObject *loads = PyImport_ImportModuleAttrString("pickle", "loads");
+    // loads is a borrowed reference from the per-interpreter cache.
+    PyObject *loads = _get_pickle_loads(tstate);
     if (loads == NULL) {
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -682,7 +716,6 @@ _PyPickle_Loads(struct _unpickle_context *ctx, PyObject *pickled)
         // It might make sense to chain it (__context__).
         _PyErr_SetRaisedException(tstate, exc);
     }
-    Py_DECREF(loads);
     return obj;
 }
 
@@ -3107,6 +3140,10 @@ _Py_xi_state_init(_PyXI_state_t *state, PyInterpreterState *interp)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    // Initialize pickle function cache.
+    state->pickle.dumps = NULL;
+    state->pickle.loads = NULL;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -3116,6 +3153,10 @@ _Py_xi_state_fini(_PyXI_state_t *state, PyInterpreterState *interp)
     assert(state != NULL);
     assert(interp == NULL || state == _PyXI_GET_STATE(interp));
 
+    // Clear pickle function cache before other cleanup.
+    Py_CLEAR(state->pickle.dumps);
+    Py_CLEAR(state->pickle.loads);
+
     fini_heap_exctypes(&state->exceptions);
     if (interp != NULL) {
         fini_static_exctypes(&state->exceptions, interp);