diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-01-29-02-18-08.gh-issue-144307.CLbm_o.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-01-29-02-18-08.gh-issue-144307.CLbm_o.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..d6928e643dccd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-01-29-02-18-08.gh-issue-144307.CLbm_o.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Prevent a reference leak in module teardown at interpreter finalization.
diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index 88dbdb6d139c5f..d3ed08de1d15d3 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -1622,6 +1622,7 @@ finalize_remove_modules(PyObject *modules, int verbose)
                 PyObject *value = PyObject_GetItem(modules, key);
                 if (value == NULL) {
                     PyErr_FormatUnraisable("Exception ignored while removing modules");
+                    Py_DECREF(key);
                     continue;
                 }
                 CLEAR_MODULE(key, value);