diff --git a/newsfragments/6234.fixed.md b/newsfragments/6234.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a5df69a8296
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/6234.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix a memory leak on Python 3.11 and 3.12 where creating an instance of a `#[pyclass(dict)]` class leaked one empty dict per instance.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/pyclass_init.rs b/src/pyclass_init.rs
index 8e996d9b541..6b8ac028222 100644
--- a/src/pyclass_init.rs
+++ b/src/pyclass_init.rs
@@ -155,9 +155,38 @@ impl<T: PyClass> PyClassInitializer<T> {
 
         // SAFETY: `obj` is constructed using `T::Layout` but has not been initialized yet
         let contents = unsafe { <T as PyClassImpl>::Layout::contents_uninit(obj) };
+
+        let new_contents = PyClassObjectContents::new(self.init);
+
+        // CPython 3.11 and 3.12 eagerly create the instance dict for types with a nonzero
+        // `tp_dictoffset` in `_PyObject_InitializeDict`, storing an owned reference in
+        // the `__dict__` slot, which lives inside `contents`. Carry that value over
+        // instead of clobbering it below, otherwise it leaks. Python 3.13 returned to
+        // creating the instance dict lazily
+        //
+        // The condition is `not(Py_3_13)` rather than `all(Py_3_11, not(Py_3_13))`
+        // because an abi3 build with a lower minimum version can still run on 3.11 and
+        // 3.12; on 3.10 and older this is a harmless no-op (the slot is always null
+        // there).
+        #[cfg(not(Py_3_13))]
+        let new_contents = {
+            let mut new_contents = new_contents;
+            if eagerly_created_dict_possible::<T>(py) {
+                // SAFETY: `tp_alloc` zero-initializes the object, so the slot contains either
+                // zeroes (a valid empty slot value) or a valid owned pointer stored by the base
+                // `tp_new` through the type's `tp_dictoffset`.
+                unsafe {
+                    let contents_ptr = (*contents).as_mut_ptr();
+                    let dict_ptr = &raw const (*contents_ptr).dict;
+                    new_contents.dict = core::ptr::read(dict_ptr);
+                }
+            }
+            new_contents
+        };
+
         // SAFETY: `contents` is a non-null pointer to the space allocated for our
         // `PyClassObjectContents` (either statically in Rust or dynamically by Python)
-        unsafe { (*contents).write(PyClassObjectContents::new(self.init)) };
+        unsafe { (*contents).write(new_contents) };
 
         // Safety: obj is a valid pointer to an object of type `target_type`, which` is a known
         // subclass of `T`
@@ -165,6 +194,35 @@ impl<T: PyClass> PyClassInitializer<T> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Whether the running interpreter may have eagerly created an instance dict for `T`
+/// during `tp_new` (CPython 3.11 and 3.12 only).
+///
+/// For native builds the compile-time `not(Py_3_13)` gate at the call site is exact; abi3
+/// builds with a minimum version below 3.13 must check the interpreter version at runtime
+#[cfg(not(Py_3_13))]
+#[inline]
+fn eagerly_created_dict_possible<T: PyClassImpl>(py: Python<'_>) -> bool {
+    if core::mem::size_of::<T::Dict>() == 0 {
+        return false;
+    }
+    cfg_select! {
+        Py_LIMITED_API =>
+        {
+            use crate::sync::PyOnceLock;
+            static IS_PYTHON_3_11_OR_3_12: PyOnceLock<bool> = PyOnceLock::new();
+            *IS_PYTHON_3_11_OR_3_12.get_or_init(py, || {
+                let version_info = py.version_info();
+                matches!((version_info.major, version_info.minor), (3, 11) | (3, 12))
+            })
+        }
+        not(Py_LIMITED_API) =>
+        {
+            let _ = py;
+            cfg!(Py_3_11)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T: PyClass> PyObjectInit<T> for PyClassInitializer<T> {
     unsafe fn into_new_object(
         self,
diff --git a/tests/test_class_basics.rs b/tests/test_class_basics.rs
index ad0b7cf193c..6a840455b70 100644
--- a/tests/test_class_basics.rs
+++ b/tests/test_class_basics.rs
@@ -502,6 +502,57 @@ fn dunder_dict_is_released() {
     });
 }
 
+// The `__dict__` slot must hold exactly what CPython's `tp_new` left there: CPython 3.11
+// and 3.12 eagerly create the instance dict in `object.__new__` for types with a nonzero
+// `tp_dictoffset`, and the pyclass contents initialization must preserve it rather than
+// clobber it. All other versions create the dict lazily on first access.
+#[cfg(all(not(Py_LIMITED_API), not(PyPy), not(GraalPy)))]
+#[test]
+fn instance_dict_slot_is_not_clobbered() {
+    Python::attach(|py| {
+        let inst = Py::new(
+            py,
+            DunderDictSupport {
+                _pad: *b"DEADBEEFDEADBEEFDEADBEEFDEADBEEF",
+            },
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        // Read the `__dict__` slot directly (see `_PyObject_GetDictPtr`), *without*
+        // going through `__dict__`.
+        // SAFETY: `inst` is a valid object whose type has a positive `tp_dictoffset`.
+        let read_slot = || unsafe {
+            let offset = (*pyo3::ffi::Py_TYPE(inst.as_ptr())).tp_dictoffset;
+            assert!(offset > 0);
+            *inst
+                .as_ptr()
+                .cast::<u8>()
+                .offset(offset)
+                .cast::<*mut pyo3::ffi::PyObject>()
+        };
+
+        let slot_dict = read_slot();
+        if cfg!(all(Py_3_11, not(Py_3_13))) {
+            // `object.__new__` created the dict; it must survive pyclass initialization.
+            assert!(
+                !slot_dict.is_null(),
+                "the eagerly created __dict__ was clobbered during pyclass initialization"
+            );
+            // The slot holds the only reference to it.
+            // SAFETY: previous assert guarantees it's a valid PyObject
+            assert_eq!(unsafe { pyo3::ffi::Py_REFCNT(slot_dict) }, 1);
+        } else {
+            // No eager creation on these versions; the slot starts out empty.
+            assert!(slot_dict.is_null());
+        }
+
+        // Whichever way the dict comes into existence, `__dict__` must be the dict
+        // stored in the slot.
+        let dict_attr = inst.bind(py).getattr("__dict__").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(read_slot(), dict_attr.as_ptr());
+    });
+}
+
 // If the base class has dict support, child class also has dict
 #[pyclass(extends=DunderDictSupport)]
 struct InheritDict {