diff --git a/pyo3-ffi/src/datetime.rs b/pyo3-ffi/src/datetime.rs
index 7283b6d4e52..601f2d4ceb0 100644
--- a/pyo3-ffi/src/datetime.rs
+++ b/pyo3-ffi/src/datetime.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use std::cell::UnsafeCell;
 use std::os::raw::c_char;
 use std::os::raw::c_int;
 use std::ptr;
+use std::sync::Once;
 #[cfg(not(PyPy))]
 use {crate::PyCapsule_Import, std::ffi::CString};
 #[cfg(not(any(PyPy, GraalPy)))]
@@ -600,7 +601,7 @@ unsafe impl Sync for PyDateTime_CAPI {}
 /// `PyDateTime_IMPORT` is called
 #[inline]
 pub unsafe fn PyDateTimeAPI() -> *mut PyDateTime_CAPI {
-    *PyDateTimeAPI_impl.0.get()
+    *PyDateTimeAPI_impl.ptr.get()
 }
 
 #[inline]
@@ -610,20 +611,27 @@ pub unsafe fn PyDateTime_TimeZone_UTC() -> *mut PyObject {
 
 /// Populates the `PyDateTimeAPI` object
 pub unsafe fn PyDateTime_IMPORT() {
-    // PyPy expects the C-API to be initialized via PyDateTime_Import, so trying to use
-    // `PyCapsule_Import` will behave unexpectedly in pypy.
-    #[cfg(PyPy)]
-    let py_datetime_c_api = PyDateTime_Import();
-
-    #[cfg(not(PyPy))]
-    let py_datetime_c_api = {
-        // PyDateTime_CAPSULE_NAME is a macro in C
-        let PyDateTime_CAPSULE_NAME = CString::new("datetime.datetime_CAPI").unwrap();
-
-        PyCapsule_Import(PyDateTime_CAPSULE_NAME.as_ptr(), 1) as *mut PyDateTime_CAPI
-    };
-
-    *PyDateTimeAPI_impl.0.get() = py_datetime_c_api;
+    if !PyDateTimeAPI_impl.once.is_completed() {
+        // PyPy expects the C-API to be initialized via PyDateTime_Import, so trying to use
+        // `PyCapsule_Import` will behave unexpectedly in pypy.
+        #[cfg(PyPy)]
+        let py_datetime_c_api = PyDateTime_Import();
+
+        #[cfg(not(PyPy))]
+        let py_datetime_c_api = {
+            // PyDateTime_CAPSULE_NAME is a macro in C
+            let PyDateTime_CAPSULE_NAME = CString::new("datetime.datetime_CAPI").unwrap();
+
+            PyCapsule_Import(PyDateTime_CAPSULE_NAME.as_ptr(), 1) as *mut PyDateTime_CAPI
+        };
+
+        // Protect against race conditions when the datetime API is concurrently
+        // initialized in multiple threads. UnsafeCell.get() cannot panic so this
+        // won't panic either.
+        PyDateTimeAPI_impl.once.call_once(|| {
+            *PyDateTimeAPI_impl.ptr.get() = py_datetime_c_api;
+        });
+    }
 }
 
 // skipped non-limited PyDateTime_TimeZone_UTC
@@ -739,8 +747,13 @@ extern "C" {
 
 // Rust specific implementation details
 
-struct PyDateTimeAPISingleton(UnsafeCell<*mut PyDateTime_CAPI>);
+struct PyDateTimeAPISingleton {
+    once: Once,
+    ptr: UnsafeCell<*mut PyDateTime_CAPI>,
+}
 unsafe impl Sync for PyDateTimeAPISingleton {}
 
-static PyDateTimeAPI_impl: PyDateTimeAPISingleton =
-    PyDateTimeAPISingleton(UnsafeCell::new(ptr::null_mut()));
+static PyDateTimeAPI_impl: PyDateTimeAPISingleton = PyDateTimeAPISingleton {
+    once: Once::new(),
+    ptr: UnsafeCell::new(ptr::null_mut()),
+};