diff --git a/Include/cpython/initconfig.h b/Include/cpython/initconfig.h
index 87c059c521cbc9..5da5ef9e5431b1 100644
--- a/Include/cpython/initconfig.h
+++ b/Include/cpython/initconfig.h
@@ -181,6 +181,9 @@ typedef struct PyConfig {
     int int_max_str_digits;
 
     int cpu_count;
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    int enable_gil;
+#endif
 
     /* --- Path configuration inputs ------------ */
     int pathconfig_warnings;
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_gil.h b/Include/internal/pycore_gil.h
index 19b0d23a68568a..d36b4c0db010b2 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_gil.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_gil.h
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ extern "C" {
 #define FORCE_SWITCHING
 
 struct _gil_runtime_state {
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    /* Whether or not this GIL is being used. Can change from 0 to 1 at runtime
+       if, for example, a module that requires the GIL is loaded. */
+    int enabled;
+#endif
     /* microseconds (the Python API uses seconds, though) */
     unsigned long interval;
     /* Last PyThreadState holding / having held the GIL. This helps us
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_initconfig.h b/Include/internal/pycore_initconfig.h
index c86988234f6a05..30b83ce5035204 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_initconfig.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_initconfig.h
@@ -153,6 +153,18 @@ typedef enum {
     _PyConfig_INIT_ISOLATED = 3
 } _PyConfigInitEnum;
 
+typedef enum {
+    /* For now, this means the GIL is enabled.
+
+       gh-116329: This will eventually change to "the GIL is disabled but can
+       be reenabled by loading an incompatible extension module." */
+    _PyConfig_GIL_DEFAULT,
+
+    /* The GIL has been forced off or on, and will not be affected by module loading. */
+    _PyConfig_GIL_DISABLE,
+    _PyConfig_GIL_ENABLE,
+} _PyConfigGILEnum;
+
 // Export for '_testembed' program
 PyAPI_FUNC(void) _PyConfig_InitCompatConfig(PyConfig *config);
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_embed.py b/Lib/test/test_embed.py
index 6c60854bbd76cc..dc1cbe02012791 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_embed.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_embed.py
@@ -452,6 +452,7 @@ class InitConfigTests(EmbeddingTestsMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         'hash_seed': 0,
         'int_max_str_digits': sys.int_info.default_max_str_digits,
         'cpu_count': -1,
+        'enable_gil': 0,
         'faulthandler': 0,
         'tracemalloc': 0,
         'perf_profiling': 0,
diff --git a/Python/ceval_gil.c b/Python/ceval_gil.c
index f5c44307a513f8..3c8149c5fcc06b 100644
--- a/Python/ceval_gil.c
+++ b/Python/ceval_gil.c
@@ -219,6 +219,11 @@ drop_gil(PyInterpreterState *interp, PyThreadState *tstate)
     // XXX assert(tstate == NULL || !tstate->_status.cleared);
 
     struct _gil_runtime_state *gil = ceval->gil;
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    if (!gil->enabled) {
+        return;
+    }
+#endif
     if (!_Py_atomic_load_ptr_relaxed(&gil->locked)) {
         Py_FatalError("drop_gil: GIL is not locked");
     }
@@ -294,6 +299,11 @@ take_gil(PyThreadState *tstate)
     assert(_PyThreadState_CheckConsistency(tstate));
     PyInterpreterState *interp = tstate->interp;
     struct _gil_runtime_state *gil = interp->ceval.gil;
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    if (!gil->enabled) {
+        return;
+    }
+#endif
 
     /* Check that _PyEval_InitThreads() was called to create the lock */
     assert(gil_created(gil));
@@ -438,6 +448,11 @@ static void
 init_own_gil(PyInterpreterState *interp, struct _gil_runtime_state *gil)
 {
     assert(!gil_created(gil));
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    // gh-116329: Once it is safe to do so, change this condition to
+    // (enable_gil == _PyConfig_GIL_ENABLE), so the GIL is disabled by default.
+    gil->enabled = _PyInterpreterState_GetConfig(interp)->enable_gil != _PyConfig_GIL_DISABLE;
+#endif
     create_gil(gil);
     assert(gil_created(gil));
     interp->ceval.gil = gil;
diff --git a/Python/initconfig.c b/Python/initconfig.c
index 74f28f3b39175b..693d9188fc3b92 100644
--- a/Python/initconfig.c
+++ b/Python/initconfig.c
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ static const PyConfigSpec PYCONFIG_SPEC[] = {
     SPEC(safe_path, UINT),
     SPEC(int_max_str_digits, INT),
     SPEC(cpu_count, INT),
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    SPEC(enable_gil, INT),
+#endif
     SPEC(pathconfig_warnings, UINT),
     SPEC(program_name, WSTR),
     SPEC(pythonpath_env, WSTR_OPT),
@@ -276,6 +279,9 @@ static const char usage_envvars[] =
 "PYTHON_CPU_COUNT: Overrides the return value of os.process_cpu_count(),\n"
 "                  os.cpu_count(), and multiprocessing.cpu_count() if set to\n"
 "                  a positive integer.\n"
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+"PYTHON_GIL      : When set to 0, disables the GIL.\n"
+#endif
 "PYTHONDEVMODE   : enable the development mode.\n"
 "PYTHONPYCACHEPREFIX: root directory for bytecode cache (pyc) files.\n"
 "PYTHONWARNDEFAULTENCODING: enable opt-in EncodingWarning for 'encoding=None'.\n"
@@ -860,6 +866,9 @@ _PyConfig_InitCompatConfig(PyConfig *config)
     config->_is_python_build = 0;
     config->code_debug_ranges = 1;
     config->cpu_count = -1;
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    config->enable_gil = _PyConfig_GIL_DEFAULT;
+#endif
 }
 
 
@@ -1642,6 +1651,19 @@ config_read_env_vars(PyConfig *config)
         config->safe_path = 1;
     }
 
+    const char *gil = config_get_env(config, "PYTHON_GIL");
+    if (gil != NULL) {
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+        if (strcmp(gil, "0") == 0) {
+            config->enable_gil = _PyConfig_GIL_DISABLE;
+        } else if (strcmp(gil, "1") != 0) {
+            return _PyStatus_ERR("PYTHON_GIL must be \"0\" or \"1\"");
+        }
+#else
+        return _PyStatus_ERR("PYTHON_GIL is not supported by this build");
+#endif
+    }
+
     return _PyStatus_OK();
 }