diff --git a/guide/src/migration.md b/guide/src/migration.md
index e366c825a3b..fb212743702 100644
--- a/guide/src/migration.md
+++ b/guide/src/migration.md
@@ -198,6 +198,80 @@ impl<'a, 'py> IntoPyObject<'py> for &'a MyPyObjectWrapper {
 ```
 </details>
 
+### Free-threaded Python Support
+<details open>
+<summary><small>Click to expand</small></summary>
+
+PyO3 0.23 introduces preliminary support for the new free-threaded build of
+CPython 3.13. PyO3 features that implicitly assumed the existence of the GIL
+are not exposed in the free-threaded build, since they are no longer safe.
+
+If you make use of these features then you will need to account for the
+unavailability of this API in the free-threaded build. One way to handle it is
+via conditional compilation -- extensions built for the free-threaded build will
+have the `Py_GIL_DISABLED` attribute defined.
+
+### `GILProtected`
+
+`GILProtected` allows mutable access to static data by leveraging the GIL to
+lock concurrent access from other threads. In free-threaded python there is no
+GIL, so you will need to replace this type with some other form of locking. In
+many cases, `std::sync::Atomic` or `std::sync::Mutex` will be sufficient. If the
+locks do not guard the execution of arbitrary Python code or use of the CPython
+C API then conditional compilation is likely unnecessary since `GILProtected`
+was not needed in the first place.
+
+Before:
+
+```rust
+# fn main() {
+# #[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))] {
+# use pyo3::prelude::*;
+use pyo3::sync::GILProtected;
+use pyo3::types::{PyDict, PyNone};
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+static OBJECTS: GILProtected<RefCell<Vec<Py<PyDict>>>> =
+    GILProtected::new(RefCell::new(Vec::new()));
+
+Python::with_gil(|py| {
+    // stand-in for something that executes arbitrary python code
+    let d = PyDict::new(py);
+    d.set_item(PyNone::get(py), PyNone::get(py)).unwrap();
+    OBJECTS.get(py).borrow_mut().push(d.unbind());
+});
+# }}
+```
+
+After:
+
+```rust
+# use pyo3::prelude::*;
+# fn main() {
+use pyo3::types::{PyDict, PyNone};
+use std::sync::Mutex;
+
+static OBJECTS: Mutex<Vec<Py<PyDict>>> = Mutex::new(Vec::new());
+
+Python::with_gil(|py| {
+    // stand-in for something that executes arbitrary python code
+    let d = PyDict::new(py);
+    d.set_item(PyNone::get(py), PyNone::get(py)).unwrap();
+    // we're not executing python code while holding the lock, so GILProtected
+    // was never needed
+    OBJECTS.lock().unwrap().push(d.unbind());
+});
+# }
+```
+
+If you are executing arbitrary Python code while holding the lock, then you will
+need to use conditional compilation to use `GILProtected` on GIL-enabled python
+builds and mutexes otherwise. Python 3.13 introduces `PyMutex`, which releases
+the GIL while the lock is held, so that is another option if you only need to
+support newer Python versions.
+
+</details>
+
 ## from 0.21.* to 0.22
 
 ### Deprecation of `gil-refs` feature continues
diff --git a/newsfragments/4504.changed.md b/newsfragments/4504.changed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..94d056dcef9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/4504.changed.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+* The `GILProtected` struct is not available on the free-threaded build of
+  Python 3.13.
diff --git a/src/impl_/pyclass/lazy_type_object.rs b/src/impl_/pyclass/lazy_type_object.rs
index be383a272f3..d3bede7b2f3 100644
--- a/src/impl_/pyclass/lazy_type_object.rs
+++ b/src/impl_/pyclass/lazy_type_object.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use std::{
-    cell::RefCell,
     ffi::CStr,
     marker::PhantomData,
     thread::{self, ThreadId},
@@ -11,11 +10,13 @@ use crate::{
     impl_::pyclass::MaybeRuntimePyMethodDef,
     impl_::pymethods::PyMethodDefType,
     pyclass::{create_type_object, PyClassTypeObject},
-    sync::{GILOnceCell, GILProtected},
+    sync::GILOnceCell,
     types::PyType,
     Bound, PyClass, PyErr, PyObject, PyResult, Python,
 };
 
+use std::sync::Mutex;
+
 use super::PyClassItemsIter;
 
 /// Lazy type object for PyClass.
