diff --git a/Python/import.c b/Python/import.c
index 57521e4..9a98573 100644
--- a/Python/import.c
+++ b/Python/import.c
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@
 
 struct _inittab *PyImport_Inittab = _PyImport_Inittab;
 
-static PyObject *initstr = NULL;
-
 /*[clinic input]
 module _imp
 [clinic start generated code]*/
@@ -43,14 +41,8 @@
 /* Initialize things */
 
 _PyInitError
-_PyImport_Init(void)
+_PyImport_Init(PyInterpreterState *interp)
 {
-    PyInterpreterState *interp = PyThreadState_Get()->interp;
-    initstr = PyUnicode_InternFromString("__init__");
-    if (initstr == NULL) {
-        return _Py_INIT_ERR("Can't initialize import variables");
-    }
-
     interp->builtins_copy = PyDict_Copy(interp->builtins);
     if (interp->builtins_copy == NULL) {
         return _Py_INIT_ERR("Can't backup builtins dict");
diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index b615c79..504036c 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@
     PySys_SetObject("__stderr__", pstderr);
     Py_DECREF(pstderr);
 
-    err = _PyImport_Init();
+    err = _PyImport_Init(interp);
     if (_Py_INIT_FAILED(err)) {
         return err;
     }