diff --git a/include/boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp b/include/boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2d2e2d62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+// Copyright 2025 Boost.Python Contributors
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See
+// accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+// http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+#ifndef BOOST_PYTHON_DETAIL_PYMUTEX_HPP
+#define BOOST_PYTHON_DETAIL_PYMUTEX_HPP
+
+#include <boost/python/detail/prefix.hpp>
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+// needed for pymutex wrapper
+#include <atomic>
+#include <cstddef>
+#endif
+
+namespace boost { namespace python { namespace detail {
+
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+
+// Re-entrant wrapper around PyMutex for free-threaded Python
+// Similar to _PyRecursiveMutex or threading.RLock
+class pymutex {
+    PyMutex m_mutex;
+    std::atomic<unsigned long> m_owner;
+    std::size_t m_level;
+
+public:
+    pymutex() : m_mutex({}), m_owner(0), m_level(0) {}
+
+    // Non-copyable, non-movable
+    pymutex(const pymutex&) = delete;
+    pymutex& operator=(const pymutex&) = delete;
+
+    void lock() {
+        unsigned long thread = PyThread_get_thread_ident();
+        if (m_owner.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) == thread) {
+            m_level++;
+            return;
+        }
+        PyMutex_Lock(&m_mutex);
+        m_owner.store(thread, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+        // m_level should be 0 when we acquire the lock
+    }
+
+    void unlock() {
+        unsigned long thread = PyThread_get_thread_ident();
+        // Verify current thread owns the lock
+        if (m_owner.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) != thread) {
+            // This should never happen - programming error
+            return;
+        }
+        if (m_level > 0) {
+            m_level--;
+            return;
+        }
+        m_owner.store(0, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+        PyMutex_Unlock(&m_mutex);
+    }
+
+    bool is_locked_by_current_thread() const {
+        unsigned long thread = PyThread_get_thread_ident();
+        return m_owner.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) == thread;
+    }
+};
+
+
+// RAII lock guard for pymutex
+class pymutex_guard {
+    pymutex& m_mutex;
+
+public:
+    explicit pymutex_guard(pymutex& mutex) : m_mutex(mutex) {
+        m_mutex.lock();
+    }
+
+    ~pymutex_guard() {
+        m_mutex.unlock();
+    }
+
+    // Non-copyable, non-movable
+    pymutex_guard(const pymutex_guard&) = delete;
+    pymutex_guard& operator=(const pymutex_guard&) = delete;
+};
+
+// Global mutex for protecting all Boost.Python internal state
+// Similar to pybind11's internals.mutex
+BOOST_PYTHON_DECL pymutex& get_global_mutex();
+
+// Macro for acquiring the global lock
+// Similar to pybind11's PYBIND11_LOCK_INTERNALS
+#define BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE() \
+    ::boost::python::detail::pymutex_guard lock(::boost::python::detail::get_global_mutex())
+
+#else
+
+// No-op macro when not in free-threaded mode
+#define BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE()
+
+#endif // Py_GIL_DISABLED
+
+}}} // namespace boost::python::detail
+
+#endif // BOOST_PYTHON_DETAIL_PYMUTEX_HPP
diff --git a/src/converter/from_python.cpp b/src/converter/from_python.cpp
index f3989ba7..53a149fa 100644
--- a/src/converter/from_python.cpp
+++ b/src/converter/from_python.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/python/handle.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/detail/raw_pyobject.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/cast.hpp>
 
 #include <vector>
@@ -145,6 +146,8 @@ namespace
 
   inline bool visit(rvalue_from_python_chain const* chain)
   {
+      BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+
       visited_t::iterator const p = std::lower_bound(visited.begin(), visited.end(), chain);
       if (p != visited.end() && *p == chain)
           return false;
@@ -157,9 +160,11 @@ namespace
   {
       unvisit(rvalue_from_python_chain const* chain)
           : chain(chain) {}
-      
+
       ~unvisit()
       {
+          BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+
           visited_t::iterator const p = std::lower_bound(visited.begin(), visited.end(), chain);
           assert(p != visited.end());
           visited.erase(p);
diff --git a/src/converter/registry.cpp b/src/converter/registry.cpp
index aa20c3f6..1b23dbef 100644
--- a/src/converter/registry.cpp
+++ b/src/converter/registry.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <boost/python/converter/registry.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/converter/registrations.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/converter/builtin_converters.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp>
 
