diff --git a/src/fmt.rs b/src/fmt.rs
index 2b5554182f1..5482e6bbeca 100644
--- a/src/fmt.rs
+++ b/src/fmt.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@ macro_rules! py_format {
             static INTERNED: $crate::sync::PyOnceLock<$crate::Py<$crate::types::PyString>> = $crate::sync::PyOnceLock::new();
             Ok(
                 INTERNED
-                .get_or_init($py, || $crate::types::PyString::intern($py, static_string).unbind())
+                .get_or_init($py, || {
+                    if let Ok(static_c_string) = ::std::ffi::CString::new(static_string) {
+                        $crate::types::PyString::intern_cstr($py, &static_c_string).unbind()
+                    } else {
+                        $crate::types::PyString::intern($py, static_string).unbind()
+                    }
+                })
                 .bind($py)
                 .to_owned()
             )
diff --git a/src/impl_/coroutine.rs b/src/impl_/coroutine.rs
index 0bb2d341a17..d47a8d6b053 100644
--- a/src/impl_/coroutine.rs
+++ b/src/impl_/coroutine.rs
@@ -2,13 +2,12 @@ use std::future::Future;
 
 use crate::{
     coroutine::{cancel::ThrowCallback, Coroutine},
-    instance::Bound,
     types::PyString,
-    Py, PyAny, PyResult, Python,
+    Borrowed, Py, PyAny, PyResult, Python,
 };
 
 pub fn new_coroutine<'py, F>(
-    name: &Bound<'py, PyString>,
+    name: Borrowed<'_, 'py, PyString>,
     qualname_prefix: Option<&'static str>,
     throw_callback: Option<ThrowCallback>,
     future: F,
@@ -16,7 +15,12 @@ pub fn new_coroutine<'py, F>(
 where
     F: Future<Output = PyResult<Py<PyAny>>> + Send + 'static,
 {
-    Coroutine::new(Some(name.clone()), qualname_prefix, throw_callback, future)
+    Coroutine::new(
+        Some(name.to_owned()),
+        qualname_prefix,
+        throw_callback,
+        future,
+    )
 }
 
 /// Handle which assumes that the coroutine is attached to the thread. Unlike `Python<'_>`, this is `Send`.
diff --git a/src/sync.rs b/src/sync.rs
index cb71ccd10f5..fe081c3bc15 100644
--- a/src/sync.rs
+++ b/src/sync.rs
@@ -9,12 +9,7 @@
 //! interpreter.
 //!
 //! This module provides synchronization primitives which are able to synchronize under these conditions.
-use crate::{
-    internal::state::SuspendAttach,
-    sealed::Sealed,
-    types::{PyAny, PyString},
-    Bound, Py, Python,
-};
+use crate::{internal::state::SuspendAttach, sealed::Sealed, types::PyAny, Bound, Python};
 use std::{
     cell::UnsafeCell,
     marker::PhantomData,
@@ -229,30 +224,27 @@ impl<T> Drop for GILOnceCell<T> {
 #[macro_export]
 macro_rules! intern {
     ($py: expr, $text: expr) => {{
-        static INTERNED: $crate::sync::Interned = $crate::sync::Interned::new($text);
-        INTERNED.get($py)
+        const STRING: ::std::result::Result<&::std::ffi::CStr, &str> = {
+            match ::std::ffi::CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(concat!($text, "\0").as_bytes()) {
+                ::std::result::Result::Ok(c_str) => ::std::result::Result::Ok(c_str),
+                ::std::result::Result::Err(_) => ::std::result::Result::Err($text),
+            }
+        };
+        static INTERNED: $crate::sync::PyOnceLock<$crate::Py<$crate::types::PyString>> =
+            $crate::sync::PyOnceLock::new();
+        INTERNED
+            .get_or_init($py, || match STRING {
+                ::std::result::Result::Ok(c_str) => {
+                    $crate::types::PyString::intern_cstr($py, c_str).unbind()
+                }
+                ::std::result::Result::Err(string) => {
+                    $crate::types::PyString::intern($py, string).unbind()
+                }
+            })
+            .bind_borrowed($py)
     }};
 }
 
-/// Implementation detail for `intern!` macro.
-#[doc(hidden)]
-pub struct Interned(&'static str, PyOnceLock<Py<PyString>>);
-
-impl Interned {
-    /// Creates an empty holder for an interned `str`.
-    pub const fn new(value: &'static str) -> Self {
-        Interned(value, PyOnceLock::new())
-    }
-
-    /// Gets or creates the interned `str` value.
-    #[inline]
-    pub fn get<'py>(&self, py: Python<'py>) -> &Bound<'py, PyString> {
-        self.1
-            .get_or_init(py, || PyString::intern(py, self.0).into())
-            .bind(py)
-    }
-}
-
 /// Extension trait for [`Once`] to help avoid deadlocking when using a [`Once`] when attached to a
 /// Python thread.
 pub trait OnceExt: Sealed {
@@ -727,6 +719,8 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
     use crate::types::{PyAnyMethods, PyDict, PyDictMethods};
+    #[cfg(feature = "macros")]
+    use crate::Py;
     #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
     #[cfg(feature = "macros")]
     use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
diff --git a/src/types/module.rs b/src/types/module.rs
index 795ec737eeb..639b79cd869 100644
--- a/src/types/module.rs
+++ b/src/types/module.rs
@@ -551,11 +551,11 @@ impl<'py> PyModuleMethods<'py> for Bound<'py, PyModule> {
     }
 }
 
-fn __all__(py: Python<'_>) -> &Bound<'_, PyString> {
+fn __all__(py: Python<'_>) -> Borrowed<'static, '_, PyString> {
     intern!(py, "__all__")
 }
 
-fn __name__(py: Python<'_>) -> &Bound<'_, PyString> {
+fn __name__(py: Python<'_>) -> Borrowed<'static, '_, PyString> {
     intern!(py, "__name__")
 }
 
diff --git a/src/types/string.rs b/src/types/string.rs
index a2010d3f434..84a04ab56a6 100644
--- a/src/types/string.rs
+++ b/src/types/string.rs
@@ -202,6 +202,18 @@ impl PyString {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Intern the given C string.
+    ///
+    /// Python may keep a reference to the returned string or make it immortal, preventing it from
+    /// being garbage collected.
+    pub fn intern_cstr<'py>(py: Python<'py>, s: &CStr) -> Bound<'py, PyString> {
+        unsafe {
+            ffi::PyUnicode_InternFromString(s.as_ptr())
+                .assume_owned(py)
+                .cast_into_unchecked()
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Attempts to create a Python string from a Python [bytes-like object].
     ///
     /// The `encoding` and `errors` parameters are optional: