diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h b/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
index b6c2897ac..74d96d27a 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/internals.h
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ using instance_map = std::unordered_multimap<const void *, instance *>;
 #ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
 // Wrapper around PyMutex to provide BasicLockable semantics
 class pymutex {
+    friend class pycritical_section;
     PyMutex mutex;
 
 public:
@@ -238,29 +239,16 @@ public:
     void unlock() { PyMutex_Unlock(&mutex); }
 };
 
-// A recursive mutex implementation using PyMutex
-class pyrecursive_mutex {
-    PyMutex mutex;
-    std::atomic<uintptr_t> owner;
-    size_t lock_count;
+class pycritical_section {
+    pymutex& mutex;
+    PyCriticalSection cs;
 
 public:
-    pyrecursive_mutex() : mutex({}), owner(0), lock_count(0) {}
-    void lock() {
-        if (owner.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) == _Py_ThreadId()) {
-            ++lock_count;
-            return;
-        }
-        PyMutex_Lock(&mutex);
-        owner.store(_Py_ThreadId(), std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    explicit pycritical_section(pymutex& m) : mutex(m) {
+        PyCriticalSection_BeginMutex(&cs, &mutex.mutex);
     }
-    void unlock() {
-        if (lock_count > 0) {
-            --lock_count;
-            return;
-        }
-        owner.store(0, std::memory_order_relaxed);
-        PyMutex_Unlock(&mutex);
+    ~pycritical_section() {
+        PyCriticalSection_End(&cs);
     }
 };
 
@@ -297,7 +285,7 @@ class loader_life_support;
 /// `PYBIND11_INTERNALS_VERSION` must be incremented.
 struct internals {
 #ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
-    pyrecursive_mutex mutex;
+    pymutex mutex;
     pymutex exception_translator_mutex;
 #endif
 #if PYBIND11_INTERNALS_VERSION >= 12
@@ -882,8 +870,7 @@ inline local_internals &get_local_internals() {
 }
 
 #ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
-#    define PYBIND11_LOCK_INTERNALS(internals)                                                    \
-        std::unique_lock<pyrecursive_mutex> lock((internals).mutex)
+#    define PYBIND11_LOCK_INTERNALS(internals) pycritical_section lock((internals).mutex)
 #else
 #    define PYBIND11_LOCK_INTERNALS(internals)
 #endif
@@ -912,7 +899,7 @@ inline auto with_exception_translators(const F &cb)
                    get_local_internals().registered_exception_translators)) {
     auto &internals = get_internals();
 #ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
-    std::unique_lock<pymutex> lock((internals).exception_translator_mutex);
+    pycritical_section lock((internals).exception_translator_mutex);
 #endif
     auto &local_internals = get_local_internals();
     return cb(internals.registered_exception_translators,