diff --git a/Modules/clinic/itertoolsmodule.c.h b/Modules/clinic/itertoolsmodule.c.h
index f7d1fcba7ce49cf..c2c7b6d4d613714 100644
--- a/Modules/clinic/itertoolsmodule.c.h
+++ b/Modules/clinic/itertoolsmodule.c.h
@@ -444,8 +444,8 @@ itertools_starmap(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
     PyObject *func;
     PyObject *seq;
 
-    if ((type == &starmap_type ||
-         type->tp_init == starmap_type.tp_init) &&
+    if ((type == clinic_state()->starmap_type ||
+         type->tp_init == clinic_state()->starmap_type->tp_init) &&
         !_PyArg_NoKeywords("starmap", kwargs)) {
         goto exit;
     }
@@ -913,4 +913,4 @@ itertools_count(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
 exit:
     return return_value;
 }
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=165d47c9da0e01d3 input=a9049054013a1b77]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=874770ce22a5cca2 input=a9049054013a1b77]*/
diff --git a/Modules/itertoolsmodule.c b/Modules/itertoolsmodule.c
index 2990cc557ff1ace..926af0584f37277 100644
--- a/Modules/itertoolsmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/itertoolsmodule.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ typedef struct {
     PyTypeObject *dropwhile_type;
     PyTypeObject *groupby_type;
     PyTypeObject *_grouper_type;
+    PyTypeObject *starmap_type;
     PyTypeObject *takewhile_type;
 } itertools_state;
 
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ class itertools.batched "batchedobject *" "&batched_type"
 class itertools.cycle "cycleobject *" "clinic_state()->cycle_type"
 class itertools.dropwhile "dropwhileobject *" "clinic_state()->dropwhile_type"
 class itertools.takewhile "takewhileobject *" "clinic_state()->takewhile_type"
-class itertools.starmap "starmapobject *" "&starmap_type"
+class itertools.starmap "starmapobject *" "clinic_state()->starmap_type"
 class itertools.chain "chainobject *" "&chain_type"
 class itertools.combinations "combinationsobject *" "&combinations_type"
 class itertools.combinations_with_replacement "cwr_object *" "&cwr_type"
@@ -57,12 +58,11 @@ class itertools.filterfalse "filterfalseobject *" "&filterfalse_type"
 class itertools.count "countobject *" "&count_type"
 class itertools.pairwise "pairwiseobject *" "&pairwise_type"
 [clinic start generated code]*/
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=da39a3ee5e6b4b0d input=3015dff7a88cfc00]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=da39a3ee5e6b4b0d input=3b9f0718b7d49b01]*/
 
 static PyTypeObject teedataobject_type;
 static PyTypeObject tee_type;
 static PyTypeObject batched_type;
-static PyTypeObject starmap_type;
 static PyTypeObject combinations_type;
 static PyTypeObject cwr_type;
 static PyTypeObject permutations_type;
@@ -1978,15 +1978,18 @@ itertools_starmap_impl(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *func, PyObject *seq)
 static void
 starmap_dealloc(starmapobject *lz)
 {
+    PyTypeObject *tp = Py_TYPE(lz);
     PyObject_GC_UnTrack(lz);
     Py_XDECREF(lz->func);
     Py_XDECREF(lz->it);
-    Py_TYPE(lz)->tp_free(lz);
+    tp->tp_free(lz);
+    Py_DECREF(tp);
 }
 
 static int
 starmap_traverse(starmapobject *lz, visitproc visit, void *arg)
 {
+    Py_VISIT(Py_TYPE(lz));
     Py_VISIT(lz->it);
     Py_VISIT(lz->func);
     return 0;
@@ -2027,48 +2030,25 @@ static PyMethodDef starmap_methods[] = {
     {NULL,              NULL}   /* sentinel */
 };
 
