diff -r 6b07f261ccf4 Modules/_datetimemodule.c
--- a/Modules/_datetimemodule.c	Thu Sep 15 16:52:54 2016 -0400
+++ b/Modules/_datetimemodule.c	Thu Sep 15 18:04:49 2016 -0400
@@ -4418,24 +4418,26 @@
     return result;
 }
 
+static PyObject *strptime_module = NULL;
+
 /* Return new datetime from _strptime.strptime_datetime(). */
 static PyObject *
 datetime_strptime(PyObject *cls, PyObject *args)
 {
-    static PyObject *module = NULL;
     PyObject *string, *format;
     _Py_IDENTIFIER(_strptime_datetime);
 
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "UU:strptime", &string, &format))
         return NULL;
 
-    if (module == NULL) {
-        module = PyImport_ImportModuleNoBlock("_strptime");
-        if (module == NULL)
+    if (strptime_module == NULL) {
+        strptime_module = PyImport_ImportModuleNoBlock("_strptime");
+        if (strptime_module == NULL)
             return NULL;
     }
-    return _PyObject_CallMethodId(module, &PyId__strptime_datetime, "OOO",
-                                 cls, string, format);
+    return _PyObject_CallMethodId(strptime_module,
+                                  &PyId__strptime_datetime, "OOO",
+                                  cls, string, format);
 }
 
 /* Return new datetime from date/datetime and time arguments. */
@@ -5632,18 +5634,23 @@
     new_time_ex2
 };
 
-
+static int
+module_clear(PyObject *self)
+{
+    Py_CLEAR(strptime_module);
+    return 0;
+}
 
 static struct PyModuleDef datetimemodule = {
     PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
     "_datetime",
     "Fast implementation of the datetime type.",
     -1,
-    module_methods,
-    NULL,
-    NULL,
-    NULL,
-    NULL
+    module_methods,  /* m_methods  */
+    NULL,            /* m_slots    */
+    NULL,            /* m_traverse */
+    module_clear,            /* m_clear    */
+    NULL             /* m_free     */
 };
 
 PyMODINIT_FUNC