 #include <set>
 #include <stdexcept>
@@ -112,9 +113,9 @@ registration::~registration()
 namespace // <unnamed>
 {
   typedef registration entry;
-  
+
   typedef std::set<entry> registry_t;
-  
+
 #ifndef BOOST_PYTHON_CONVERTER_REGISTRY_APPLE_MACH_WORKAROUND
   registry_t& entries()
   {
@@ -181,6 +182,8 @@ namespace // <unnamed>
 
   entry* get(type_info type, bool is_shared_ptr = false)
   {
+      BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+
 #  ifdef BOOST_PYTHON_TRACE_REGISTRY
       registry_t::iterator p = entries().find(entry(type));
       
@@ -293,6 +296,8 @@ namespace registry
 
   registration const* query(type_info type)
   {
+      BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+
       registry_t::iterator p = entries().find(entry(type));
 #  ifdef BOOST_PYTHON_TRACE_REGISTRY
       std::cout << "querying " << type
diff --git a/src/converter/type_id.cpp b/src/converter/type_id.cpp
index c6a8bf7a..fafb1361 100644
--- a/src/converter/type_id.cpp
+++ b/src/converter/type_id.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/python/type_id.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/detail/decorated_type_id.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp>
 #include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ namespace
   {
       free_mem(char*p)
           : p(p) {}
-    
+
       ~free_mem()
       {
           std::free(p);
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ namespace
 
 bool cxxabi_cxa_demangle_is_broken()
 {
+    BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
     static bool was_tested = false;
     static bool is_broken = false;
     if (!was_tested) {
@@ -109,6 +111,8 @@ namespace detail
 {
   BOOST_PYTHON_DECL char const* gcc_demangle(char const* mangled)
   {
+      BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+
       typedef std::vector<
           std::pair<char const*, char const*>
       > mangling_map;
diff --git a/src/errors.cpp b/src/errors.cpp
index 34ea22f4..7f6b1880 100644
--- a/src/errors.cpp
+++ b/src/errors.cpp
@@ -10,9 +10,21 @@
 #include <boost/python/errors.hpp>
 #include <boost/cast.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/detail/exception_handler.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp>
 
 namespace boost { namespace python {
 
+#ifdef Py_GIL_DISABLED
+namespace detail {
+    // Global mutex for protecting all Boost.Python internal state
+    pymutex& get_global_mutex()
+    {
+        static pymutex mutex;
+        return mutex;
+    }
+}
+#endif
+
 error_already_set::~error_already_set() {}
 
 // IMPORTANT: this function may only be called from within a catch block!
@@ -20,8 +32,13 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_DECL bool handle_exception_impl(function0<void> f)
 {
     try
     {
-        if (detail::exception_handler::chain)
-            return detail::exception_handler::chain->handle(f);
+        detail::exception_handler* handler_chain = nullptr;
+        {
+            BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+            handler_chain = detail::exception_handler::chain;
+        }
+        if (handler_chain)
+            return handler_chain->handle(f);
         f();
         return false;
     }
@@ -80,6 +97,7 @@ exception_handler::exception_handler(handler_function const& impl)
     : m_impl(impl)
     , m_next(0)
 {
+    BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
     if (chain != 0)
         tail->m_next = this;
     else
diff --git a/src/object/inheritance.cpp b/src/object/inheritance.cpp
index a7b3156e..44062875 100644
--- a/src/object/inheritance.cpp
+++ b/src/object/inheritance.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 // http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 #include <boost/python/object/inheritance.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/type_id.hpp>
+#include <boost/python/detail/pymutex.hpp>
 #include <boost/graph/breadth_first_search.hpp>
 #if _MSC_FULL_VER >= 13102171 && _MSC_FULL_VER <= 13102179
 # include <boost/graph/reverse_graph.hpp>
@@ -390,6 +391,8 @@ namespace
 
   inline void* convert_type(void* const p, class_id src_t, class_id dst_t, bool polymorphic)
   {
+      BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+
       // Quickly rule out unregistered types
       index_entry* src_p = seek_type(src_t);
       if (src_p == 0)
@@ -452,6 +455,8 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_DECL void* find_static_type(void* p, class_id src_t, class_id dst_t
 BOOST_PYTHON_DECL void add_cast(
     class_id src_t, class_id dst_t, cast_function cast, bool is_downcast)
 {
+    BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
+
     // adding an edge will invalidate any record of unreachability in
     // the cache.
     static std::size_t expected_cache_len = 0;
@@ -490,6 +495,7 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_DECL void add_cast(
 BOOST_PYTHON_DECL void register_dynamic_id_aux(
     class_id static_id, dynamic_id_function get_dynamic_id)
 {
+    BOOST_PYTHON_LOCK_STATE();
     tuples::get<kdynamic_id>(*demand_type(static_id)) = get_dynamic_id;
 }