diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_dict.h b/Include/internal/pycore_dict.h
index 25bb224921aa8b..6ab569393e5ce1 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_dict.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_dict.h
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ extern Py_ssize_t _Py_dict_lookup(PyDictObject *mp, PyObject *key, Py_hash_t has
 extern Py_ssize_t _Py_dict_lookup_threadsafe(PyDictObject *mp, PyObject *key, Py_hash_t hash, PyObject **value_addr);
 extern Py_ssize_t _Py_dict_lookup_threadsafe_stackref(PyDictObject *mp, PyObject *key, Py_hash_t hash, _PyStackRef *value_addr);
 
+extern int _PyDict_GetMethodStackRef(PyDictObject *dict, PyObject *name, _PyStackRef *method);
+
 extern Py_ssize_t _PyDict_LookupIndex(PyDictObject *, PyObject *);
 extern Py_ssize_t _PyDictKeys_StringLookup(PyDictKeysObject* dictkeys, PyObject *key);
 
diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_stackref.h b/Include/internal/pycore_stackref.h
index 6bf82d8322f508..c4e8f10fe05276 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_stackref.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_stackref.h
@@ -839,6 +839,13 @@ _Py_TryXGetStackRef(PyObject **src, _PyStackRef *out)
 
 #endif
 
+#define PyStackRef_XSETREF(dst, src) \
+    do { \
+        _PyStackRef _tmp_dst_ref = (dst); \
+        (dst) = (src); \
+        PyStackRef_XCLOSE(_tmp_dst_ref); \
+    } while(0)
+
 // Like Py_VISIT but for _PyStackRef fields
 #define _Py_VISIT_STACKREF(ref)                                         \
     do {                                                                \
diff --git a/Objects/dictobject.c b/Objects/dictobject.c
index 0ed52ac5e87b6e..928b905aaedb1b 100644
--- a/Objects/dictobject.c
+++ b/Objects/dictobject.c
@@ -1581,32 +1581,47 @@ _Py_dict_lookup_threadsafe(PyDictObject *mp, PyObject *key, Py_hash_t hash, PyOb
     return ix;
 }
 
+static Py_ssize_t
+lookup_threadsafe_unicode(PyDictKeysObject *dk, PyObject *key, Py_hash_t hash, _PyStackRef *value_addr)
+{
+    assert(dk->dk_kind == DICT_KEYS_UNICODE);
+    assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(key));
+
+    Py_ssize_t ix = unicodekeys_lookup_unicode_threadsafe(dk, key, hash);
+    if (ix == DKIX_EMPTY) {
+        *value_addr = PyStackRef_NULL;
+        return ix;
+    }
+    else if (ix >= 0) {
+        PyObject **addr_of_value = &DK_UNICODE_ENTRIES(dk)[ix].me_value;
+        PyObject *value = _Py_atomic_load_ptr(addr_of_value);
+        if (value == NULL) {
+            *value_addr = PyStackRef_NULL;
+            return DKIX_EMPTY;
+        }
+        if (_PyObject_HasDeferredRefcount(value)) {
+            *value_addr =  (_PyStackRef){ .bits = (uintptr_t)value | Py_TAG_DEFERRED };
+            return ix;
+        }
+        if (_Py_TryIncrefCompare(addr_of_value, value)) {
+            *value_addr = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(value);
+            return ix;
+        }
+        return DKIX_KEY_CHANGED;
+    }
+    assert(ix == DKIX_KEY_CHANGED);
+    return ix;
+}
+
 Py_ssize_t
 _Py_dict_lookup_threadsafe_stackref(PyDictObject *mp, PyObject *key, Py_hash_t hash, _PyStackRef *value_addr)
 {
     PyDictKeysObject *dk = _Py_atomic_load_ptr(&mp->ma_keys);
     if (dk->dk_kind == DICT_KEYS_UNICODE && PyUnicode_CheckExact(key)) {
-        Py_ssize_t ix = unicodekeys_lookup_unicode_threadsafe(dk, key, hash);
-        if (ix == DKIX_EMPTY) {
-            *value_addr = PyStackRef_NULL;
+        Py_ssize_t ix = lookup_threadsafe_unicode(dk, key, hash, value_addr);
+        if (ix != DKIX_KEY_CHANGED) {
             return ix;
         }
-        else if (ix >= 0) {
-            PyObject **addr_of_value = &DK_UNICODE_ENTRIES(dk)[ix].me_value;
-            PyObject *value = _Py_atomic_load_ptr(addr_of_value);
-            if (value == NULL) {
-                *value_addr = PyStackRef_NULL;
-                return DKIX_EMPTY;
-            }
-            if (_PyObject_HasDeferredRefcount(value)) {
-                *value_addr =  (_PyStackRef){ .bits = (uintptr_t)value | Py_TAG_DEFERRED };
-                return ix;
-            }
-            if (_Py_TryIncrefCompare(addr_of_value, value)) {
-                *value_addr = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(value);
-                return ix;
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     PyObject *obj;
@@ -1646,6 +1661,46 @@ _Py_dict_lookup_threadsafe_stackref(PyDictObject *mp, PyObject *key, Py_hash_t h
 
