diff --git a/Python/pylifecycle.c b/Python/pylifecycle.c
index 3953fec0f5..f71cba6399 100644
--- a/Python/pylifecycle.c
+++ b/Python/pylifecycle.c
@@ -505,6 +505,9 @@ _Py_CoerceLegacyLocale(void)
 }
 
 
+void
+_PySys_SetLastException(PyObject *exception, PyObject *v, PyObject *tb);
+
 /* Global initializations.  Can be undone by Py_Finalize().  Don't
    call this twice without an intervening Py_Finalize() call.
 
@@ -681,6 +684,8 @@ void _Py_InitializeCore(const _PyCoreConfig *config)
     PyDict_SetItemString(interp->sysdict, "modules",
                          interp->modules);
 
+    _PySys_SetLastException(Py_None, Py_None, Py_None);
+
     /* Set up a preliminary stderr printer until we have enough
        infrastructure for the io module in place. */
     pstderr = PyFile_NewStdPrinter(fileno(stderr));
diff --git a/Python/pythonrun.c b/Python/pythonrun.c
index f31b3ee5a5..c74670763f 100644
--- a/Python/pythonrun.c
+++ b/Python/pythonrun.c
@@ -606,6 +606,14 @@ handle_system_exit(void)
 }
 
 void
+_PySys_SetLastException(PyObject *exception, PyObject *v, PyObject *tb)
+{
+    _PySys_SetObjectId(&PyId_last_type, exception);
+    _PySys_SetObjectId(&PyId_last_value, v);
+    _PySys_SetObjectId(&PyId_last_traceback, tb);
+}
+
+void
 PyErr_PrintEx(int set_sys_last_vars)
 {
     PyObject *exception, *v, *tb, *hook;
@@ -626,9 +634,7 @@ PyErr_PrintEx(int set_sys_last_vars)
         return;
     /* Now we know v != NULL too */
     if (set_sys_last_vars) {
-        _PySys_SetObjectId(&PyId_last_type, exception);
-        _PySys_SetObjectId(&PyId_last_value, v);
-        _PySys_SetObjectId(&PyId_last_traceback, tb);
+        _PySys_SetLastException(exception, v, tb);
     }
     hook = _PySys_GetObjectId(&PyId_excepthook);
     if (hook) {