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ struct LazyTypeObjectInner {
     value: GILOnceCell<PyClassTypeObject>,
     // Threads which have begun initialization of the `tp_dict`. Used for
     // reentrant initialization detection.
-    initializing_threads: GILProtected<RefCell<Vec<ThreadId>>>,
+    initializing_threads: Mutex<Vec<ThreadId>>,
     tp_dict_filled: GILOnceCell<()>,
 }
 
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ impl<T> LazyTypeObject<T> {
         LazyTypeObject(
             LazyTypeObjectInner {
                 value: GILOnceCell::new(),
-                initializing_threads: GILProtected::new(RefCell::new(Vec::new())),
+                initializing_threads: Mutex::new(Vec::new()),
                 tp_dict_filled: GILOnceCell::new(),
             },
             PhantomData,
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ impl LazyTypeObjectInner {
 
         let thread_id = thread::current().id();
         {
-            let mut threads = self.initializing_threads.get(py).borrow_mut();
+            let mut threads = self.initializing_threads.lock().unwrap();
             if threads.contains(&thread_id) {
                 // Reentrant call: just return the type object, even if the
                 // `tp_dict` is not filled yet.
@@ -127,20 +128,18 @@ impl LazyTypeObjectInner {
         }
 
         struct InitializationGuard<'a> {
-            initializing_threads: &'a GILProtected<RefCell<Vec<ThreadId>>>,
-            py: Python<'a>,
+            initializing_threads: &'a Mutex<Vec<ThreadId>>,
             thread_id: ThreadId,
         }
         impl Drop for InitializationGuard<'_> {
             fn drop(&mut self) {
-                let mut threads = self.initializing_threads.get(self.py).borrow_mut();
+                let mut threads = self.initializing_threads.lock().unwrap();
                 threads.retain(|id| *id != self.thread_id);
             }
         }
 
         let guard = InitializationGuard {
             initializing_threads: &self.initializing_threads,
-            py,
             thread_id,
         };
 
@@ -185,8 +184,11 @@ impl LazyTypeObjectInner {
 
             // Initialization successfully complete, can clear the thread list.
             // (No further calls to get_or_init() will try to init, on any thread.)
-            std::mem::forget(guard);
-            self.initializing_threads.get(py).replace(Vec::new());
+            let mut threads = {
+                drop(guard);
+                self.initializing_threads.lock().unwrap()
+            };
+            threads.clear();
             result
         });
 
diff --git a/src/sync.rs b/src/sync.rs
index 33d247b7856..59f669f2627 100644
--- a/src/sync.rs
+++ b/src/sync.rs
@@ -6,16 +6,21 @@
 //! [PEP 703]: https://peps.python.org/pep-703/
 use crate::{
     types::{any::PyAnyMethods, PyString, PyType},
-    Bound, Py, PyResult, PyVisit, Python,
+    Bound, Py, PyResult, Python,
 };
 use std::cell::UnsafeCell;
 
+#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
+use crate::PyVisit;
+
 /// Value with concurrent access protected by the GIL.
 ///
 /// This is a synchronization primitive based on Python's global interpreter lock (GIL).
 /// It ensures that only one thread at a time can access the inner value via shared references.
 /// It can be combined with interior mutability to obtain mutable references.
 ///
+/// This type is not defined for extensions built against the free-threaded CPython ABI.
+///
 /// # Example
 ///
 /// Combining `GILProtected` with `RefCell` enables mutable access to static data:
@@ -31,10 +36,12 @@ use std::cell::UnsafeCell;
 ///     NUMBERS.get(py).borrow_mut().push(42);
 /// });
 /// ```
+#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
 pub struct GILProtected<T> {
     value: T,
 }
 
+#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
 impl<T> GILProtected<T> {
     /// Place the given value under the protection of the GIL.
     pub const fn new(value: T) -> Self {
@@ -52,6 +59,7 @@ impl<T> GILProtected<T> {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(not(Py_GIL_DISABLED))]
 unsafe impl<T> Sync for GILProtected<T> where T: Send {}
 
 /// A write-once cell similar to [`once_cell::OnceCell`](https://docs.rs/once_cell/latest/once_cell/).