 #endif
 
+// Looks up the unicode key `key` in the dictionary. Note that `*method` may
+// already contain a valid value! See _PyObject_GetMethodStackRef().
+int
+_PyDict_GetMethodStackRef(PyDictObject *mp, PyObject *key, _PyStackRef *method)
+{
+    assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(key));
+    Py_hash_t hash = hash_unicode_key(key);
+
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+    PyDictKeysObject *dk = _Py_atomic_load_ptr_acquire(&mp->ma_keys);
+    if (dk->dk_kind == DICT_KEYS_UNICODE) {
+        _PyStackRef ref;
+        Py_ssize_t ix = lookup_threadsafe_unicode(dk, key, hash, &ref);
+        if (ix >= 0) {
+            assert(!PyStackRef_IsNull(ref));
+            PyStackRef_XSETREF(*method, ref);
+            return 1;
+        }
+        else if (ix == DKIX_EMPTY) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+        assert(ix == DKIX_KEY_CHANGED);
+    }
+#endif
+
+    PyObject *obj;
+    Py_INCREF(mp);
+    Py_ssize_t ix = _Py_dict_lookup_threadsafe(mp, key, hash, &obj);
+    Py_DECREF(mp);
+    if (ix == DKIX_ERROR) {
+        PyStackRef_CLEAR(*method);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    else if (ix >= 0 && obj != NULL) {
+        PyStackRef_XSETREF(*method, PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(obj));
+        return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;  // not found
+}
+
 int
 _PyDict_HasOnlyStringKeys(PyObject *dict)
 {
diff --git a/Objects/object.c b/Objects/object.c
index 3ed7d55593dffa..479f4176a46039 100644
--- a/Objects/object.c
+++ b/Objects/object.c
@@ -1753,20 +1753,15 @@ _PyObject_GetMethodStackRef(PyThreadState *ts, PyObject *obj,
         }
     }
     if (dict != NULL) {
-        // TODO: use _Py_dict_lookup_threadsafe_stackref
-        Py_INCREF(dict);
-        PyObject *value;
-        if (PyDict_GetItemRef(dict, name, &value) != 0) {
-            // found or error
-            Py_DECREF(dict);
-            PyStackRef_CLEAR(*method);
-            if (value != NULL) {
-                *method = PyStackRef_FromPyObjectSteal(value);
-            }
+        assert(PyUnicode_CheckExact(name));
+        int found = _PyDict_GetMethodStackRef((PyDictObject *)dict, name, method);
+        if (found < 0) {
+            assert(PyStackRef_IsNull(*method));
+            return -1;
+        }
+        else if (found) {
             return 0;
         }
-        // not found
-        Py_DECREF(dict);
     }
 
     if (meth_found) {