diff --git a/Include/pystate.h b/Include/pystate.h
--- a/Include/pystate.h
+++ b/Include/pystate.h
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ typedef struct _is {
     int codecs_initialized;
     int fscodec_initialized;
 
-
 #ifdef HAVE_DLOPEN
     int dlopenflags;
 #endif
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@ typedef struct _is {
     int tscdump;
 #endif
 
+    PyObject *builtins_copy;
 } PyInterpreterState;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_builtin.py b/Lib/test/test_builtin.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_builtin.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_builtin.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import unittest
 import warnings
 from operator import neg
 from test.support import TESTFN, unlink,  run_unittest, check_warnings
+from test.script_helper import assert_python_ok
 try:
     import pty, signal
 except ImportError:
@@ -1592,6 +1593,34 @@ class TestSorted(unittest.TestCase):
         data = 'The quick Brown fox Jumped over The lazy Dog'.split()
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, sorted, data, None, lambda x,y: 0)
 
+
+class ShutdownTest(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_cleanup(self):
+        # Issue #19255: builtins are still available at shutdown
+        code = """if 1:
+            import builtins
+            import sys
+
+            class C:
+                def __del__(self):
+                    print("before")
+                    # Check that builtins still exist
+                    len(())
+                    print("after")
+
+            c = C()
+            # Make this module survive until builtins are cleaned
+            builtins.here = sys.modules[__name__]
+            # Create a reference loop so that this module needs to go
+            # through a GC phase.
+            here = sys.modules[__name__]
+            """
+        rc, out, err = assert_python_ok("-c", code)
+        self.assertEqual(["before", "after"], out.decode().splitlines())
+        self.assertFalse(err)
+
+
 def load_tests(loader, tests, pattern):
     from doctest import DocTestSuite
     tests.addTest(DocTestSuite(builtins))
diff --git a/Python/import.c b/Python/import.c
--- a/Python/import.c
+++ b/Python/import.c
@@ -36,9 +36,13 @@ static PyObject *initstr = NULL;
 void
 _PyImport_Init(void)
 {
+    PyInterpreterState *interp = PyThreadState_Get()->interp;
     initstr = PyUnicode_InternFromString("__init__");
     if (initstr == NULL)
         Py_FatalError("Can't initialize import variables");
+    interp->builtins_copy = PyDict_Copy(interp->builtins);
+    if (interp->builtins_copy == NULL)
+        Py_FatalError("Can't backup builtins dict");
 }
 
 void
@@ -296,7 +300,6 @@ PyImport_Cleanup(void)
     PyObject *key, *value, *dict;
     PyInterpreterState *interp = PyThreadState_GET()->interp;
     PyObject *modules = interp->modules;
-    PyObject *builtins = interp->builtins;
     PyObject *weaklist = NULL;
 
     if (modules == NULL)
@@ -372,11 +375,11 @@ PyImport_Cleanup(void)
 
     /* Clear the modules dict. */
     PyDict_Clear(modules);
-    /* Replace the interpreter's reference to builtins with an empty dict
-       (module globals still have a reference to the original builtins). */
-    builtins = interp->builtins;
-    interp->builtins = PyDict_New();
-    Py_DECREF(builtins);
+    /* Restore the original builtins dict, to ensure that any
+       user data gets cleared. */
+    PyDict_Clear(interp->builtins);
+    if (PyDict_Update(interp->builtins, interp->builtins_copy))
+        PyErr_Clear();
     /* Clear module dict copies stored in the interpreter state */
     _PyState_ClearModules();
     /* Collect references */
diff --git a/Python/pystate.c b/Python/pystate.c
--- a/Python/pystate.c
+++ b/Python/pystate.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ PyInterpreterState_New(void)
         interp->modules_by_index = NULL;
         interp->sysdict = NULL;
         interp->builtins = NULL;
+        interp->builtins_copy = NULL;
         interp->tstate_head = NULL;
         interp->codec_search_path = NULL;
         interp->codec_search_cache = NULL;
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ PyInterpreterState_Clear(PyInterpreterSt
     Py_CLEAR(interp->modules_by_index);
     Py_CLEAR(interp->sysdict);
     Py_CLEAR(interp->builtins);
+    Py_CLEAR(interp->builtins_copy);
     Py_CLEAR(interp->importlib);
 }