-static PyTypeObject starmap_type = {
-    PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL, 0)
-    "itertools.starmap",                /* tp_name */
-    sizeof(starmapobject),              /* tp_basicsize */
-    0,                                  /* tp_itemsize */
-    /* methods */
-    (destructor)starmap_dealloc,        /* tp_dealloc */
-    0,                                  /* tp_vectorcall_offset */
-    0,                                  /* tp_getattr */
-    0,                                  /* tp_setattr */
-    0,                                  /* tp_as_async */
-    0,                                  /* tp_repr */
-    0,                                  /* tp_as_number */
-    0,                                  /* tp_as_sequence */
-    0,                                  /* tp_as_mapping */
-    0,                                  /* tp_hash */
-    0,                                  /* tp_call */
-    0,                                  /* tp_str */
-    PyObject_GenericGetAttr,            /* tp_getattro */
-    0,                                  /* tp_setattro */
-    0,                                  /* tp_as_buffer */
-    Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT | Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC |
-        Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE,            /* tp_flags */
-    itertools_starmap__doc__,           /* tp_doc */
-    (traverseproc)starmap_traverse,     /* tp_traverse */
-    0,                                  /* tp_clear */
-    0,                                  /* tp_richcompare */
-    0,                                  /* tp_weaklistoffset */
-    PyObject_SelfIter,                  /* tp_iter */
-    (iternextfunc)starmap_next,         /* tp_iternext */
-    starmap_methods,                    /* tp_methods */
-    0,                                  /* tp_members */
-    0,                                  /* tp_getset */
-    0,                                  /* tp_base */
-    0,                                  /* tp_dict */
-    0,                                  /* tp_descr_get */
-    0,                                  /* tp_descr_set */
-    0,                                  /* tp_dictoffset */
-    0,                                  /* tp_init */
-    0,                                  /* tp_alloc */
-    itertools_starmap,                  /* tp_new */
-    PyObject_GC_Del,                    /* tp_free */
+static PyType_Slot starmap_slots[] = {
+    {Py_tp_dealloc, starmap_dealloc},
+    {Py_tp_getattro, PyObject_GenericGetAttr},
+    {Py_tp_doc, (void *)itertools_starmap__doc__},
+    {Py_tp_traverse, starmap_traverse},
+    {Py_tp_iter, PyObject_SelfIter},
+    {Py_tp_iternext, starmap_next},
+    {Py_tp_methods, starmap_methods},
+    {Py_tp_new, itertools_starmap},
+    {Py_tp_free, PyObject_GC_Del},
+    {0, NULL},
+};
+
+static PyType_Spec starmap_spec = {
+    .name = "itertools.starmap",
+    .basicsize = sizeof(starmapobject),
+    .flags = (Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT | Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC | Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE |
+              Py_TPFLAGS_IMMUTABLETYPE),
+    .slots = starmap_slots,
 };
 
 
@@ -4905,6 +4885,7 @@ itertoolsmodule_traverse(PyObject *mod, visitproc visit, void *arg)
     Py_VISIT(state->dropwhile_type);
     Py_VISIT(state->groupby_type);
     Py_VISIT(state->_grouper_type);
+    Py_VISIT(state->starmap_type);
     Py_VISIT(state->takewhile_type);
     return 0;
 }
@@ -4917,6 +4898,7 @@ itertoolsmodule_clear(PyObject *mod)
     Py_CLEAR(state->dropwhile_type);
     Py_CLEAR(state->groupby_type);
     Py_CLEAR(state->_grouper_type);
+    Py_CLEAR(state->starmap_type);
     Py_CLEAR(state->takewhile_type);
     return 0;
 }
@@ -4946,6 +4928,7 @@ itertoolsmodule_exec(PyObject *mod)
     ADD_TYPE(mod, state->dropwhile_type, &dropwhile_spec);
     ADD_TYPE(mod, state->groupby_type, &groupby_spec);
     ADD_TYPE(mod, state->_grouper_type, &_grouper_spec);
+    ADD_TYPE(mod, state->starmap_type, &starmap_spec);
     ADD_TYPE(mod, state->takewhile_type, &takewhile_spec);
 
     PyTypeObject *typelist[] = {
@@ -4954,7 +4937,6 @@ itertoolsmodule_exec(PyObject *mod)
         &combinations_type,
         &cwr_type,
         &islice_type,
-        &starmap_type,
         &chain_type,
         &compress_type,
         &filterfalse_type,