diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index 46579a45f4cc39..49041453f040bd 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -909,10 +909,12 @@ pycore_init_builtins(PyThreadState *tstate)
     interp->callable_cache.object__getattribute__ = object__getattribute__;
 
     if (_PyType_InitSlotDefs(interp) < 0) {
+        Py_DECREF(bimod);
         return _PyStatus_ERR("failed to init slotdefs");
     }
 
     if (_PyBuiltins_AddExceptions(bimod) < 0) {
+        Py_DECREF(bimod);
         return _PyStatus_ERR("failed to add exceptions to builtins");
     }
 
@@ -920,12 +922,12 @@ pycore_init_builtins(PyThreadState *tstate)
     if (interp->builtins_copy == NULL) {
         goto error;
     }
-    Py_DECREF(bimod);
 
     if (_PyImport_InitDefaultImportFunc(interp) < 0) {
         goto error;
     }
 
+    Py_DECREF(bimod);
     assert(!_PyErr_Occurred(tstate));
     return _PyStatus_OK();
 
@@ -1823,9 +1825,13 @@ finalize_clear_modules_dict(PyObject *modules)
         PyDict_Clear(modules);
     }
     else {
-        if (PyObject_CallMethodNoArgs(modules, &_Py_ID(clear)) == NULL) {
+        PyObject *result = PyObject_CallMethodNoArgs(modules, &_Py_ID(clear));
+        if (result == NULL) {
             PyErr_FormatUnraisable("Exception ignored while clearing sys.modules");
         }
+        else {
+            Py_DECREF(result);
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -2702,14 +2708,14 @@ new_interpreter(PyThreadState **tstate_p,
     // didn't depend on interp->feature_flags being set already.
     status = _PyObject_InitState(interp);
     if (_PyStatus_EXCEPTION(status)) {
-        return status;
+        goto error;
     }
 
 #ifdef Py_STATS
     // initialize pystats.  This must be done after the settings are loaded.
     status = _PyStats_InterpInit(interp);
     if (_PyStatus_EXCEPTION(status)) {
-        return status;
+        goto error;
     }
 #endif
 
@@ -2929,6 +2935,7 @@ add_main_module(PyInterpreterState *interp)
             return _PyStatus_ERR("Failed to retrieve builtins module");
         }
         if (PyDict_SetItemString(d, "__builtins__", bimod) < 0) {
+            Py_DECREF(bimod);
             return _PyStatus_ERR("Failed to initialize __main__.__builtins__");
         }
         Py_DECREF(bimod);
@@ -2952,6 +2959,7 @@ add_main_module(PyInterpreterState *interp)
             return _PyStatus_ERR("Failed to retrieve BuiltinImporter");
         }
         if (PyDict_SetItemString(d, "__loader__", loader) < 0) {
+            Py_DECREF(loader);
             return _PyStatus_ERR("Failed to initialize __main__.__loader__");
         }
         Py_DECREF(loader);
@@ -3186,8 +3194,14 @@ init_sys_streams(PyThreadState *tstate)
                        config->stdio_errors);
     if (std == NULL)
         goto error;
-    PySys_SetObject("__stdin__", std);
-    _PySys_SetAttr(&_Py_ID(stdin), std);
+    if (PySys_SetObject("__stdin__", std) < 0) {
+        Py_DECREF(std);
+        goto error;
+    }
+    if (_PySys_SetAttr(&_Py_ID(stdin), std) < 0) {
+        Py_DECREF(std);
+        goto error;
+    }
     Py_DECREF(std);
 
     /* Set sys.stdout */
@@ -3197,8 +3211,14 @@ init_sys_streams(PyThreadState *tstate)
                        config->stdio_errors);
     if (std == NULL)
         goto error;
-    PySys_SetObject("__stdout__", std);
-    _PySys_SetAttr(&_Py_ID(stdout), std);
+    if (PySys_SetObject("__stdout__", std) < 0) {
+        Py_DECREF(std);
+        goto error;
+    }
+    if (_PySys_SetAttr(&_Py_ID(stdout), std) < 0) {
+        Py_DECREF(std);
+        goto error;
+    }
     Py_DECREF(std);
 
 #if 1 /* Disable this if you have trouble debugging bootstrap stuff */