diff --git a/Doc/library/winreg.rst b/Doc/library/winreg.rst
index 9bd12ed..5cf30ee 100644
--- a/Doc/library/winreg.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/winreg.rst
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
    :exc:`WindowsError` exception is raised.
 
 
-.. function:: CreateKeyEx(key, sub_key[, res[, sam]])
+.. function:: CreateKeyEx(key, sub_key, reserved=0, access=KEY_ALL_ACCESS)
 
    Creates or opens the specified key, returning a
    :ref:`handle object <handle-object>`.
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
    If the method fails, a :exc:`WindowsError` exception is raised.
 
 
-.. function:: DeleteKeyEx(key, sub_key[, sam[, res]])
+.. function:: DeleteKeyEx(key, sub_key, access=KEY_ALL_ACCESS, reserved=0)
 
    Deletes the specified key.
 
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@
    specified in *file_name* is relative to the remote computer.
 
 
-.. function:: OpenKey(key, sub_key[, res[, sam]])
+.. function:: OpenKey(key, sub_key, reserved=0, access=KEY_ALL_ACCESS)
 
    Opens the specified key, returning a :ref:`handle object <handle-object>`.
 
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@
 
    If the function fails, :exc:`WindowsError` is raised.
 
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.2 Allow the use of named arguments.
+
 
 .. function:: OpenKeyEx()
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_winreg.py b/Lib/test/test_winreg.py
index c5ee846..4757038 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_winreg.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_winreg.py
@@ -185,6 +185,16 @@
         self._read_test_data(root_key, subkeystr)
         self._delete_test_data(root_key, subkeystr)
 
+    def _test_named_args(self, key, sub_key):
+        with CreateKeyEx(key=key, sub_key=sub_key, reserved=0,
+                         access=KEY_ALL_ACCESS) as ckey:
+            self.assertTrue(ckey.handle != 0)
+
+        with OpenKeyEx(key=key, sub_key=sub_key, reserved=0,
+                       access=KEY_ALL_ACCESS) as okey:
+            self.assertTrue(okey.handle != 0)
+
+
 class LocalWinregTests(BaseWinregTests):
 
     def test_registry_works(self):
@@ -203,6 +213,12 @@
 
         self._delete_test_data(HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
 
+    def test_named_arguments(self):
+        self._test_named_args(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, test_key_name)
+        # Use the regular DeleteKey to clean up
+        # DeleteKeyEx takes named args and is tested separately
+        DeleteKey(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, test_key_name)
+
     def test_connect_registry_to_local_machine_works(self):
         # perform minimal ConnectRegistry test which just invokes it
         h = ConnectRegistry(None, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE)
@@ -314,6 +330,12 @@
 @unittest.skipUnless(WIN64_MACHINE, "x64 specific registry tests")
 class Win64WinregTests(BaseWinregTests):
 
+    def test_named_arguments(self):
+        self._test_named_args(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, test_key_name)
+        # Clean up and also exercise the named arguments
+        DeleteKeyEx(key=HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sub_key=test_key_name,
+                    access=KEY_ALL_ACCESS, reserved=0)
+
     def test_reflection_functions(self):
         # Test that we can call the query, enable, and disable functions
         # on a key which isn't on the reflection list with no consequences.
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 2fb3b95..4bfd534 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 Core and Builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Issue #8521: Allow CreateKeyEx, OpenKeyEx, and DeleteKeyEx functions
+  of winreg to use named arguments.
+
 - Issue #9930: Remove bogus subtype check that was causing (e.g.)
   float.__rdiv__(2.0, 3) to return NotImplemented instead of the
   expected 1.5.
diff --git a/PC/winreg.c b/PC/winreg.c
index 390a9ce..c283b44 100644
--- a/PC/winreg.c
+++ b/PC/winreg.c
@@ -989,23 +989,26 @@
 }
 
 static PyObject *
-PyCreateKeyEx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+PyCreateKeyEx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
 {
     HKEY hKey;
-    PyObject *obKey;
-    wchar_t *subKey;
+    PyObject *key;
+    wchar_t *sub_key;
     HKEY retKey;
-    int res = 0;
-    REGSAM sam = KEY_WRITE;
+    int reserved = 0;
+    REGSAM access = KEY_WRITE;
     long rc;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "OZ|ii:CreateKeyEx", &obKey, &subKey,
-                                              &res, &sam))
+
+    char *kwlist[] = {"key", "sub_key", "reserved", "access", NULL};
+
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwargs, "OZ|ii:CreateKeyEx", kwlist,
+                                     &key, &sub_key, &reserved, &access))
         return NULL;
-    if (!PyHKEY_AsHKEY(obKey, &hKey, FALSE))
+    if (!PyHKEY_AsHKEY(key, &hKey, FALSE))
         return NULL;
 
