diff --git a/Doc/whatsnew/3.11.rst b/Doc/whatsnew/3.11.rst
index a178095be0d..1b3b8240a52 100644
--- a/Doc/whatsnew/3.11.rst
+++ b/Doc/whatsnew/3.11.rst
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ New Features
 Porting to Python 3.11
 ----------------------
 
+* The :c:func:`PyType_Ready` function now raises an error if a type is defined
+  with the :const:`Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC` flag set but has no traverse function
+  (:c:member:`PyTypeObject.tp_traverse`).
+  (Contributed by Victor Stinner in :issue:`44263`.)
+
 Deprecated
 ----------
 
@@ -180,4 +185,4 @@ Removed
   parameter of functions :func:`~gettext.translation` and
   :func:`~gettext.install` are also removed, since they are only used for
   the ``l*gettext()`` functions.
-  (Contributed by Dong-hee Na and Serhiy Storchaka in :issue:`44235`.)
\ No newline at end of file
+  (Contributed by Dong-hee Na and Serhiy Storchaka in :issue:`44235`.)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2021-05-31-11-31-13.bpo-44263.8mIOfV.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2021-05-31-11-31-13.bpo-44263.8mIOfV.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..aa831a2083c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2021-05-31-11-31-13.bpo-44263.8mIOfV.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+The :c:func:`PyType_Ready` function now raises an error if a type is defined
+with the :const:`Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC` flag set but has no traverse function
+(:c:member:`PyTypeObject.tp_traverse`).
+Patch by Victor Stinner.
diff --git a/Objects/typeobject.c b/Objects/typeobject.c
index feb25aa0b78..bf792e21c16 100644
--- a/Objects/typeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/typeobject.c
@@ -158,6 +158,12 @@ _PyType_CheckConsistency(PyTypeObject *type)
     CHECK(!(type->tp_flags & Py_TPFLAGS_READYING));
     CHECK(type->tp_dict != NULL);
 
+    if (type->tp_flags & Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC) {
+        // bpo-44263: tp_traverse is required if Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC is set.
+        // Note: tp_clear is optional.
+        CHECK(type->tp_traverse != NULL);
+    }
+
     if (type->tp_flags & Py_TPFLAGS_DISALLOW_INSTANTIATION) {
         CHECK(type->tp_new == NULL);
         CHECK(_PyDict_ContainsId(type->tp_dict, &PyId___new__) == 0);
@@ -3607,6 +3613,7 @@ PyType_FromModuleAndSpec(PyObject *module, PyType_Spec *spec, PyObject *bases)
         }
     }
 
+    assert(_PyType_CheckConsistency(type));
     return (PyObject*)res;
 
  fail:
@@ -5944,7 +5951,7 @@ static int add_tp_new_wrapper(PyTypeObject *type);
 #define COLLECTION_FLAGS (Py_TPFLAGS_SEQUENCE | Py_TPFLAGS_MAPPING)
 
 static int
-type_ready_checks(PyTypeObject *type)
+type_ready_pre_checks(PyTypeObject *type)
 {
     /* Consistency checks for PEP 590:
      * - Py_TPFLAGS_METHOD_DESCRIPTOR requires tp_descr_get
@@ -6305,10 +6312,28 @@ type_ready_set_new(PyTypeObject *type)
 }
 
 
+static int
+type_ready_post_checks(PyTypeObject *type)
+{
+    // bpo-44263: tp_traverse is required if Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC is set.
+    // Note: tp_clear is optional.
+    if (type->tp_flags & Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC
+        && type->tp_traverse == NULL)
+    {
+        PyErr_Format(PyExc_SystemError,
+                     "type %s has the Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC flag "
+                     "but has no traverse function",
+                     type->tp_name);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 static int
 type_ready(PyTypeObject *type)
 {
-    if (type_ready_checks(type) < 0) {
+    if (type_ready_pre_checks(type) < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -6346,6 +6371,9 @@ type_ready(PyTypeObject *type)
     if (type_ready_add_subclasses(type) < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
+    if (type_ready_post_checks(type) < 0) {
+        return -1;
+    }
     return 0;
 }