diff --git a/Doc/c-api/refcounting.rst b/Doc/c-api/refcounting.rst
index 391907c8c2976a..f453e764fd1ada 100644
--- a/Doc/c-api/refcounting.rst
+++ b/Doc/c-api/refcounting.rst
@@ -97,6 +97,36 @@ objects.
    :c:func:`Py_DECREF`, and the same warning applies.
 
 
+.. c:function:: PyObject* _Py_Borrow(PyObject *o)
+
+   :term:`Borrow a reference <borrowed reference>` to an object: decrement the
+   object reference count and return the object.
+
+   The object must not be ``NULL``; if you aren't sure that it isn't
+   ``NULL``, use :c:func:`_Py_XBorrow`.
+
+   This function is intended to be used when updating an old C extension to
+   newer C API functions which return a :term:`strong reference`. For example,
+   replace ``frame->f_code`` with ``_Py_Borrow(PyFrame_GetCode(frame))``.
+
+   If the object can be destroyed before the last usage of the borrowed
+   reference, the :c:func:`_Py_Borrow` function should be avoided.
+
+   More generally, the :c:func:`_Py_Borrow` function should be avoided whenever
+   possible.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 3.10
+
+
+.. c:function:: PyObject* _Py_XBorrow(PyObject *o)
+
+   Similar to :c:func:`_Py_Borrow`, but the object *o* can be NULL.
+
+   If the object *o* is ``NULL``, the function just returns ``NULL``.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 3.10
+
+
 .. c:function:: void Py_CLEAR(PyObject *o)
 
    Decrement the reference count for object *o*.  The object may be ``NULL``, in
diff --git a/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst b/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst
index a8f1080a504c70..daebbbcbd9581d 100644
--- a/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst
+++ b/Doc/whatsnew/3.10.rst
@@ -552,6 +552,11 @@ New Features
 * The :c:func:`PyType_GetSlot` function can accept static types.
   (Contributed by Hai Shi and Petr Viktorin in :issue:`41073`.)
 
+* Added :c:func:`_Py_Borrow` and :c:func:`_Py_XBorrow` private functions to
+  :ref:`borrow a reference <borrowed reference>` to an object: decrement the
+  object reference count and return the object.
+  (Contributed by Victor Stinner in :issue:`42522`.)
+
 
 Porting to Python 3.10
 ----------------------
diff --git a/Include/object.h b/Include/object.h
index f68423a09c4e4b..87d40b699fcb77 100644
--- a/Include/object.h
+++ b/Include/object.h
@@ -551,6 +551,21 @@ static inline PyObject* _Py_XNewRef(PyObject *obj)
 #define Py_NewRef(obj) _Py_NewRef(obj)
 #define Py_XNewRef(obj) _Py_XNewRef(obj)
 
+// Borrow a reference to an object:
+// decrement the object reference count and return the object.
+static inline PyObject* _Py_Borrow(PyObject *obj)
+{
+    Py_DECREF(obj);
+    return obj;
+}
+
+// Similar to _Py_Borrow(), but the object can be NULL.
+static inline PyObject* _Py_XBorrow(PyObject *obj)
+{
+    Py_XDECREF(obj);
+    return obj;
+}
+
 
 /*
 _Py_NoneStruct is an object of undefined type which can be used in contexts
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-12-01-12-30-18.bpo-42522.0cnTLW.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-12-01-12-30-18.bpo-42522.0cnTLW.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..081d5e0333fde6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C API/2020-12-01-12-30-18.bpo-42522.0cnTLW.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Added :c:func:`_Py_Borrow` and :c:func:`_Py_XBorrow` functions to :ref:`borrow
+a reference <borrowed reference>` to an object: decrement the object reference
+count and return the object. Patch by Victor Stinner.
diff --git a/Modules/_testcapimodule.c b/Modules/_testcapimodule.c
index d2104423c5890c..b5172a83797660 100644
--- a/Modules/_testcapimodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_testcapimodule.c
@@ -5636,6 +5636,46 @@ test_set_type_size(PyObject* self, PyObject* ignored)
 }
 
 
+static PyObject*
+test_refcount(PyObject* self, PyObject* ignored)
+{
+    // Test Py_NewRef(), Py_XNewRef(), _Py_Borrow() and _Py_XBorrow()
+    // functions.
+    PyObject *obj = PyList_New(0);
+    if (obj == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    assert(Py_REFCNT(obj) == 1);
+
+    PyObject *ref = Py_NewRef(obj);
+    assert(ref == obj);
+    assert(Py_REFCNT(obj) == 2);
+    Py_DECREF(ref);
+
+    PyObject *xref = Py_XNewRef(obj);
+    assert(xref == obj);
+    assert(Py_REFCNT(obj) == 2);
+    Py_DECREF(xref);
+
+    assert(Py_XNewRef(NULL) == NULL);
+
+    Py_INCREF(obj);
+    PyObject *borrowed = _Py_Borrow(obj);
+    assert(borrowed == obj);
+    assert(Py_REFCNT(obj) == 1);
+
+    Py_INCREF(obj);
+    PyObject *xborrowed = _Py_XBorrow(obj);
+    assert(xborrowed == obj);
+    assert(Py_REFCNT(obj) == 1);
+
+    assert(_Py_XBorrow(NULL) == NULL);
+
+    Py_DECREF(obj);
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+
 static PyMethodDef TestMethods[] = {
     {"raise_exception",         raise_exception,                 METH_VARARGS},
     {"raise_memoryerror",       raise_memoryerror,               METH_NOARGS},
@@ -5908,6 +5948,7 @@ static PyMethodDef TestMethods[] = {
     {"pynumber_tobase", pynumber_tobase, METH_VARARGS},
     {"without_gc", without_gc, METH_O},
     {"test_set_type_size", test_set_type_size, METH_NOARGS},
+    {"test_refcount", test_refcount, METH_NOARGS},
     {NULL, NULL} /* sentinel */
 };