-    rc = RegCreateKeyExW(hKey, subKey, res, NULL, (DWORD)NULL,
-                                            sam, NULL, &retKey, NULL);
+    rc = RegCreateKeyExW(hKey, sub_key, reserved, NULL, (DWORD)NULL,
+                         access, NULL, &retKey, NULL);
     if (rc != ERROR_SUCCESS)
         return PyErr_SetFromWindowsErrWithFunction(rc, "CreateKeyEx");
     return PyHKEY_FromHKEY(retKey);
@@ -1030,22 +1033,23 @@
 }
 
 static PyObject *
-PyDeleteKeyEx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+PyDeleteKeyEx(PyObject *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
 {
     HKEY hKey;
-    PyObject *obKey;
+    PyObject *key;
     HMODULE hMod;
     typedef LONG (WINAPI *RDKEFunc)(HKEY, const wchar_t*, REGSAM, int);
     RDKEFunc pfn = NULL;
-    wchar_t *subKey;
+    wchar_t *sub_key;
     long rc;
-    int res = 0;
-    REGSAM sam = KEY_WOW64_64KEY;
+    int reserved = 0;
+    REGSAM access = KEY_WOW64_64KEY;
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "Ou|ii:DeleteKeyEx",
-                                              &obKey, &subKey, &sam, &res))
+    char *kwlist[] = {"key", "sub_key", "access", "reserved", NULL};
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwargs, "Ou|ii:DeleteKeyEx", kwlist,
+                                     &key, &sub_key, &access, &reserved))
         return NULL;
-    if (!PyHKEY_AsHKEY(obKey, &hKey, FALSE))
+    if (!PyHKEY_AsHKEY(key, &hKey, FALSE))
         return NULL;
 
     /* Only available on 64bit platforms, so we must load it
@@ -1060,7 +1064,7 @@
         return NULL;
     }
     Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-    rc = (*pfn)(hKey, subKey, sam, res);
+    rc = (*pfn)(hKey, sub_key, access, reserved);
     Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
 
     if (rc != ERROR_SUCCESS)
@@ -1282,24 +1286,26 @@
 }
 
 static PyObject *
-PyOpenKey(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+PyOpenKey(PyObject *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
 {
     HKEY hKey;
-    PyObject *obKey;
-
-    wchar_t *subKey;
-    int res = 0;
+    PyObject *key;
+    wchar_t *sub_key;
+    int reserved = 0;
     HKEY retKey;
     long rc;
-    REGSAM sam = KEY_READ;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "OZ|ii:OpenKey", &obKey, &subKey,
-                          &res, &sam))
+    REGSAM access = KEY_READ;
+
+    char *kwlist[] = {"key", "sub_key", "reserved", "access", NULL};
+
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwargs, "OZ|ii:OpenKey", kwlist,
+                                     &key, &sub_key, &reserved, &access))
         return NULL;
-    if (!PyHKEY_AsHKEY(obKey, &hKey, FALSE))
+    if (!PyHKEY_AsHKEY(key, &hKey, FALSE))
         return NULL;
 
     Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-    rc = RegOpenKeyExW(hKey, subKey, res, sam, &retKey);
+    rc = RegOpenKeyExW(hKey, sub_key, reserved, access, &retKey);
     Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
     if (rc != ERROR_SUCCESS)
         return PyErr_SetFromWindowsErrWithFunction(rc, "RegOpenKeyEx");
@@ -1667,9 +1673,11 @@
     {"CloseKey",         PyCloseKey,        METH_VARARGS, CloseKey_doc},
     {"ConnectRegistry",  PyConnectRegistry, METH_VARARGS, ConnectRegistry_doc},
     {"CreateKey",        PyCreateKey,       METH_VARARGS, CreateKey_doc},
-    {"CreateKeyEx",      PyCreateKeyEx,     METH_VARARGS, CreateKeyEx_doc},
+    {"CreateKeyEx",      (PyCFunction)PyCreateKeyEx,
+                         METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS, CreateKeyEx_doc},
     {"DeleteKey",        PyDeleteKey,       METH_VARARGS, DeleteKey_doc},
-    {"DeleteKeyEx",      PyDeleteKeyEx,     METH_VARARGS, DeleteKeyEx_doc},
+    {"DeleteKeyEx",      (PyCFunction)PyDeleteKeyEx,
+                         METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS, DeleteKeyEx_doc},
     {"DeleteValue",      PyDeleteValue,     METH_VARARGS, DeleteValue_doc},
     {"DisableReflectionKey", PyDisableReflectionKey, METH_VARARGS, DisableReflectionKey_doc},
     {"EnableReflectionKey",  PyEnableReflectionKey,  METH_VARARGS, EnableReflectionKey_doc},
@@ -1679,8 +1687,10 @@
         ExpandEnvironmentStrings_doc },
     {"FlushKey",         PyFlushKey,        METH_VARARGS, FlushKey_doc},
     {"LoadKey",          PyLoadKey,         METH_VARARGS, LoadKey_doc},
-    {"OpenKey",          PyOpenKey,         METH_VARARGS, OpenKey_doc},
-    {"OpenKeyEx",        PyOpenKey,         METH_VARARGS, OpenKeyEx_doc},
+    {"OpenKey",          (PyCFunction)PyOpenKey, METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS,
+                                                 OpenKey_doc},
+    {"OpenKeyEx",        (PyCFunction)PyOpenKey, METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS,
+                                                 OpenKeyEx_doc},
     {"QueryValue",       PyQueryValue,      METH_VARARGS, QueryValue_doc},
     {"QueryValueEx",     PyQueryValueEx,    METH_VARARGS, QueryValueEx_doc},
     {"QueryInfoKey",     PyQueryInfoKey,    METH_VARARGS, QueryInfoKey_doc},