diff --git a/Lib/test/pickletester.py b/Lib/test/pickletester.py
index a0c7a0ab690..cbe4607ba6d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/pickletester.py
+++ b/Lib/test/pickletester.py
@@ -1039,6 +1039,18 @@ class AbstractPickleTests(unittest.TestCase):
                 self.assertEqual(B(x), B(y), detail)
                 self.assertEqual(x.__dict__, y.__dict__, detail)
 
+    def test_newobj_not_class(self):
+        # Issue 24552
+        global SimpleNewObj
+        save = SimpleNewObj
+        o = object.__new__(SimpleNewObj)
+        b = self.dumps(o, 4)
+        try:
+            SimpleNewObj = 42
+            self.assertRaises((TypeError, pickle.UnpicklingError), self.loads, b)
+        finally:
+            SimpleNewObj = save
+
     # Register a type with copyreg, with extension code extcode.  Pickle
     # an object of that type.  Check that the resulting pickle uses opcode
     # (EXT[124]) under proto 2, and not in proto 1.
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index c9e93bb89b9..48e1a76c238 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #24552: Fix use after free in an error case of the _pickle module.
+
 - Issue #24514: tarfile now tolerates number fields consisting of only
   whitespace.
 
diff --git a/Modules/_pickle.c b/Modules/_pickle.c
index 2d66f006ac4..44f840d1998 100644
--- a/Modules/_pickle.c
+++ b/Modules/_pickle.c
@@ -5279,10 +5279,10 @@ load_newobj_ex(UnpicklerObject *self)
     if (!PyType_Check(cls)) {
         Py_DECREF(kwargs);
         Py_DECREF(args);
-        Py_DECREF(cls);
         PyErr_Format(st->UnpicklingError,
                      "NEWOBJ_EX class argument must be a type, not %.200s",
                      Py_TYPE(cls)->tp_name);
+        Py_DECREF(cls);
         return -1;
     }