diff --git a/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h b/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h
index 6e06e874711bc2..8f51e2def69fc9 100644
--- a/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h
+++ b/Include/internal/pycore_runtime.h
@@ -143,7 +143,10 @@ typedef struct pyruntimestate {
     // is called multiple times.
     Py_OpenCodeHookFunction open_code_hook;
     void *open_code_userdata;
-    _Py_AuditHookEntry *audit_hook_head;
+    struct {
+        PyThread_type_lock mutex;
+        _Py_AuditHookEntry *head;
+    } audit_hooks;
 
     struct _py_object_runtime_state object_state;
     struct _Py_float_runtime_state float_state;
diff --git a/Python/pystate.c b/Python/pystate.c
index a1f14f76e751df..3ee99a4106d455 100644
--- a/Python/pystate.c
+++ b/Python/pystate.c
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ _Py_COMP_DIAG_IGNORE_DEPR_DECLS
 static const _PyRuntimeState initial = _PyRuntimeState_INIT(_PyRuntime);
 _Py_COMP_DIAG_POP
 
-#define NUMLOCKS 6
+#define NUMLOCKS 7
 #define LOCKS_INIT(runtime) \
     { \
         &(runtime)->interpreters.mutex, \
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ _Py_COMP_DIAG_POP
         &(runtime)->unicode_state.ids.lock, \
         &(runtime)->imports.extensions.mutex, \
         &(runtime)->atexit.mutex, \
+        &(runtime)->audit_hooks.mutex, \
     }
 
 static int
@@ -432,7 +433,7 @@ init_runtime(_PyRuntimeState *runtime,
 
     runtime->open_code_hook = open_code_hook;
     runtime->open_code_userdata = open_code_userdata;
-    runtime->audit_hook_head = audit_hook_head;
+    runtime->audit_hooks.head = audit_hook_head;
 
     PyPreConfig_InitPythonConfig(&runtime->preconfig);
 
@@ -458,7 +459,7 @@ _PyRuntimeState_Init(_PyRuntimeState *runtime)
        initialization and interpreter initialization. */
     void *open_code_hook = runtime->open_code_hook;
     void *open_code_userdata = runtime->open_code_userdata;
-    _Py_AuditHookEntry *audit_hook_head = runtime->audit_hook_head;
+    _Py_AuditHookEntry *audit_hook_head = runtime->audit_hooks.head;
     // bpo-42882: Preserve next_index value if Py_Initialize()/Py_Finalize()
     // is called multiple times.
     Py_ssize_t unicode_next_index = runtime->unicode_state.ids.next_index;
diff --git a/Python/sysmodule.c b/Python/sysmodule.c
index 4427e73e584e30..70274108a97cdb 100644
--- a/Python/sysmodule.c
+++ b/Python/sysmodule.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ should_audit(PyInterpreterState *interp)
     if (!interp) {
         return 0;
     }
-    return (interp->runtime->audit_hook_head
+    return (interp->runtime->audit_hooks.head
             || interp->audit_hooks
             || PyDTrace_AUDIT_ENABLED());
 }
@@ -224,8 +224,11 @@ sys_audit_tstate(PyThreadState *ts, const char *event,
         goto exit;
     }
 
-    /* Call global hooks */
-    _Py_AuditHookEntry *e = is->runtime->audit_hook_head;
+    /* Call global hooks
+     *
+     * We don't worry about any races on hooks getting added,
+     * since that would not leave is in an inconsistent state. */
+    _Py_AuditHookEntry *e = is->runtime->audit_hooks.head;
     for (; e; e = e->next) {
         if (e->hookCFunction(event, eventArgs, e->userData) < 0) {
             goto exit;
@@ -353,8 +356,12 @@ _PySys_ClearAuditHooks(PyThreadState *ts)
     _PySys_Audit(ts, "cpython._PySys_ClearAuditHooks", NULL);
     _PyErr_Clear(ts);
 
-    _Py_AuditHookEntry *e = runtime->audit_hook_head, *n;
-    runtime->audit_hook_head = NULL;
+    /* We don't worry about the very unlikely race right here,
+     * since it's entirely benign.  Nothing else removes entries
+     * from the list and adding an entry right now would not cause
+     * any trouble. */
+    _Py_AuditHookEntry *e = runtime->audit_hooks.head, *n;
+    runtime->audit_hooks.head = NULL;
     while (e) {
         n = e->next;
         PyMem_RawFree(e);
@@ -362,6 +369,22 @@ _PySys_ClearAuditHooks(PyThreadState *ts)
     }
 }
 
+static void
+add_audit_hook_entry_unlocked(_PyRuntimeState *runtime,
+                              _Py_AuditHookEntry *entry)
+{
+    if (runtime->audit_hooks.head == NULL) {
+        runtime->audit_hooks.head = entry;
+    }
+    else {
+        _Py_AuditHookEntry *last = runtime->audit_hooks.head;
+        while (last->next) {
+            last = last->next;
+        }
+        last->next = entry;
+    }
+}
+
 int
 PySys_AddAuditHook(Py_AuditHookFunction hook, void *userData)
 {
@@ -389,29 +412,28 @@ PySys_AddAuditHook(Py_AuditHookFunction hook, void *userData)
         }
     }
 
-    _Py_AuditHookEntry *e = runtime->audit_hook_head;
-    if (!e) {
-        e = (_Py_AuditHookEntry*)PyMem_RawMalloc(sizeof(_Py_AuditHookEntry));
-        runtime->audit_hook_head = e;
-    } else {
-        while (e->next) {
-            e = e->next;
-        }
-        e = e->next = (_Py_AuditHookEntry*)PyMem_RawMalloc(
+    _Py_AuditHookEntry *e = (_Py_AuditHookEntry*)PyMem_RawMalloc(
             sizeof(_Py_AuditHookEntry));
-    }
-
     if (!e) {
         if (tstate != NULL) {
             _PyErr_NoMemory(tstate);
         }
         return -1;
     }
-
     e->next = NULL;
     e->hookCFunction = (Py_AuditHookFunction)hook;
     e->userData = userData;
 
+    if (runtime->audit_hooks.mutex == NULL) {
+        /* The runtime must not be initailized yet. */
+        add_audit_hook_entry_unlocked(runtime, e);
+    }
+    else {
+        PyThread_acquire_lock(runtime->audit_hooks.mutex, WAIT_LOCK);
+        add_audit_hook_entry_unlocked(runtime, e);
+        PyThread_release_lock(runtime->audit_hooks.mutex);
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }