diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-05-01-17-28-04.bpo-40412.dE0D8N.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-05-01-17-28-04.bpo-40412.dE0D8N.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..92bfcddf115
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-05-01-17-28-04.bpo-40412.dE0D8N.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Nullify inittab_copy during finalization, preventing future interpreter initializations in an embedded situation from crashing. Patch by Gregory Szorc.
diff --git a/Python/import.c b/Python/import.c
index 495012d1c7d..b4074d1dfc3 100644
--- a/Python/import.c
+++ b/Python/import.c
@@ -300,6 +300,7 @@ _PyImport_Fini2(void)
 
     /* Free memory allocated by PyImport_ExtendInittab() */
     PyMem_RawFree(inittab_copy);
+    inittab_copy = NULL;
 
     PyMem_SetAllocator(PYMEM_DOMAIN_RAW, &old_alloc);
 }